Question

If two objects had their masses quadrupled, what happens to their gravitational attraction?

Answer 1

The force between them will rise by a factor of 16 (4 squared.)

Explanation:

Newton’s universal law of gravitation states that `F = -G (m_1xxm_2)/r^2` so firstly the force will be attractive (the negative sign indicates that the force is in the opposite direction to that in which the distance, r is measured.)

Secondly, as it is the product of the masses that affects the force, increasing the masses by a factor of 4 (each) will increase the force 4 x 4 times = 16 times.