Understanding the Relationship

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation states that the force of gravity between two objects is:

* Directly proportional to the product of their masses.

* Inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

The Calculation

1. The Inverse Square Relationship: If the distance between the masses is tripled, the force of gravity will decrease by a factor of 3² (3 squared), which is 9.

2. New Force: Therefore, the new gravitational force will be: 36 N / 9 = 4 N

Answer: If the distance between the two masses is tripled, the gravitational force between them will decrease to 4 N.