Why does distance have an affect on gravity?

Answer 1

As the distance to a massive object - planet Earth, for example - increases, the gravitational field - or force - becomes "diluted", so to speak, in a larger and larger amount of space. If you imagine gravity to be transmitted by particles (gravitons, which have not been observed yet, but are believed to exist), the farther you go away from Earth, the less gravitons will pass through a square meter (or through any other given cross section).

Answer 2

Distance affects gravity because the gravitational force between two objects decreases as the distance between them increases. This is described by the inverse square law, meaning that the force of gravity weakens exponentially with distance. This is why objects closer to each other experience a stronger gravitational pull than objects farther apart.