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: If you increase the mass of either object, the gravitational force increases.

* Inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers: If you increase the distance between the objects, the gravitational force decreases dramatically.

The Calculation

1. The Force is Inversely Proportional to the Square of the Distance: Since the distance is doubled, the new force will be 1/2² = 1/4 of the original force.

2. Calculating the New Force: The original force was 16 units. Therefore, the new force will be 16 units * (1/4) = 4 units.

Answer: If the distance between the objects is doubled, the new gravitational attraction will be 4 units.