Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
The force of gravity between two objects is given by:
* F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F is the gravitational force
* 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 their centers
The Effect of Halving the Masses
If you halve the mass of each body (m1 and m2), the new force (F') becomes:
* F' = G * ((m1/2) * (m2/2)) / r²
* F' = (1/4) * G * (m1 * m2) / r²
* F' = (1/4) * F
Conclusion
When the mass of each body is halved, the gravitational force between them decreases to one-fourth of its original value.
