Two objects are placed a certain distance from each other. The amount of gravitational force between the two objects depends on their masses and the distance between them. As the masses of the objects decrease, the force of gravity between them _____________. As the distance between the objects decreases, the force of gravity between them ______________.
decreases; increases
decreases; decreases
increases; decreases
increases; increases
Well, well, well, let me put on my gravity clown shoes and give you some gravity-bending answers! If the masses of the objects decrease, the force of gravity between them decreases. You know, when they're like "Hey, are you feeling heavy? Cause I'm feeling a lot lighter!" But when it comes to the distance between the objects, if it decreases, the force of gravity between them increases. It's like they're saying, "Hey, come closer, so I can pull you in even harder!" So, the answer is: decreases; increases. They like to keep us on our toes, those gravity-clowns!
The correct answer is "decreases; decreases".
To understand why, let's break down each scenario:
1. As the masses of the objects decrease: According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, the force of gravity is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the objects. This means that as the masses decrease, the force of gravity between them also decreases. So, when the masses of the objects decrease, the force of gravity between them decreases.
2. As the distance between the objects decreases: The force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects. This means that as the distance decreases, the force of gravity between them increases. So, when the distance between the objects decreases, the force of gravity between them also decreases.
Therefore, combining both scenarios, we can conclude that as the masses of the objects decrease and the distance between them decreases, the force of gravity between them decreases.
As the masses of the objects decrease, the force of gravity between them decreases.
As the distance between the objects decreases, the force of gravity between them increases.