How Distance and Mass Affect Gravity

Notes Write down the words in yellow. The words in white are discussion points, you may write these down, but are not required.

Gravity Any object with mass exerts a force of gravity that pulls on objects around it. The more mass an object has, the greater its pull of gravity. Gravity keeps you from floating off into space. Gravity helps keep the moon in orbit around the Earth. Gravity also keeps the Earth in orbit around the Sun.

Gravity Just as you are attracted to Earth, Earth is attracted to you. You notice only the force that Earth exerts on you because the force you exert on Earth is so much smaller. The force of gravity depends on two factors: mass and distance.

Gravity Think about an apple falling from a tree on Earth. Both the apple and the Earth pull on each other because they both have mass. But the apple’s mass is so small, its force of gravity is very small. It does not pull very strongly on Earth.

Gravity Earth has much more mass than the apple. That means that Earth’s force of gravity is larger than the apple’s force of gravity. Earth’s gravity pulls the apple down to the ground. As the apple falls, its gravity actually pulls Earth up a very small distance. But Earth moves only the tiniest amount because Earth’s pull is so much greater than that of the apple.

Distance and Gravity As objects move closer together, their pull on each other grows stronger. As objects move farther apart, their pull on each other weakens.

Gravity Think of a spacecraft traveling toward another planet. As the spacecraft moves away from Earth, Earth’s pull on it decreases. As the spacecraft moves closer to the other planet, that planet’s pull on the spacecraft increases.

Gravity – Distance and Mass

Watch the video segment on Discovery Education called: Gravity https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/videos/4e9c69c5-6557-424d-9d40-23e68ab5d970?hasLocalHost=false

Watch: Gravity on Brain Pop https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/gravity/ Watch: Examining Gravity and its Pull on Discovery Education https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/videos/b8fd0aaa-0355-4617-acd9-b7c08ec61262?hasLocalHost=false

Exit Ticket How does distance affect gravity? How does mass affect gravity?