Question

What does it mean for a force to act in accordance with an inverse square law?

A) The square of the force is inversely proportional to the distance.

B) The force decreases if the distance increases.

C) The force is directly proportional to 1/r^2, where r is the distance.

D) The force is directly proportional to the distance squared.

Answer 1

An inverse square law means the force is directly proportional to 1/r², decreasing in strength as the distance increases, as seen in Coulomb's and Newton's laws.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a force acts in accordance with an inverse square law, it means that the force is directly proportional to 1/r², where r is the distance. This concept is exemplified by Coulomb's law for electrostatic forces and Newton's law of universal gravitation. As the distance between two objects increases, the force of interaction between them decreases in proportion to the square of that distance. Thus, if the distance is doubled, the force is reduced by a factor of 4 (2²).