Science
How does gravity work?
Gravity works because every object with mass attracts every other object. Einstein's deeper explanation: mass curves the fabric of spacetime, and other objects follow that curve — which we feel as the pull of gravity.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how gravity works.
Step by step
- 1More mass means more pull; greater distance means weaker pull (it falls off with the square of distance).
- 2Newton modeled gravity as a force between masses; it predicts orbits and falling objects with great accuracy.
- 3Einstein showed mass and energy curve spacetime, and objects simply follow the straightest path through that curved space.
- 4Near Earth's surface, gravity accelerates everything downward at about 9.8 m/s², regardless of mass.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do objects fall at the same rate?
- A heavier object feels more gravitational force but also resists acceleration more. The two effects cancel, so all objects fall equally fast in a vacuum.
- Does gravity work in space?
- Yes. Astronauts float because they're in continuous free fall around Earth (orbiting), not because gravity is absent.
- How is gravity related to spacetime?
- In general relativity, mass curves spacetime, and what we perceive as gravitational pull is objects following that curvature.