When we throw an object, say a ball, why does it fall to the ground? To explain gravity would be to say: the largest object (which would be the Earth) is forcing the smaller object (the ball) back to the Earth. Earth exerts the largest force because it has the largest mass. Gravity is the "attraction" of two objects to each other... This force can be calculated mathematically, as you can see above Isaac Newton's head in the gif above....We have discovered that gravity is not uniformly distributed all around the Earth, there are different places on Earth that gravity pushes down on you more. When you are at the Poles, you will weigh more than at the Equator. This means that the gravity of Earth at the equator is 9.789 m/s2, while the force of gravity at the poles is 9.832 m/s2. Mathematically speaking. What does that look like? Can we see this? This is Earth observed using special technology from NASA that measures differences in gravity on the Earth. When you are higher in elevation, gravity is less than if you are at sea-level. This causes the Earth to "appear" bumpy. This type of mapping helps scientists understand where the strongest gravitational forces are on our Earth, and use this information to map other planets as well to see if gravity is a force on that planet. Getting to the point, gravity is a natural phenomena in which all things that have mass are brought towards one another – i.e. asteroids, planets, stars, galaxies, super clusters, etc. The more mass an object has, the more gravity it will force on objects around it. The gravitational force of an object is also dependent on distance – for the example the amount it exerts on an object gets less with increased distance. I can't let you go without letting you see a few more smashing, gravitational attracting gifs: ...so satisfying!....
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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 |