Question

newtons law of universal gravitation states that all objects in the universe are gravitationally attracted to each other. the gravitational force between two celestial objects depends on two factors: distance and mass.

• the greater the distance between two objects, the weaker the gravitational force between them.
• the greater the masses of the two objects, the stronger the gravitational force between them.

each model below shows two stars of varying masses separated by the same distance. select the model that shows the stars with the strongest gravitational force between them.
three images of star pairs with masses: first 1(m_odot) and 2(m_odot), second 1(m_odot) and 0.5(m_odot), third 1(m_odot) and 1(m_odot)

Explanation:

When distance is constant, gravitational force increases with the total mass of the two objects. Calculate the total mass for each model:

1. First model: $1 M_\odot + 2 M_\odot = 3 M_\odot$
2. Second model: $1 M_\odot + 0.5 M_\odot = 1.5 M_\odot$
3. Third model: $1 M_\odot + 1 M_\odot = 2 M_\odot$

The first model has the highest total mass, so it has the strongest gravitational force.

Answer:

The top model with stars of $1 M_\odot$ and $2 M_\odot$