Final answer:
The magnitude of the force of gravity quadruples if the distance between two objects is cut in half, due to the inverse square law.
Step-by-step explanation:
Isaac Newton's laws of gravitation indicate that the magnitude of the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between two objects. If the distance is cut in half, the gravitational force increases by a factor of the inverse square of ½, which is (1/2)² or 1/4. Therefore, if the distance is cut in half, the magnitude of the gravitational force becomes four times greater.
For example, if the original force was F, when the distance is halved, the new force would be 4F. This illustrates the concept that the gravitational force becomes stronger as two objects are brought closer together, following the inverse square law of gravitation.