PHYSICS
JAMB 2005 - Question 32
Physics 2005 JAMB Past Questions - Question 32: A force of 200 N acts between two objects at a certain distance apart. The value of the force when the distance is halved is
Choose the correct answers from the options given.
A:
B:
C:
D:
Correct Answer
C
Explanation
The force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This is described by Newton's law of universal gravitation and Coulomb's law for electric forces.
Mathematically, the relationship between force (F) and distance (r) is given by:
F ∝ 1/r²
This means that if you halve the distance, the force will increase by a factor of 2², which is 4.
So, when the distance is halved, the force will be 4 times greater. If the initial force is 200 N, then the force when the distance is halved will be:
200 N × 4 = 800 N

