How does the gravitational force change with distance from the Earth's center?

The gravitational force experienced by an object near the Earth decreases as the distance from the Earth's center increases. This phenomenon can be understood through Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that the force of gravity between two masses is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

As you move away from the Earth's surface and increase your distance from the center of the Earth, the gravitational pull exerted by the Earth becomes weaker. This decrease in gravitational force occurs because the mass of the Earth is no longer as effectively drawing objects towards it when they are further away. At some point, beyond only a few thousand kilometers above the surface, the change becomes more pronounced, and the force continues to lessen as distance increases.

In essence, as you increase your distance from the center of the Earth, the force of gravity acting on an object diminishes, which is why the correct answer is that gravitational force decreases with distance.