Question

If you want to increase the gravitational force between two objects; would you rather double the mass of one object or halve the distance between them?

Select one:
a. Double the mass of one object
b. Halve the distance between them
c. Both would have the same effect
d. There is not enough information to determine

Answer 1

To solve this problem we will apply the concepts related to the Force of gravity from Newtonian theory for which it is necessary to

`F = (GMm)/(R^2)`

Where,

G = Gravitational universal constant

M = Mass of Earth

m = mass of Object

x = Distance between center of mass of the objects.

From this equation we can observe that the Force is inversely proportional to the squared distance between the two objects. The greater the distance, the lower the force of gravity and vice versa.

`F \propto (1)/(R^2)`

If you want to increase the force of gravity, you need to reduce the distance of the two. Therefore the correct option is B. Talk to the distance between them.