The three correct statements about Newton's theory of universal gravitation are:
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Gravitational force increases as the distance between objects decreases: This is true, as gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of two masses.
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Gravitational force increases as the mass of objects increases: This is also true, as gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects.
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The theory applies to all objects in the universe: This is correct, as Newton's law of universal gravitation applies to all masses, regardless of their location in the universe.
The other statements are false:
- The theory does not only apply to objects on Earth; it applies universally.
- Gravitational force does not increase as the distance between objects increases; it actually decreases with increasing distance.
- Gravitational force does not increase as the mass of objects decreases; it decreases with less mass.