The gravitational force between two objects is 10 N. If the distance between the
Practice Questions
Q1
The gravitational force between two objects is 10 N. If the distance between them is halved, what will be the new force?
20 N
40 N
10 N
5 N
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
The gravitational force between two objects is 10 N. If the distance between them is halved, what will be the new force?
Step 1: Understand that gravitational force depends on the distance between two objects.
Step 2: Recall the formula for gravitational force: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where F is the force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between them.
Step 3: Note that if the distance (r) is halved, we replace r with r/2 in the formula.
Step 4: Substitute r/2 into the formula: F' = G * (m1 * m2) / (r/2)^2.
Step 5: Simplify the equation: (r/2)^2 = r^2 / 4, so F' = G * (m1 * m2) / (r^2 / 4) = 4 * (G * (m1 * m2) / r^2).
Step 6: This shows that the new force (F') is 4 times the original force (F).
Step 7: Since the original force is 10 N, multiply it by 4: 10 N * 4 = 40 N.
Step 8: Conclude that the new gravitational force is 40 N.
