Question

which statement about gravitational forces is correct? gravitational forces always attract objects. only very small masses can experience a gravitational force. only very large masses can experience a gravitational force. gravitational forces always repel objects.

Explanation:

To determine the correct statement about gravitational forces, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Gravitational force is an attractive force between objects with mass. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, every object with mass attracts every other object with mass. So this statement is correct.
• Option 2: Gravitational force exists between all objects with mass, regardless of how small their mass is (e.g., two small pebbles still exert a gravitational force on each other, although it is very weak). So this is incorrect.
• Option 3: Gravitational force is not limited to very large masses. As mentioned, even small masses experience it (though the effect is negligible for very small masses in most cases, the force still exists). So this is incorrect.
• Option 4: Gravitational force is always attractive, not repulsive. There is no repulsive gravitational force in the context of classical mechanics (general relativity has more complex scenarios, but at the basic level, gravitational force is attractive). So this is incorrect.

Answer:

A. Gravitational forces always attract objects.