Final answer:
Doubling the distance between Earth and the moon would reduce the gravitational force between them by a factor of four, not double, cut in half, or quadruple.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the distance between the Earth and the moon were to double, the gravitational force between them would not double, cut in half, or quadruple. Instead, according to Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, 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 their centers. Thus, if the distance is doubled, the gravitational force is reduced by a factor of the square of 2, which is 4. Therefore, the gravitational force would become one-fourth of what it was initially.
The correct answer to the student's question is D) None of the above. When the distance between two objects is doubled, the gravitational force between them is actually reduced by a factor of four (1/4).