Gravity is an invisible force that pulls all objects towards each other.
Gravity is the force that holds things to the ground.
If there was no gravity we would all float away.
The strength of the force depends on the mass of the object. (The mass is the amount of stuff or matter that makes up an object)
Heavier objects have more mass so they have a bigger force of gravity.
For example: A ball thrown into the air falls back to Earth. This is because the Earth has more mass than the ball, so the Earth's gravitational pull is greater than that of the ball. (The ball is pulling the Earth upwards but because it is so much smaller than the Earth its effect cannot be measured)
The further apart two objects are, the less the gravitational pull between them.
What does gravity do?
The gravity of the Sun and the gravity of the Moon pulls the Earth's ocean tides back and forth.
Gravity holds us and the buildings around us onto the Earth as the planet spins on its axis.
©Getty
Gravity holds the planets in orbit around the Sun.
It holds satellites in orbit around the Earth
Black holes are places where the gravitational pull is so strong that even light can't escape. The black hole pulls everything into its centre. Scientists believe that there are may be millions of black holes in our solar system.
Read about black holes on kidcyber here.
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727) was the first person to explain gravity. He did it in 1687.
Newton is one of the most important scientists of his time.
It is said that Newton first started to think about gravity when he saw an apple fall from a tree. He wondered why it fell down, and not up! At the time people thought that only things close to the Earth fell down, such as something you drop. Newton calculated the force that kept the moon in place and realised that it was the same force as an apple falling from a tree except that the moon is further away and much much heavier. Newton called this ‘The Law of Gravitation’. It was one of several important laws of nature that he formulated.
It’s a good idea to get information from more than one source!
Read more about Sir Isaac Newton
https://kids.kiddle.co/Isaac_Newton
Read more about gravity
https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/gravity.html
