Here's why:
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: This law states that the gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
* Mathematical Expression: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
* F = gravitational force
* G = gravitational constant
* m1 and m2 = masses of the objects
* r = distance between their centers
* Doubling the Distance: If you double the distance (r), the denominator in the equation becomes 4 times larger (r^2 becomes (2r)^2 = 4r^2).
* Force Reduction: Since the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, the force becomes 1/4 of its original value.
In short, doubling the distance between two masses weakens the gravitational force between them by a factor of four.
