Two phenomena are operating at the same time to keep Earth in its orbit. First, the gravitational pull of the Sun is pulling the Earth toward it. Second, the forward motion (inertia) of the Earth is guiding the planet in a straight line. It is the competing action of these two “forces” (inertia is technically not a force, but it’s responsible for the planet’s trajectory because the Earth “wants” to go in a straight line, at a tangent to its orbit) that makes the Earth go in a smooth, and nearly circular, orbit around the Sun.
If only one of these “forces” were acting, it would be a disaster for the Earth. If our world were somehow made stationary in its path, the Sun’s gravity would pull it in and burn it to a cinder. On the other hand, if the Sun’s gravity somehow magically disappeared, Earth would fly off tangent to its orbit and be lost forever.
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MR.JAGDEESH
Two phenomena are operating at the same time to keep Earth in its orbit. First, the gravitational pull of the Sun is pulling the Earth toward it. Second, the forward motion (inertia) of the Earth is guiding the planet in a straight line. It is the competing action of these two “forces” (inertia is technically not a force, but it’s responsible for the planet’s trajectory because the Earth “wants” to go in a straight line, at a tangent to its orbit) that makes the Earth go in a smooth, and nearly circular, orbit around the Sun.
If only one of these “forces” were acting, it would be a disaster for the Earth. If our world were somehow made stationary in its path, the Sun’s gravity would pull it in and burn it to a cinder. On the other hand, if the Sun’s gravity somehow magically disappeared, Earth would fly off tangent to its orbit and be lost forever.