How Do Two Objects Attract Each Other Gravitationally?

[Angelofhappiness]

Two objects attract each other gravitationally with a force of 3.5 10-10 N when they are 0.33 m apart. Their total mass is 4.0 kg. Find their individual masses.
larger mass kg ?
smaller mass kg ?

 

[verty]

I don't think anyone will help you with this one because it relies on a formula that you must know, which you should read your textbook to discover.

 

[kyle8921]

I would first like to clarify that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This is known as Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.

Using this law, we can solve for the individual masses of the two objects in question. Let's call the larger mass "M" and the smaller mass "m". We can set up the following equation:

3.5 x 10^-10 N = (6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2) x (M x m) / (0.33 m)^2

Solving for M and m, we get:

M = (3.5 x 10^-10 N x 0.33 m^2) / (6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2 x m) = 1.662 kg

m = (3.5 x 10^-10 N x 0.33 m^2) / (6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2 x M) = 2.398 kg

Therefore, the larger mass is 1.662 kg and the smaller mass is 2.398 kg. It is important to note that the masses of the objects are relatively close to each other, which is why the force of gravity between them is relatively small. This is in line with the inverse relationship between force and distance in Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.