When two separate objects join together, what do their centers of gravity form?

When two separate objects join together, their centers of gravity combine to form a combined center of gravity. This center of gravity is the average of the gravitational forces acting on both objects, taking into account their masses and the distances between them.

As the objects come together, the individual effects of their gravitational pulls are aggregated, thereby creating a new point where the total weight of the system can be considered to act. This concept is crucial in fields such as physics and engineering, particularly when analyzing stability and balance in structures and mechanisms.

The other options, while related to concepts of gravity and mass, do not accurately represent the scenario where two objects merge. "Single center of mass" implies a complete unification that does not account for the distinct contributions of each object until they are physically combined. "Independent centers" suggests that the objects maintain their own gravitational points, which is not true once they are joined. "Altered center of gravity" implies a change in the center without the necessary contextualization of their joining together. Therefore, the idea of the combined center of gravity is the most accurate representation of what occurs when two objects are joined.