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What is gravity and how does it work?
Quick answer
Gravity is the force by which every object with mass attracts every other object. It's what gives things weight, keeps planets orbiting the Sun, and pulls a dropped apple back to the ground. The more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational pull; the farther apart two objects are, the weaker the pull.
Key things to understand
- The more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational pull; the farther apart two objects are, the weaker the pull.
- Newton described gravity as a force; Einstein's general relativity describes it as the curving of spacetime by mass.
- Earth's gravity accelerates falling objects at about 9.8 m/s², regardless of their mass (ignoring air resistance).
- Gravity has infinite range but gets weaker with the square of the distance (the inverse-square law).
People also ask
Why don't we feel the Sun's gravity pulling us off Earth?
We do feel it — it keeps Earth in orbit — but Earth's gravity is far stronger at the surface because we're so much closer to Earth's mass.
Why do heavy and light objects fall at the same rate?
Heavier objects feel more force but also resist acceleration more (more inertia). The two effects cancel, so all objects accelerate equally in a vacuum.
Is there gravity in space?
Yes. Astronauts float not because gravity is absent but because they're in continuous free fall around Earth — orbiting.