According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, which two factors determine the magnitude of the gravitational force between two point masses?

• A. The masses of the two objects and their electric charges
• B. Their volumes and the distance between their surfaces
• C. The masses of the two objects and the distance between their centers
• D. The distance between their centers and their temperatures

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force \(F\) between two point masses is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
2. Express the law mathematically as: \(F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}\), where \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) are the masses of the two objects, \(r\) is the distance between their centers, and \(G\) is the gravitational constant.
3. Understand that the gravitational force depends only on the masses of the objects and the distance between their centers, not on their electric charges, volumes, or temperatures.
4. Recognize that the distance used in the formula is the center-to-center distance, not the distance between surfaces or any other measure.
5. Conclude that the two factors determining the magnitude of the gravitational force are the masses of the two objects and the distance between their centers.