A student claims that gravitational fields exist between objects that are not in contact with each other. She creates a diagram of two figures. The width of the arrows in Figure A and Figure B represent the strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects.

Question

A student claims that gravitational fields exist between objects that are not in contact with each other. She creates a diagram of two figures. The width of the arrows in Figure A and Figure B represent the strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects.

Image

The student claims the gravitational force is greater between the objects in Figure A. Which argument best supports her claim?
A.
The masses of the objects in Figure A are less than the masses of the objects in Figure B.

B.
The diameters of the objects in Figure A are greater than the diameters of the objects in Figure B.

C.
The distance between the objects in Figure A is shorter than the distance between the objects in Figure B.

D.
The surface area of the larger object in Figure A is greater than the surface area of the larger object in Figure B

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. The surface area of the larger object in Figure A is greater than the surface area of the larger object in Figure B. This is because the strength of the gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, if the mass of the objects remains constant, the larger surface area of the object in Figure A will result in a greater gravitational force between the objects. Options A, B, and C do not provide any relevant information to support the claim.