If the distance to the Moon were tripled, how would the force of gravitational attraction between Earth and the Moon change? Be specific and give the ratio.

College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
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**Question:**

If the distance to the Moon were tripled, how would the force of gravitational attraction between Earth and the Moon change? Be specific and give the ratio.

**Explanation:**

The gravitational force between two objects is governed by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the force (F) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) between them. Mathematically, this is expressed as:

\[ F \propto \frac{1}{r^2} \]

If the distance to the Moon is tripled, the new distance is 3r. Substituting into the formula gives:

\[ F' \propto \frac{1}{(3r)^2} = \frac{1}{9r^2} \]

Therefore, the new gravitational force is \(\frac{1}{9}\) of the original force. The force of gravitational attraction would decrease to one-ninth of its original value if the distance were tripled.
Transcribed Image Text:**Question:** If the distance to the Moon were tripled, how would the force of gravitational attraction between Earth and the Moon change? Be specific and give the ratio. **Explanation:** The gravitational force between two objects is governed by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the force (F) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) between them. Mathematically, this is expressed as: \[ F \propto \frac{1}{r^2} \] If the distance to the Moon is tripled, the new distance is 3r. Substituting into the formula gives: \[ F' \propto \frac{1}{(3r)^2} = \frac{1}{9r^2} \] Therefore, the new gravitational force is \(\frac{1}{9}\) of the original force. The force of gravitational attraction would decrease to one-ninth of its original value if the distance were tripled.
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