Here's why:
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: This law describes the force of gravity between any two objects with mass. It states that the force is:
* Directly proportional to the product of their masses: More massive objects exert a stronger gravitational pull.
* Inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers: The farther apart the objects are, the weaker the gravitational force.
In mathematical terms:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F is the force of gravity
* G is the gravitational constant
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
* r is the distance between their centers
So, while the force is directly proportional to the masses, it's inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
