Final answer:
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 them, as described by Newton's law of universal gravitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The gravitational force between two objects is a fundamental aspect of physics described by Newton's law of universal gravitation. This law states that the gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers of mass.
In other words, doubling the mass of one object would double the gravitational force, while doubling the distance between the objects would reduce the gravitational force by a factor of four. To calculate the gravitational force, one could follow these steps: Identify the two masses in question. Draw a free-body diagram representing the forces acting on each mass, including the distance between their centers.
Apply Newton's second law (F = mg) to determine the motion of the masses. The relationship between mass and gravitational force is essential to understanding phenomena such as Earth's gravitational pull, the Moon's effect on Earth, and weightlessness in space. Tools like the PhET Explorations Gravity Force Lab can help visualize how changes in mass and distance affect the gravitational force.