Gravitational Force and Weight
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SAT Subject Test in Physics › Gravitational Force and Weight
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1
If the distance between two objects is reduced by two-thirds, how will the gravitational force between the objects be affected?
Increases by a factor of
Increases by a factor of
Decreases by a factor of
Decreases by a factor of
Increases by a factor of
Explanation
According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
If the distance is reduced by two-thirds, then the final distance is equal to one-third the original distance.
Using this term in the equation will show that the force increases by a factor of nine.
