In Newton's law of universal gravitation, the magnitude of the gravitational force between two objects depends on which two factors?

• A. The electric charges of the two objects and the distance between them
• B. The volume of each object and the gravitational constant
• C. The masses of the two objects and the distance between their centers
• D. The masses of the two objects and their relative speed

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force between two objects is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
2. Identify the two key factors in the formula: the masses of the two objects (m_1 and m_2) and the distance (r) between their centers.
3. Express the gravitational force mathematically as: \( F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \), where \(G\) is the gravitational constant.
4. Understand that electric charge, volume, and relative speed do not appear in this formula and therefore do not affect the gravitational force according to Newton's law.
5. Conclude that the magnitude of the gravitational force depends specifically on the masses of the two objects and the distance between their centers.