What is Gravity?

Gravity is an invisible force that pulls objects toward each other. On Earth, it’s the reason why things fall to the ground when you drop them. Imagine holding a ball and letting it go—gravity pulls it down to the floor. The Earth’s gravity is very strong because the Earth itself is so big, and that’s why we don’t float away into space!

Gravity doesn’t just keep us grounded; it also keeps the planets in our solar system moving in circles around the Sun. Without gravity, the planets would drift away in straight lines instead of staying in their orbits. Gravity is like an invisible rope holding everything in place, from the Moon orbiting the Earth to you standing steady on the ground.

Even though gravity feels the same everywhere on Earth, it can actually change depending on where you are. For example, the higher you go, like climbing a mountain or flying in an airplane, the weaker gravity feels because you’re farther away from the Earth’s center. That’s why astronauts experience “zero gravity” in space—there’s nothing big enough nearby to pull them down like Earth does. Isn’t it amazing how this invisible force shapes everything around us?