The force of gravity between Saturn and the Sun is _________ the force of gravity between the Earth and the Sun. For reference, Saturn is approximately 100 times more massive than Earth, and the semimajor axis of Saturn's orbit is 10 AU.
A) 10 times smaller than
B) 1,000 times larger than
C) 1,000 times smaller than
D) 100 times larger than
E) approximately equal to

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force is proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Saturn is 100 times more massive than Earth, but it is also 10 times farther from the Sun, so the force is approximately equal.

The Force of Gravity Between Saturn and the Sun Is