The force of Earth's gravity on a capsule in space will lessen as it moves farther away. If the capsule moves to twice its distance, the force toward Earth becomes
A)half.
B)three-quarters.
C)one-fourth.
D)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the inverse square law of gravitational force, the force of gravity between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, if the capsule moves to twice its distance, the force toward Earth will reduce to one-fourth of its original force. This means that the force of gravity will be one-fourth as strong at a distance of twice the original distance.

The Force of Earth's Gravity on a Capsule in Space