Question

Use the table of the masses of several objects to answer the question.

Mass In Grams Of Common Objects
Object Mass (grams)
paper clip 1.0
penny 2.5
book 860
cereal box 500
small pot 1,200
Between which two objects is gravitational attraction the greatest if placed 1 meter apart?

(1 point)

between the small pot and the book

between the penny and the small pot

between the paper clip and the penny

between the book and the cereal box

Answer 1

Between the small pot and the book.

Gravitational force ∝ product of the masses. Products:
- small pot × book = 1,200 × 860 = 1,032,000
- book × cereal box = 860 × 500 = 430,000
- penny × small pot = 2.5 × 1,200 = 3,000
- paper clip × penny = 1.0 × 2.5 = 2.5

The pot and book give the largest product, so their attraction is greatest.