Which of the following statements about Newton's theory of universal gravitation is true? *
1 point
a. Gravitational force increases as the distance between objects increases.
b. Gravitational force increases as mass of objects decreases.
c. Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases.
d. The theory applies only to objects on Earth.
c. Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases.
To determine which of the statements about Newton's theory of universal gravitation is true, let's go through each statement and explain the theory itself.
Newton's theory of universal gravitation states that every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
a. Gravitational force increases as the distance between objects increases.
This statement is false. According to Newton's theory, gravitational force actually decreases as the distance between objects increases. This is because the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. As the distance increases, the force of gravity between the objects weakens.
b. Gravitational force increases as mass of objects decreases.
This statement is false as well. According to Newton's theory, gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the objects. If the mass of either object decreases, the gravitational force will also decrease.
c. Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases.
This statement is true. According to Newton's theory, the force of gravity between two objects increases as the mass of the objects increases. This means that the larger the masses of the objects, the stronger the gravitational force between them.
d. The theory applies only to objects on Earth.
This statement is also false. Newton's theory of universal gravitation is not limited to objects on Earth. It applies to all objects in the universe, whether they are on Earth or in space.
Therefore, the correct statement is:
c. Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases.
The correct statement about Newton's theory of universal gravitation is:
c. Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases.