A person states that the gravitational force between two objects depends upon the mass of the objects and the distance between them. Which argument best supports the person’s statement?(1 point)
Responses
If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will not change.
If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will not change.
If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will increase.
If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will increase.
If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will increase.
The argument that best supports the person's statement is:
"If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease."
The argument that best supports the person's statement is: "If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease."
To understand why this argument supports the person's statement, we need to remember Newton's law of universal gravitation. According to this law, the gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Mathematically, the formula for gravitational force (F) is given by F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between them.
Now, let's analyze the argument:
- When the distance between two objects increases, according to the inverse square relationship, the denominator (r^2) in the formula for gravitational force becomes larger. As a result, the overall fraction becomes smaller, leading to a decrease in the gravitational force.
- This relationship holds true as long as we keep the masses of the objects constant. If the masses change, it will impact the strength of the gravitational force as well.
Therefore, the argument "If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease" best aligns with the person's statement that the gravitational force depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them.