The Earth has a stronger gravitational pull than the Moon mainly due to its larger mass. Gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of an object: the greater the mass, the stronger its gravitational pull.
To understand this better, let’s consider the formulas involved. The gravitational force can be calculated using Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, which states:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
In this formula, F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects (in this case, Earth and the Moon), and r is the distance between the centers of the two objects.
Earth’s mass is about 5.97 x 10²⁴ kg, while the Moon’s mass is only about 7.35 x 10²² kg. This substantial difference in mass means that Earth exerts a much stronger gravitational force. Additionally, the Earth’s larger diameter also contributes to how we experience gravity. On Earth, we feel a force of approximately 9.81 m/s² pulling us toward its center, whereas on the Moon, this force is only about 1.62 m/s².
Thus, it is the significant difference in mass that accounts for the difference in gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon.