The gravitational force between two objects is determined by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that the force \( F \) between two masses \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) separated by a distance \( r \) is given by the equation:
\[ F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \]
where \( G \) is the gravitational constant.
In the context of the Earth and the Sun, \( m_1 \) would be the mass of the Earth, \( m_2 \) the mass of the Sun, and \( r \) the distance between the centers of the two bodies.
According to this formula, the gravitational force \( F \) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \). This means that as the distance \( r \) increases, the gravitational force \( F \) decreases, and as the distance \( r \) decreases, the gravitational force \( F \) increases.
In practical terms, the Earth's orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle; it is an ellipse, which means the distance between the Earth and the Sun varies throughout the year. When the Earth is closer to the Sun (at perihelion), the gravitational force is slightly stronger. Conversely, when the Earth is further away from the Sun (at aphelion), the gravitational force is slightly weaker.
However, it’s important to note that these variations in gravitational force due to changes in distance are relatively small compared to the overall magnitude of the gravitational attraction between the Earth and the Sun, which remains a dominant force that governs the Earth’s orbit.