The gravitational pull between two objects depends on what factors?

• A. The distance between the objects only.
• B. The masses of the objects and the distance between them.
• C. The color of the objects.
• D. The velocity of the objects.

Answer: (B)

Gravitational pull is determined by the masses involved and how far apart they are. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force is F = G m1 m2 / r^2. This means the pull increases with both masses and decreases with the square of the distance between them, so doubling one mass doubles the force, while doubling the distance makes the force four times weaker. The force acts along the line between the centers of the two objects, pulling them toward each other. The color of the objects has no effect, and velocity doesn’t change the instantaneous attraction (though it does affect how they move once gravity is acting).