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)
A. If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will not change.
B. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
C. If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
D. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will increase.
B. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
The correct argument that best supports the person's statement is:
B. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
This argument aligns with the inverse square law of gravity, which states that the force between two objects decreases as the distance between them increases. Therefore, as the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between them will decrease.
To answer this question, we need to understand 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.
Now, let's analyze each argument and see which one best supports the person's statement:
A. If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will not change.
This argument contradicts Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects. Therefore, this argument does not support the person's statement.
B. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
This argument aligns with Newton's law of universal gravitation. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between them will indeed decrease. This supports the person's statement because it shows that the distance between the objects affects the gravitational force.
C. If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease.
This argument also aligns with Newton's law of universal gravitation. If the distance between two objects decreases, the gravitational force between them will decrease. However, the person's statement implies that the gravitational force depends on both the mass of the objects and the distance between them, whereas this argument only mentions the distance. Therefore, while this argument supports the relationship between distance and gravitational force, it does not fully support the person's statement.
D. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will increase.
This argument contradicts Newton's law of universal gravitation. According to the law, if the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between them will actually decrease. Therefore, this argument does not support the person's statement.
Based on our analysis, the argument that best supports the person's statement is B. If the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between the objects will decrease. This argument aligns with Newton's law of universal gravitation and supports the idea that the gravitational force depends on both the mass of the objects and the distance between them.