When two planets are of similar mass, their gravitational forces are strong. However, when the masses of the planets are doubled, the gravitational force between them becomes only half as strong. This change in force causes different behaviors for the orbiting planets. For example, when one planet is twice as far from its original orbit, it will escape from its original orbit and fly off into space.
In details,
When two planets are in orbit around each other, the force of attraction between the two is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This law of gravitation was first proposed by Isaac Newton in 1687, but he didn’t know exactly how it worked.
If we double the mass of planet A, how much will its gravity change?
Since the force of attraction between the two planets is proportional to the product of their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, then when we double the mass of planet A, we must also double the mass of planet B in order to maintain the same gravitational force between the two planets. If we double the mass of planet A, then the force of attraction between the two will be four times greater than before. In other words, the force of attraction between the two planets will be twice as strong when the masses of both are doubled.
Now suppose that the mass of planet A is 1,000 times larger than the mass of planet B, and that they are separated by 10 astronomical units.
What is the force of attraction between the two planets?
The force of attraction between the two planets is proportional to the product of the masses of the two planets, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two. Since the mass of planet A is 1,000 times greater than the mass of planet B, and the distance between the two planets is 10 astronomical units, the force of attraction between the two planets is now 4,000 times greater than the force of attraction between the two planets.
What is the gravitational constant?
The gravitational constant, also known as the gravitational coupling constant, is a physical constant used in classical mechanics to calculate the force of gravity between two masses. It is defined as the magnitude of the force of gravity between two masses divided by the square of the distance between them. The gravitational constant has a value of 6.674×10-11 Nm2/kg2.
So, When the masses of two planets are doubled, the force of attraction between them is also doubled. This is due to the increased amount of gravitational force that is being exerted by both planets. This information can be used to help us better understand the movements of planets and other objects in space.
