How does the strength of gravitational force between two asteroids depend on their masses and distance?

The strength of the gravitational force between two objects, like asteroids, is described by Newton's law of universal gravitation. According to this law, the gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

This means that as either of the masses increases, the gravitational force between the two asteroids also increases. Similarly, as the distance between them decreases, the gravitational force becomes stronger. Specifically, if the distance is halved, the force increases by a factor of four, since the gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

Thus, the correct answer reflects that the gravitational force is influenced by both the masses of the asteroids and their distance apart; it indeed increases with decreasing distance and with increasing mass.