Which statement describes the relationship between the mass of two objects and their gravitational attraction toward each other?(1 point)

If the mass of both objects increases by the same amount, then the gravitational attraction remains the same. If the mass of both objects increases by the same amount, then the gravitational attraction remains the same. If the mass of both objects increases by the same amount, then the gravitational attraction decreases. If the mass of both objects increases by the same amount, then the gravitational attraction decreases. If the mass of one object increases while the mass of the other object remains the same, then the gravitational attraction remains the same. If the mass of one object increases while the mass of the other object remains the same, then the gravitational attraction remains the same. If the mass of one object increases while the mass of the other object remains the same, then the gravitational attraction increases.

1 answer

The statement that correctly describes the relationship between the mass of two objects and their gravitational attraction toward each other is:

If the mass of one object increases while the mass of the other object remains the same, then the gravitational attraction increases.

According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force \( F \) between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) and inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \) between their centers, which can be represented by the formula:

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

Where \( G \) is the gravitational constant. Therefore, if the mass of either object increases, the gravitational attraction between them also increases.