Gravity

Gravity is the force that attracts two bodies toward each other. It is what makes objects fall to the ground and keeps the planets in orbit around the sun.

Key Concepts

• Force of Attraction: Gravity is a force of attraction between two objects with mass.
• Acceleration: All objects near the Earth's surface experience a constant acceleration due to gravity, which is about 9.8 m/s².
• Universal Law of Gravitation: This law states that every mass attracts every other mass with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
• Orbiting Objects: Gravity is what keeps planets and other celestial bodies in orbit around larger objects.

Effects of Gravity

Gravity has several important effects on objects and the universe, including:

• Objects fall to the ground.
• It gives weight to physical objects.
• It keeps the planets in orbit around the sun.

Studying Gravity

To understand gravity better, you can conduct the following experiments:

1. Measuring the acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum.
2. Dropping objects of different masses and observing their acceleration towards the ground.
3. Investigating the effect of gravity on the motion of objects in space.

Fun Fact

The force of gravity is weaker on the moon than on Earth, which is why astronauts can jump higher on the moon!

[Gravity] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:

• Force and motionScience • First Grade