Which statement best describes gravity according to Newton's law of universal gravitation?

• A. Any two masses attract each other with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers: $F=G\frac{m1m2}{r^2}$.
• B. Gravity between two masses is always the same constant force regardless of their separation: $F=G$.
• C. Gravity repels objects with greater mass more strongly, and the force increases with the square of the distance: $F=Gm1m2r^2$.
• D. Gravity acts only between charged objects and is independent of mass: $F=G\frac{q1q2}{r^2}$.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that every two masses in the universe attract each other with a force.
2. This gravitational force is proportional to the product of the two masses involved, meaning if either mass increases, the force increases proportionally.
3. The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two masses, so as the distance increases, the force decreases by the square of that distance.
4. Mathematically, this relationship is expressed as \(F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}\), where \(F\) is the gravitational force, \(G\) is the gravitational constant, \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) are the masses, and \(r\) is the distance between their centers.
5. Therefore, the correct description of gravity according to Newton's law is that any two masses attract each other with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.