For a large spherical mass and a small test mass, the force between them is at a maximum when the test mass is located

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force between two masses is given by Newton's law of gravitation, which states that the force is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. When the test mass is on the surface of the spherical mass, it is as close as possible to the mass without being inside it, thus experiencing the maximum gravitational force. Moving the test mass either closer to the center or farther away would decrease the force due to the inverse-square nature of the gravitational force law.

For a Large Spherical Mass and a Small Test Mass