The force of gravity between two objects is influenced by two key factors: their masses and the distance between them.
First, the mass of each object plays a critical role. The gravitational force increases with the mass of the objects involved. This means that heavier objects will exert a stronger gravitational pull on each other. For instance, the Earth, being much more massive than a person, creates a stronger gravitational attraction toward itself.
Second, the distance between the centers of the two objects also significantly impacts gravitational force. Gravity weakens as the distance increases. According to Newton’s law of universal gravitation, the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two objects. Therefore, as you move farther away from an object, the gravitational pull it exerts on you decreases quickly.
In summary, the gravitational force is directly proportional to the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. These two factors are fundamental in understanding how gravity works in our universe.