Question

7 which of the following best describes what happens to the force of attraction if the distance between two objects is increased? a it varies. b it increases. c it decreases. d it stays the same.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's law of universal gravitation

Newton's law of universal gravitation is given by \(F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\), where \(F\) is the force of attraction between two objects, \(G\) 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 relationship between force and distance

From the formula \(F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}\), we can see that \(F\) is inversely proportional to \(r^2\) (\(F\propto\frac{1}{r^2}\)). When \(r\) (distance) increases, since \(F\) is inversely proportional to the square of \(r\), the value of \(F\) (force of attraction) will decrease.

Answer:

C. It decreases.