Question

Two identical asteroids are initially at rest with the only forces being gravitational attraction. Which of the following best describes the acceleration of the asteroids?

A. The acceleration is zero.
B. The acceleration is constant.
C. The acceleration increases over time.
D. The acceleration depends on the masses of the asteroids.

Answer 1

The acceleration of the asteroids is constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is B. The acceleration is constant.

When two identical asteroids are initially at rest with the only forces being gravitational attraction, they will experience a constant acceleration towards each other. This is because the force of gravity is proportional to the product of the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Since the asteroids have the same mass, the force of gravity acting on each asteroid will be the same. Therefore, their accelerations will also be the same and constant over time.