Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Facts About Gravity

ffImage
Last updated date: 22nd Mar 2024
Total views: 166.5k
Views today: 4.66k
hightlight icon
highlight icon
highlight icon
share icon
copy icon

What is Gravity for Kids?

Champs, hold for a second and think why you are not flying, how you and all things around you are able to hold at any place? The answer is gravity. Yes, this happens because of gravity. In this article, we will discuss very important topics like gravity definition for kids and why gravity is important.


Gravity is a force of attraction between everything in the universe. It is a small unnoticeable magnetic pull, but there is no magnet involved. Isn't this very unique? For example, the pen on the table is not flying in air because gravity attracts it to the bottom. You will learn the gravity kid definition.


Newton named this force “gravity” from the Greek word “ gravitas” which means “weight". He came up with the plan that some invisible force must attract the apple in the direction of the earth.


Gravity by Newton


Gravity by Newton


Gravity Definition

Gravity is a force that engages a body in the direction of the centre of the earth or in the direction of any other physical body having mass. Every object that has mass applies a gravitational pull on every mass. The power of this pull or force depends on the masses of objects at play. M1 and M2 are the masses of objects. Gravity is what keeps the planets in a path around the moon and sun. Gravity plays a major role in assisting life on earth. It is due to the gravitational force between earth and the sun that the atmosphere is kept in place or provides us with the air that we need to breathe in order to remain alive. For example, the gases in the sun are held with each other by gravity.


Why do we Need Gravity?

Gravity is very essential for us in day-to-day life. We cannot live on earth without it. The sun’s gravity keeps Earth in a path around it, keeping us at a pleasant distance to enjoy the sun's light and hotness. It clasps down our atmosphere and the air we need to breathe. Gravity is what holds our world together. It is also important on a larger scale. We also overlook that gravity is one of the fundamental forces of nature, together with electromagnetism, weak force, and strong force.  Gravity keeps Earth moving around the sun because without gravity these objects would fly off in space. 


Who Discovered Gravity?

Issac Newton was the first to discover gravity. He supposedly discovered it when he saw an apple fall from a tree and tried to find an explanation for why it fell instead of floating or anything else. He named this force “gravity,” from the Latin word “gravitas” which means “weight”.  According to Newton, the gravitational force is a result of the attraction of two objects that have mass.


Apple Experiencing the Gravitational Force


Apple Experiencing the Gravitational Force


Interesting Facts About Gravity

  • Without gravity, your body begins to go wrong.

  • Your weight changes as you speed- up.

  • You would feel crumbly at the core of the earth.

  • Fish have stones in their heads that tell them which direction is up.

  • You can still realise 90% of the earth’s gravity on the International Space Station.

  • Gravity can flex light.

  • Quantum mechanics and gravity don’t combine.

  • Some bacteria get bigger and better in microgravity.

  • The moon’s gravity makes the earth’s ocean surge.

  • Black energy works against gravity.

  • Greatest gravity can break whole star systems into pieces.

  • Newton was not struck or hit by an apple.


Universal Law of Gravitation

Newton’s law of universal gravitation refers to two bodies in space pulling on each other with a force comparable to their M1 and M2 masses and the distance between them. For huge objects orbiting one another- the moon and earth. For example- this means that they actually exert observable force on one another. G is the gravitational constant, F is force, r is distance and m is a mass object. It remains the same in everything it is applied to in the whole world.


Law of Gravitation


Law of Gravitation


Summary

In this article, we studied the topic of gravity. We have learned the definition of gravity, why we need gravity, what is gravity for kids, and the universal law of gravitation which was originated by Newton. We also discussed real-life examples where we experience this unique force. Gravity or gravitational force is the force of attraction between any two objects in the universe. The force of attraction depends on the mass of the object and the square of the distance between them. It is by far the weakest known force in nature. This is the article that says how to explain gravity to a kid.

FAQs on Facts About Gravity

1. Why are all the stars fixed in space? Is it because of the force of Gravity ?

No, it is not because of the gravitational force. 

The stars move continuously and are not fixed. When the daily arcing motion of the stars across the sky caused by the earth's rotation is taken into account, you are left with a pattern of stars that appears to remain constant.

2. Does the influence of gravity extend out forever?

No, the influence of gravity does not extend out forever because the attraction called gravity does not extend beyond galaxy groups. If you look at Newton's law of universal gravitation, you will see that the gravitational pull on a mass due to another mass depends on its separation. The influence of gravity extends only to the edge of each gravity group. In addition, space-time no longer behaves like gravity. It's not like a star's gravitational pull just gets too weak to notice when you leave its galaxy group.

3. Is gravity the strongest of all the forces?

No gravity is not the strongest of all the forces.