Question

If the distance between two masses is tripled, the gravitational force between changes by a factor of

A. 1/9
B. 1/3
C. 3
D. 9

Answer 1

A. 1/9 is the answer.

Answer 2

A. 1/9

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational force between two objects is given by

`F=G(m_1 m_2)/(r^2)`

where

G is the gravitational constant

m1 and m2 are the two masses

r is the distance between the two masses

From the formula, we see that the magnitude of the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance: therefore, if the distance is tripled (increased by a factor 3), the magnitude of the force changes by a factor

`(1)/(r^2)=(1)/(3^2)=(1)/(9)`