Mass:
* Directly Proportional: The force of gravity is 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 doubles.
* If you double the mass of both objects, the force of gravity quadruples.
Distance:
* Inversely Proportional to the Square: The force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two objects. This means:
* If you double the distance, the force of gravity decreases to one-fourth its original value.
* If you triple the distance, the force of gravity decreases to one-ninth its original value.
In summary:
* More mass = Stronger gravity: Larger objects exert a stronger gravitational pull.
* Greater distance = Weaker gravity: The farther apart objects are, the weaker their gravitational attraction.
Example:
Imagine you have two planets. If you increase the mass of one planet, the force of gravity between the planets will increase. If you move the planets farther apart, the force of gravity between them will decrease.
Key Formula:
The force of gravity between two objects can be calculated using Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation:
```
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
```
Where:
* F is the force of gravity
* G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2)
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
