Question

When considering the Law of Universal Gravitation, the graph of force v. distance is

Answer 1

d. none of the above

Step-by-step explanation

The Law of Universal Gravitation states that:

`F=G\cdot(m_1m_2)/(r^2)`

Where F is the force and r is the distance. Note that the force varies inversely with the square of the distance.

This means that the graph is definitely not linear, because the equation should have the form:

`F=\alpha r+\beta`

where alpha and beta are constants.

It is not parabolic either, because in that case the form would be:

`F=\alpha r^2+\beta r+\gamma`

Again, alpha, beta and gamma are constants.

And it's not circular, because we should have the square of the force too.

This said, the answer is none of the above.

Note: the graph is hiperbolic.