Which of the following statements is/are correct?

Options

A. Universal law of gravitation is an assumption or hypothesis
B. Universal law of gravitation can be proved
C. Universal law of gravitation can be verified
D. Both (1) & (3)

Answer

To determine which of the statements regarding the universal law of gravitation are correct, we will analyze each statement step by step.

### Step 1: Understand the Universal Law of Gravitation
The universal law of gravitation states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle 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. The formula is given by:

\[ F = \frac{G \cdot m_1 \cdot m_2}{r^2} \]

Where:
- \( F \) is the gravitational force between the two masses,
- \( G \) is the gravitational constant,
- \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) are the masses of the two particles,
- \( r \) is the distance between the centers of the two masses.

### Step 2: Analyze the Statements
Now, let's analyze the provided statements one by one.

**Statement 1:** "Universal law of gravitation is an assumption or hypothesis."
- This statement is **correct**. The universal law of gravitation is indeed based on observations and can be considered a hypothesis that has been supported by experimental evidence.

**Statement 2:** "Universal law of gravitation can be proved."
- This statement is **incorrect**. The universal law of gravitation cannot be proved in the strictest sense; rather, it can be verified through experiments and observations.

**Statement 3:** "Universal law of gravitation can be verified."
- This statement is **correct**. The law can be verified through various experiments and observations, such as measuring the gravitational force between objects.

**Statement 4:** "Both 1 and 3 are correct."
- Since we have established that Statement 1 and Statement 3 are correct, this statement is also **correct**.

### Conclusion
Based on the analysis:
- Statement 1 is correct.
- Statement 2 is incorrect.
- Statement 3 is correct.
- Statement 4 is correct.

Thus, the correct answer is that both Statements 1 and 3 are correct.

### Final Answer
The correct statements are:
- Statement 1: Correct
- Statement 2: Incorrect
- Statement 3: Correct
- Statement 4: Correct (since it states that both 1 and 3 are correct).