Question

A rocket moves away from the surface of the earth. As the distance r from the center of the planet increases, what happens to the force of gravity on the rocket?

Answer 1

The further the rocket travels from the Earth, the force of gravity decreases. The equation under Newtonian laws is F = G(M1-M2)/r^2. This equation states that as the radius (distance) gets larger, the divisor gets larger, the force becomes smaller.