Which of the following statements describes the reason why the Earth is affected by the Sun's gravitational pull, even though it does not fall into the Sun?

The reason why the Earth is affected by the Sun's gravitational pull is that the Sun's gravity exerts a force on the Earth, just as the Earth's gravity exerts a force on the Sun. However, the Earth does not fall into the Sun because the force of the Earth's motion, known as its orbital velocity, balances out the force of the Sun's gravity. This allows the Earth to maintain a stable orbit around the Sun.