Below is an image of two objects represented by m1 and m2. The distance between the objects is r. Using the Law of Universal Gravitation what would happen to the force of gravity if the distance (r) between both objects increased
O The force of gravity would increase.
O The force of gravity would decrease.
O The force of gravity would stay the same.
The force of gravity would decrease.
The force of gravity would decrease if the distance (r) between both objects increased. According to the Law of Universal Gravitation, the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects. This means that as the distance increases, the force of gravity decreases.
According to the Law of Universal Gravitation, the force of gravity between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance (r) between the objects increases, the force of gravity between them would decrease.
To understand how to arrive at this answer, let's take a look at the equation for the Law of Universal Gravitation:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
In this equation:
- F represents the force of gravity between the two objects.
- G is the gravitational constant, which is a fixed value in nature.
- m1 and m2 represent the masses of the two objects.
- r is the distance between the centers of mass of the objects.
It is important to note that the expression "r^2" in the denominator represents the square of the distance between the two objects. This means that if the distance (r) increases, the value of "r^2" in the denominator will get larger, resulting in a smaller value overall.
Therefore, as the distance between the objects increases, the force of gravity between them would decrease according to the inverse relationship described by the Law of Universal Gravitation.