Understanding the Equation
The force of gravity between two objects is calculated using Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation:
F = (G * m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F = Force of gravity
* G = Gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 x 10⁻¹¹ N m²/kg²)
* m1 = Mass of the first object
* m2 = Mass of the second object
* r = Distance between the centers of the objects
Doubling the Mass
If you double the mass of one object (let's say m1), the new force (F') will be:
F' = (G * 2m1 * m2) / r²
Notice that the only change is the 2 in front of m1. This means the new force is twice the original force:
F' = 2 * (G * m1 * m2) / r²
F' = 2 * F
Therefore, if the mass of one object is doubled, the gravitational force between the two objects will also double.
In this case, the new gravitational force will be 2400 N * 2 = 4800 N.
