Two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 12 units. If you double the distance between the objects, what is the new force of attraction between the two?

Question

Two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 12 units. If you double the distance between the objects, what is the new force of attraction between the two??  
A. 3 units  
B. 6 units  
C. 24 units  
D. 48 units

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: (A)3 units. 
Rationale: The new gravitational force of attraction is 3 units.Gravitational force follows Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which states that the force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance increases, the force decreases rapidly according to the inverse-square relationship.A) 3 unitsDoubling the distance increases the separation by a factor of 2. Because gravitational force varies as one divided by the square of the distance, the new force becomes one divided by two squared, which is one quarter of the original force. One quarter of 12 units is 3 units, which matches this option.B) 6 unitsReducing the force to 6 units assumes a linear inverse relationship, where doubling the distance halves the force. Gravitational force does not behave linearly with distance, so this value is incorrect.C) 24 unitsThis choice treats the relationship as directly proportional, implying the force increases when distance increases. This contradicts the inverse-square nature of gravity.D) 48 unitsThis value incorrectly increases the force by a factor of four, which is the opposite of what occurs when distance is doubled under an inverse-square law.ConclusionBecause gravitational force decreases with the square of the distance, doubling the distance reduces the force to one quarter of its original value. Starting from 12 units, this results in a new force of 3 units.

Two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 12 units. If you double the distance between the objects, what is the new force of attraction between the two?

A
3 units

B
6 units

C
24 units

D
48 units

The new gravitational force of attraction is 3 units.

Topic Flashcards

Mini Quiz

Related Questions

Two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 12 units. If you double the distance between the objects, what is the new force of attraction between the two?

A 3 units B 6 units C 24 units D 48 units

The new gravitational force of attraction is 3 units.

Topic Flashcards

Mini Quiz

Related Questions

A
3 units

B
6 units

C
24 units

D
48 units