Here's why:
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: This law states that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
* Mathematical Expression: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where:
* F is the gravitational force
* G is the gravitational constant
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects
* r is the distance between their centers
* Doubling the Distance: If you double the distance (r), the denominator in the equation becomes 4 times larger (2r)^2 = 4r^2.
* Result: Since the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, doubling the distance reduces the force by a factor of 1/4.
In summary, doubling the distance between two objects weakens the gravitational force between them by a factor of four.
