Question

what would decrease the gravitational pull between the sun and earth? (1 point)
if the sun was twice its size
if the sun was farther away from earth
if earth was twice its size
if earth was closer to the sun

Explanation:

Step1: Recall gravitational - force formula

The gravitational force formula is $F = G\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}$, where $F$ is the gravitational force, $G$ is the gravitational constant, $M$ and $m$ are the masses of the two objects (the sun and the Earth in this case), and $r$ is the distance between them.

Step2: Analyze each option

• If the sun was twice its size (assuming mass increases proportionally), $M$ increases, and $F$ increases according to the formula.
• If the sun was farther away from Earth, $r$ increases. Since $F = G\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}$, as $r$ increases, $F$ decreases.
• If the Earth was twice its size (assuming mass increases proportionally), $m$ increases, and $F$ increases.
• If the Earth was closer to the sun, $r$ decreases, and $F$ increases.

Answer:

if the sun was farther away from Earth