Final answer:
The greatest gravitational force between two objects occurs in scenario C, where the objects have masses of 15 kg and 12 kg respectively, and are 0.5 m apart, due to the direct proportionality to mass product and inverse proportionality to the square of the distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario in which two objects experience the greatest gravitational force between them depends on their masses and the distance between them. According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, the gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Reviewing the scenarios:
- A. Mass of object 1 = 12 kg, Mass of object 2 = 12 kg, Distance between objects = 1.5 m
- B. Mass of object 1 = 15 kg, Mass of object 2 = 12 kg, Distance between objects = 1.5 m
- C. Mass of object 1 = 15 kg, Mass of object 2 = 12 kg, Distance between objects = 0.5 m
- D. Mass of object 1 = 12 kg, Mass of object 2 = 12 kg, Distance between objects = 0.5 m
Comparing these scenarios, scenario C has the highest product of masses and the shortest distance, which would result in the greatest gravitational force. Therefore, among the given options, the correct answer is scenario C.