Question

what happens to the gravitational force between two objects if the mass of one object is halved? (1 point)
it is doubled.
it remains the same.
it is halved.
it is reduced by a factor of 4.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for gravitational force

The formula for gravitational force is \(F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\), where \(G\) is the gravitational constant, \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) are the masses of the two objects, and \(r\) is the distance between them.

Step2: Analyze the effect of halving one mass

Let the original force be \(F_1=G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\). If the mass of one object (say \(m_1\)) is halved (\(m_1'=\frac{1}{2}m_1\)), then the new force \(F_2 = G\frac{\frac{1}{2}m_1m_2}{r^2}\).
Simplify \(F_2\): \(F_2=\frac{1}{2}(G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2})\). Since \(F_1 = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\), we have \(F_2=\frac{1}{2}F_1\).

Answer:

It is halved.