Answer:
the distance should be changed by a factor of √2
Explanation:
The attractive force between the couples can be given by Newton's Law of Gravitation:
[tex]F =\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r^2}[/tex]
where,
F = Attractive Force
G = Universal Gravitational Constant
m₁ = mass of the first person
m₂ = mass of the second person
r = distance between them
Now, if we want to halve the force without changing masses, hen:
[tex]F' = \frac{1}{2} F = \frac{1}{2} \frac{Gm_1m_2}{r^2}\\\\F' = \frac{1}{2} F = \frac{Gm_1m_2}{(\sqrt{2}r)^2}[/tex]
Hence, it is clear that the distance should be changed by a factor of √2
