Question

the milky way is surrounded by many smaller galaxies known as dwarf galaxies. the diagram below shows the relative distances of three dwarf galaxies from the milky way. all of the dwarf galaxies have roughly the same mass.
fornax sculptor
milky way ursa minor
which dwarf galaxy experiences the weakest force of gravity from the milky way?
choose 1 answer.
a fornax
b sculptor
c ursa minor

Explanation:

The gravitational force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers (from Newton's law of universal gravitation, \( F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2} \), where \( r \) is the distance). Since all dwarf galaxies have roughly the same mass as each other and the Milky Way's mass is constant, the galaxy farthest from the Milky Way will experience the weakest gravitational force. From the diagram, Fornax is the farthest from the Milky Way among the three, so it experiences the weakest gravity from the Milky Way.

Answer:

A. Fornax