The gravitational constant depends upon the (1) mass of the bodies. (2) distance between the bodies. (3) Both (1) and (2) (4) None of the above

First, let's define the gravitational constant. The gravitational constant (denoted as "G") is a fundamental constant in physics that determines the strength of the gravitational force between any two objects with mass. It was first introduced by Sir Isaac Newton in his law of universal gravitation.

Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Mathematically, this can be represented as follows: F = G * (m1*m2) / r^2 where: - F is the gravitational force between two objects - G is the gravitational constant - m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects - r is the distance between the centers of the two objects Based on this equation, we can see that the gravitational force depends upon both the masses of objects and the distance between them.

With the information from Newton's law of universal gravitation, we can now evaluate the given options: (1) mass of the bodies: As the gravitational force depends on the product of the masses (m1*m2), we can say that the gravitational force does depend on the mass of the bodies. This statement can partially be correct. (2) distance between the bodies: As the gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects (1/r^2), we can confirm that the gravitational force also depends on the distance between the bodies. This statement can partially be correct. (3) Both (1) and (2): As we have determined that the gravitational force depends on both the mass of the bodies and the distance between them, we conclude that this option is correct. (4) None of the above: This option is not correct since we have already established that the gravitational force depends on both the mass of the bodies and the distance between them.

Based on our analysis and understanding of Newton's law of universal gravitation, the correct answer to the exercise is option (3) Both (1) and (2) - the gravitational constant depends upon both the mass of the bodies and the distance between them.