Gravity
Gravity
It is an attractive force. In other words, it makes things move towards each other.
It holds us down on the Earth, the Earth in orbit around the Sun and so on, right through the universe.
Although gravity pulls every object in the universe towards every other one, the effect is much stronger for things that are close together. It is also stronger for more massive things.
Try this animation to see what we mean.
You can also see how the effect of gravity changes on different planets in the Solar System, using the following tools:
- Gravity Simulator - use your mouse to play with the ball (see image above right).
- Gravity Workshop - PowerPoint presentation to accompany the simulator.
