20. There are two objects close to each other. If the mass of one of the objects is doubled while the distance remains the same, how does the gravitational force change?(1 point)

Responses

It becomes four times stronger
It becomes four times stronger

It becomes half as strong
It becomes half as strong

It remains the same
It remains the same

It becomes twice as strong

1 answer

The gravitational force between two objects is described by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force \( F \) is proportional to the product of the masses \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \) between them:

\[ F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \]

If the mass of one of the objects is doubled (let's say \( m_1 \) becomes \( 2m_1 \)), while the distance \( r \) remains the same, the new gravitational force \( F' \) can be expressed as:

\[ F' = G \frac{(2m_1) m_2}{r^2} = 2 \left( G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \right) = 2F \]

This means the gravitational force becomes twice as strong.

Therefore, the correct response is It becomes twice as strong.