Gravity is an attractive force that exists between two bodies. Gravity exists between the Sun and the Earth. Gravity exists between Earth and us.
Gravity is very important to us. It is essential to life on Earth. Our orbit around the Sun is maintained by gravity so that we can enjoy the Sun’s light and warmth from a safe distance. The atmosphere and the air we breathe depend on it. Gravity keeps the world together.
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Gravity Facts for Kids
- Without gravity, we would float off into space.
- There is zero gravity in outer space.
- Ocean tides are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull.
- The Moon stays in place because of gravity
- Objects are heavier in the North Pole than at the equator
What is gravity?
Gravity is the force that pulls items toward the planet’s center. Gravity keeps the planets in orbit around the sun.
Isaac Newton, a renowned scientist, published the universal law of gravitation in 1687. The law describes the movement of objects and explains why things fall on the ground.
Who discovered gravity?
Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity in 1642. The scientist was sitting under an apple tree when he saw an apple falling to the ground. He realized that there was a force in play that moved the fruit toward the ground, then called it force gravity.
Why is gravity important?
Gravity is essential in everyday life. It keeps the Earth-orbiting and holds it at the sun’s proper distance. The only way to hold on to the atmosphere is through the force of gravity. Astronauts have to perform physical activities after returning home from space missions.
Do objects fall at the same speed?
Everything falls at the same acceleration, 9.8 m/s if gravity is the only force acting on the object. Denser objects cut through the air resistance, falling faster than less dense objects. The speed of the thing and the cross-sectional area affect the amount of air resistance.
What is the acceleration due to gravity?
According to Newton’s second law of motion, the net force from gravity makes masses speed up. This means that if you drop a pencil from a one-story building, it will start falling at nine meters per second. The speed will increase by 9 meters after every second.
Where is gravity the strongest?
Gravitational acceleration is the same on the surface but weaker at higher altitudes. The highest gravitational acceleration is at the Arctic Ocean surface, 9.8337 m/s. Peru’s Mount Nevado Huascaran has the lowest gravity at 9.7639m/s.
What are the three laws of gravity?
Sir Isaac Newton the brains behind the three laws of motion and the law of gravitation. The three laws of motion state that:
1. An object will remain in a constant state of motion or rest unless it is acted upon by an external force. This law means that the objects do not start, stop or change themselves directly. An external force is required to effect such change.
2. The force acting an object is equal to its mass times acceleration. The momentum of the body is equal to the mass and velocity of a product. At the time of change, the momentum of an object is equal to its velocity and mass.
3. The third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For instance, when a book rests on a body, the table applies an equal and opposite force to the book.
Does the sun have gravity?
The sun’s gravity is 27.9 times that of Earth. The sun is about 1000 times heavier than Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Pluto is about 3.6 billion miles from the sun and orbits the sun every year.
Earth’s gravity
The gravity of the earth is the acceleration the earth exerts on an object on its surface. This acceleration is measured in meters per second. The particular gravitational strength varies in different locations.
It makes things fall straight down and determines all interaction. Gravity is different from that on other planets such as Jupiter and other objects such as the moon.
Solar system
Both the sun and earth are part of the solar system. The solar system consists of the sun, planers, and a colossal number of comets, meteoroids, and asteroids. While we can’t see the bodies with our naked eye, they are visible using strong devices such as telescopes.
Over the years, meteoroids have broken of the planets and moons. In 1969, The Allende meteorite fell and scattered over Mexico.
The sun is the largest object accounting for about 99.8% of the solar system. It provides the energy that sustains life on our planet. Our solar system forms part of the milky way.
A strange force
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, thought that the Earth was the center of the universe. He believed everything else floating around it. He believed that there was a ‘force’ that kept us planted on the ground instead of flying off into space.
The Greater the Mass
In gravity, the term ‘proportional to its mass’ means that the greater the mass, the greater the gravity.
Earth’s mass is greater than the moon’s gravity and so the gravity of the earth is more than that of the moon.
However, the moon has an effect on us as well, moving the oceans as the tidal movement.
There is an attraction between objects that have mass and that is the general definition of ‘gravity’.
Albert Einstein spent many years studying mass, energy and gravity and eventually developed his general theory of relativity.
Did you know, gravity is actually different, depending upon where you are located on the planet.
An object that is at the equator weighs less than the same object that was placed at the North Pole.
The mass of the object remains the same, but the gravity would be different.
Gravity is also different on each of the planets.
On some planets, you would weigh considerably and on other planets, you would weigh less.
