What does Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation state?

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation asserts that every object with mass attracts every other object with mass, and this attraction is influenced by two key factors: the masses of the objects and the distance between them. Specifically, the gravitational force increases with greater mass and decreases with increasing distance. This principle explains why not only massive celestial bodies like planets and stars influence each other's motion but also why even smaller objects exert a gravitational pull on one another, albeit much weaker than that between larger masses.

The concept also highlights the fundamental nature of gravity as a universal force, acting between all matter in the universe, which is foundational to understanding various phenomena in physics, from the orbits of planets around the sun to the behavior of falling objects on Earth.

The other options introduce ideas that don't align with this principle. For example, suggesting that only large objects exert gravitational force overlooks the fact that all masses produce gravity, regardless of their size. The notion that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon relates to Newton's first law of motion, not gravitation, while stating that gravity is only effective at very large distances contradicts the universal aspect of the law, which applies to all distances.

Thus, the correct choice accurately encapsulates the essence of Newton's Law