Suppose the Moon's mass were 4 times as large and it were twice as far from the Earth? How would these changes affect the force of gravity between the earth and the Moon?
A)It would double
B)It would decrease by a factor of 4
C)It would be the same
D)It would decrease by a factor of 8

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. If the Moon's mass is 4 times larger, the force would increase by a factor of 4. However, if the distance is doubled, the force would decrease by a factor of 2^2 = 4. These changes cancel each other out, leaving the gravitational force unchanged.

Suppose the Moon's Mass Were 4 Times as Large and It