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Which force dominates the motions of moons, planets, stars and galaxies?
AThe strong nuclear force
BThe gravitational force
CThe electromagnetic force
DThe weak nuclear force
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. The gravitational force
1. The nuclear forces act only over the size of a nucleus or less, so they cannot reach across space.
2. Electromagnetic forces are long range but nearly cancel for macroscopic bodies.
3. Gravity is always attractive, so it accumulates rather than cancels.
4. On the very large scale gravity is therefore the dominant force in astronomical systems.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.8 Extended Topic: The Four Basic Forces_
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