Gravity All Around Us

why do we have gravity
- Anonymous
Kenosha, Wi, United States

The gravity around here is mainly the earth’s gravitational field. Isaac Newton discovered that every object in the universe has a gravitational field around it that depends on the object’s mass, or the amount of "stuff" in it. The force of gravity between two objects is determined by the mass of the objects and the distance between them. Even though it might seem like gravity must be a very strong force to keep us on the earth, it’s actually pretty weak; when you use a small magnet to pick up a paper clip, for example, you’re outpulling the entire earth! This is why we only notice the gravity due to large objects like the earth and the sun; every object in the universe has a gravitational field, even you, but the force becomes noticeable only when the object is very massive.

(published on 10/22/2007)