Question

students wonder how the mass of a bowling ball affects the gravitational force between the ball and earth. which action will best help the students investigate? a. make a prediction about the effect of distance on the gravitational force between two objects. b. use newtons law of universal gravitation to calculate the acceleration due to gravity on earth. c. write a conclusion about the difference between the mass of bowling balls and other common objects. d. measure the masses of several bowling balls using a balance and measure the weights using a spring scale.

Explanation:

The students want to study the effect of a bowling - ball's mass on the gravitational force between it and Earth. Measuring the masses of several bowling balls and their weights (which is related to gravitational force) will help establish a relationship. Option A is about distance, not mass. Option B is about calculating acceleration due to gravity, not directly related to the mass - gravitational force relationship for bowling balls. Option C is about comparing masses of different objects, not about the gravitational force.

Answer:

D. Measure the masses of several bowling balls using a balance and measure the weights using a spring scale.