* Distance: The force of gravity weakens rapidly as the distance between two objects increases. This relationship is described by the inverse square law, meaning that if you double the distance, the gravitational force becomes four times weaker.
* Mass: The more massive the objects, the stronger the gravitational force between them. This is a direct relationship – doubling the mass of either object doubles the gravitational force.
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation describes this relationship mathematically:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F is the force of gravity
* G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N⋅m²/kg²)
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
So, to summarize:
* Increased distance = weaker gravitational force
* Increased mass = stronger gravitational force
