Question

a gravitational force acts between two objects. which statement best describes what will happen to the gravitational force acting between the objects if the mass of both objects is increased? the gravitational force will decrease. the gravitational force will increase. the gravitational force will become zero. the gravitational force will not be affected.

Explanation:

The formula for gravitational force is \( F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2} \), where \( F \) is the gravitational force, \( G \) is the gravitational constant, \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) are the masses of the two objects, and \( r \) is the distance between them. If the mass of both objects (\( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \)) is increased, the numerator \( m_1m_2 \) will increase (assuming \( r \) remains constant). Since \( F \) is directly proportional to the product of the masses, an increase in the product of the masses will lead to an increase in the gravitational force. So the statement "The gravitational force will increase" is correct. The other options are incorrect: increasing mass should not decrease the force, the force won't become zero (as long as mass and distance are non - zero), and the force is affected by mass changes.

Answer:

The gravitational force will increase.