The force of gravity depends on mass and distance.
Gravity
Gravity, or gravitation, is one of the fundamental forces of the Universe. Gravity is what holds the planets in orbit around the Sun and what keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth. Gravity creates stars and planets by pulling all the material they are made of together. The gravitational attraction of the Moon even pulls Earth's ocean water towards it, causing the tides.
Gravity is a force that pulls objects to the center. For example, the Sun pulls the Earth and all the planets to the center of the Solar System. The Earth also pulls you and everything on it to the center. Objects don't really fall "down" they fall to the center.
The Force of Gravity is Influenced By Both the
Mass and Distance of Objects
MassAnything that has mass (made up of matter) also has gravity.
Distance
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You exert the same gravitational force on Earth than it does on you! But because Earth is so much more massive than you, your force doesn’t really have an effect on Earth.
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Investigate the relationship between the
force of gravity, mass, and distance for yourself.
Interactive Guide:
- What happens to the force of gravity when you increase the mass of one object?
- What happens to the force of gravity when you decrease the mass of on object?
- What happens to the force of gravity when you increase the distance between the two objects?
- What happens to the force of gravity when you decrease the distance between the two objects?
- How can you make the force of gravity the smallest?
- How can you make the force of gravity the greatest?
Video Guide:
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Topic Tips
- The force of gravity is influenced by both the mass and distance of objects.
- The greater the mass the greater the gravitational pull.
- The greater the distance between two objects the weaker the gravitational pull.