Here's why:
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: This law states that the force of gravity 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: The formula is: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r², where:
* F is the gravitational force
* G is the gravitational constant
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects
* r is the distance between their centers
* Distance and Force: Since the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, if you decrease the distance by a factor of 4, the force will increase by a factor of 4².
Therefore, moving the objects four times closer together would result in a 16-fold increase in the gravitational force between them.
