* As distance increases, the force of gravity decreases.
* As distance decreases, the force of gravity increases.
This is described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F is the force of gravity between two objects
* G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N⋅m²/kg²)
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
Here's how the formula explains the relationship:
* Inverse Square Law: The force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. This means if you double the distance between two objects, the force of gravity between them will decrease by a factor of four (2² = 4).
* Mass: The force of gravity is also directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects. This means if you double the mass of one object, the force of gravity will double.
In simple terms:
Think of it like a rubber band. The further you pull the rubber band (increase distance), the less force it exerts. Similarly, the further apart two objects are, the weaker the gravitational pull between them.
Examples:
* The force of gravity between the Earth and the Moon is weaker than the force of gravity between the Earth and a satellite orbiting closer to Earth.
* The force of gravity between you and a pencil is very weak because the masses are small and the distance is relatively large.
Important Note: The force of gravity never completely disappears, it just gets weaker as the distance increases.
