What is Gravity?
The word "gravity" comes from Latin, meaning weight. Gravity is a force of attraction.It pulls together all matter and the more matter something has, the greater the force of its gravity. Large objects like planets and stars have a stronger gravitational pull. There is zero gravity in outer space, making you weightless.
Why is gravity important?
Gravity is a vital part of our everyday lives. Without Earth's gravity, we would float off of it; we couldn't live without gravity. Gravityis also important in the larger solar system.The Sun's gravity allows the Earth to orbit around it. Gravity ensures that the Earth remains the right distance from the Sun, so it's not too hot or too cold. High and low tides in the ocean are based on the moon's gravity. Gravity is also important when it comes to the creation of the universe. The gases that our universe is filled in are attracted to each other by gravity. This allows them to form clusters, stars, and planets. Gravity brings stellar systems closer together, forming galaxies.
Who discovered gravity?
In 1666, Isaac Newton was the first to mathematically describe the force of gravity, creating what is now known as Newton's laws of universal gravitation. It is said that Newton saw an apple fall from a tree and wondered what force made the apple fall downward and why it did not float away. At the same time he saw the moon and he realized that the same force that makes the apple fall to the surface of the Earth and leaves the Moon in its spot. Newton came to the idea that two bodies are attracted to each other so that the force of gravity between them is directly proportional to the mass of these bodies. He also said that force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between two bodies.
What does gravity depend on?
According to the law of universal gravitation, the gravitational attraction between two material objects always depends on the mass of each of these objects, as well as on the distance between them. The formulation of the law of universal gravitation is: there is an attractive force between any two material objects, which acts in a straight line, while the magnitude of this force is directly proportional to the mass of each of these bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Sources:
Physics for Kids: Gravity. (2019). Ducksters.com. https://www.ducksters.com/science/gravity.php
Gravity Facts For Kids | Cool Kid Facts. (2015). Coolkidfacts.com. https://www.coolkidfacts.com/gravity/
Erickson, K. (2017). What is gravity? :: NASA Space Place. Nasa.gov. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/
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