Tamra knows that gravitational force exists between objects that are not in contact with each other. She is investigating gravitational force using two objects that are of equal mass. The two objects are at a distance of 5 ft apart from each other.
What will MOST LIKELY occur if Tamra increases the distance between the objects to 10 ft?
a
The gravitational force will decrease.
b
The gravitational force will disappear.
c
The gravitational force will increase.
d
The gravitational force will not change.
a. The gravitational force will decrease.
The correct answer is a) The gravitational force will decrease.
Gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In this case, if the distance between the two objects increases from 5 ft to 10 ft, the gravitational force between them will decrease. This is because the force becomes weaker as the distance increases.