In simple terms, what is gravity, and how does mass influence the gravitational force between two objects?

• A. Gravity is the attraction between masses; greater mass increases gravitational force.
• B. Gravity is the push between masses.
• C. Gravity is a magnetic phenomenon.
• D. Gravity is the attraction between masses; greater distance increases gravity.

Answer: (A)

Gravity is the attractive force between objects that have mass. The larger the masses, the stronger the pull they exert on each other, so increasing mass increases gravitational force. Distance matters too: as objects get farther apart, the pull weakens (the force falls off with distance). This means the statement that gravity is the attraction between masses and that greater mass increases the gravitational force is the best description. The other ideas—gravity as a push, gravity as a magnetic phenomenon, or gravity increasing with distance—don’t fit the actual behavior of gravity.