Question

Why did planets' gravitational attraction increase when they grew larger?

a) Gravitational attraction depends on the planet's age.
b) The core temperature of the planet affects gravity.
c) Gravitational attraction increases with mass and size.
d) Planets' gravity is constant and unaffected by size changes.

Answer 1

Planets' gravitational attraction increases when they grow larger because the force of gravity is directly proportional to their mass. As planets accrue more mass, their gravitational pull becomes stronger, according to Newton's universal law of gravitation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason why a planet's gravitational attraction increases as they grow larger can be attributed to the interaction of mass with the force of gravitational attraction. According to Newton's universal law of gravitation, the gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of an object. Therefore, as the mass of a planet increases, its gravitational pull also increases. This is because every object with mass exerts a gravitational force on every other object with mass, no matter where they are in the universe. However, this force diminishes with increasing distance between the objects.

Thus, the correct answer to why planets' gravitational attraction increases when they grow larger is c) Gravitational attraction increases with mass and size.

Answer 2

c) Gravitational attraction increases with mass and size.

Step-by-step explanation:

Gravitational force is determined by the mass of the objects and the distance between them. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Here is the equation:

`F_g=(Gm_1m_2)/(r^2)`

Where:

• 'F_g' is the gravitational force
• G is gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ (N·m²)/kg²)
• 'm₁' and 'm₂' are the masses of each celestial body
• 'r' is distance between centers of the masses

As planets grow larger, they typically gain mass, and it is the increase in mass that primarily causes the increase in gravitational attraction. The size (or radius) of the planet also affects gravity in the sense that for objects on or near the surface, the distance to the center of the planet is related to the size of the planet. However, when discussing the gravitational attraction of a planet as a whole, it is the mass, not the size or volume, that is most significant.

Thus, out of the options given, (c) is correct.