What sign could the gravitational force between two masses take?
Only negative because of the formula, indicating repelling forces.
Only positive because masses are positive, indicating attractive forces.
Only negative because of the formula, indicating attractive forces.
Only positive because masses are positive, indicating repelling forces.
The correct answer is: Only negative because of the formula, indicating attractive forces.
To understand why, let's look at the formula for the gravitational force between two masses. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force (F) between two objects is given by:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
In this formula, G represents the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between their centers.
The negative sign is used in this formula to indicate that the gravitational force is attractive. It means that the force is directed towards each other, pulling the masses together. Without the negative sign, the formula would suggest repelling forces between masses, which is not the case for gravitational forces.
Therefore, the sign of the gravitational force can only be negative, indicating that the force is attractive.