Gravitational Force, Attraction, and Mass Quick Check

Question

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Question
What information is needed to calculate the gravitational force of an object?(1 point)
Responses

the distance between the two objects
the distance between the two objects

the mass of the two objects
the mass of the two objects

the mass of the object subtracted from the distance between the object and the planet’s core
the mass of the object subtracted from the distance between the object and the planet’s core

the mass of the object and the planet’s gravitational acceleration
the mass of the object and the planet’s gravitational acceleration
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Answer 1

To calculate the gravitational force between two objects, you need the following information:

1. The mass of the two objects.
2. The distance between the two objects.

Therefore, the correct responses would be:

• the distance between the two objects
• the mass of the two objects

These two pieces of information are used in the universal law of gravitation, expressed by the formula:

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

Where:

• \( F \) is the gravitational force,
• \( G \) is the gravitational constant,
• \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) are the masses of the two objects, and
• \( r \) is the distance between the centers of the two objects.