Gravity. It's like the Earth pulling on you and keeping you on the ground. That pull is gravity at work. Every object in the universe that has mass exerts a gravitational pull, or force, on every other mass. The size of the pull depends on the masses of the objects. How does gravity effect us on Earth? We know that mountains are the largest, most massive objects on Earth. How does gravity effect a mountain? Mountains are constantly falling down, due to gravity. We take the mountains for granted, they are always there and standing grandly...until gravitational pressure moves that certain rock and then, wham! It's the same as snow accumulating on the mountains. Every winter there are avalanches everywhere! Same thing, force of gravity, the Earth pulling objects down. So, what about things that are already on the ground, like plants? Plant roots grow down into the Earth...gravity! What about whales? Fish in the water? In the oceans gravity is really intense. That is why many fish have small bones or cartilage instead of bones so they can survive these extreme pressures. Our spines have adapted to gravity, between each hard bone is a soft cushion (a disk) that helps cushion the bone when we are standing all day long. At night the soft cushion expands between the bone while we are sleeping. This helps our spine "rest" until another long day under gravity. This blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't end it with how humans adapt to gravity... Ahhh! Sweet gravity.
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |