Final answer:
If the gravitational force by Earth on the moon suddenly shut off, the moon would continue moving in a straight line with a constant velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the gravitational force by Earth on the moon suddenly shut off, the moon would continue moving in a straight line with a constant velocity. This is due to Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object will continue moving in a straight line at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
Without Earth's gravitational force acting on the moon, there would be no centripetal force to keep the moon in its orbit. Therefore, the moon would no longer orbit Earth and would instead move away from Earth in a straight line.
This can be illustrated by considering the example of a satellite in orbit around Earth. If the satellite's engines were suddenly turned off, it would continue moving in a straight line with a constant velocity, just like the moon would if Earth's gravitational force shut off.