Final answer:
Newton’s law of universal gravitation is an inverse square law, meaning that it quantifies gravitational force as directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the distance squared between them.
Step-by-step explanation:
Newton’s law of universal gravitation is a foundational principle in Physics that explains the gravitational attraction between objects. The correct description of Newton's law of universal gravitation is: the gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, the type of law Newton’s law of universal gravitation represents is C) inverse square.
This law is crucial in understanding a range of phenomena, from the orbits of planets around the sun to the behavior of a stone tied to a string and whirled at constant speed in a horizontal circle. Unlike other potential dependencies, the product of the two masses makes sense because it implies that the gravitational attraction depends on both masses involved. The inverse square nature of the law implies that as the distance between two objects increases, the force of attraction decreases rapidly, following the inverse of the square of the distance.