12 Amazing & Interesting Facts About Gravity for Kids
The fall of an apple on Sir Albert Einstein's head inspired him to discover gravity.
Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.
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In This Article
Teach gravity for kids by sharing some interesting facts with them. For instance, how it came into existence or what happened that led to the discovery of the concept of gravity. That’s how they can learn and stay curious to acquire more knowledge. Gravity is also known as gravitational force (1). Sir Isaac Newton discovered why things fall on the ground and brought a revolution to the understanding of the concept in human life. He was the one to apply his knowledge on why the apple fell and did not float in the air. Delve into this post for fascinating information on gravity that will pique your child’s interest.
What Is Gravity?
Gravity or gravitational force refers to the force that pulls matter together (2). Matter is anything that has a mass and occupies space; in short, it is anything that you can physically touch (3). The more the matter, the stronger the gravity. Due to this, all the planets and moons revolve around the Sun.
We do not fly off from the Earth’s surface because of its gravity on us. In turn, we also impose this gravitational force on the Earth. However, as the Earth is huge as compared to us, our force on it is minimal (2)
Gravity also depends upon how near or far objects are placed from each other. Thus, the Sun’s gravity keeps all the planets in their orbits (4), and we are placed on the surface of the Earth and not pulled by the Sun’s gravity, which is much stronger than that of the Earth’s (2).
Due to gravity, things also weigh differently on different planets. The mass of an object remains constant on all the planets, but weight changes. Your weight is the sum of the pull of gravity between you and the object you are standing on. Thus, when you stand on a weighing machine, the value shown is the force of attraction between you and the Earth (5). If you are on another planet, your weight will change depending upon the weight of the planet you are on (6).
Some Simple Examples Of Gravity
Here are some simple examples of gravity that you have experienced.
- When you throw a ball up, it comes down.
- You do not fly in the air when you jump.
- You slide down and not up from a slide.
- Water in the glass sets at the bottom and does not float at the top.
- A fruit falls down a tree.
- A rock rolls down a hill.
- When poured, the milk falls in the cup.
- Feathers eventually fall on the ground.
- Snow and rain fall to the ground.
Importance Of Gravity In Our Life
Gravity is vital for us to live comfortably on Earth. It influences our day-to-day lives on a large scale.
1. It keeps us grounded on the Earth and prevents us from floating away.
2. It keeps Earth at a specific distance from the Sun, due to which we feel neither too hot nor too cold.
3. The Moon’s gravitational pull results in the high and low tides in the ocean (7). Tides cause changes in the Earth’s landforms, help in the formation of creeks and inlets, and help us generate electricity.
Facts About Gravity
Let us now learn some exciting facts about gravity (8) (9) (10) (11).
1. The bigger the object’s mass, the greater is its gravity.
2. Gravity guides the growth of plants and all the vegetation.
3. The gravitation pull in a black hole is so strong that even light cannot escape from it.
4. If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 38 pounds on Mars.
5. We don’t actually “feel” gravity. We only feel the effects of trying to overcome it by jumping or falling.
6. Gravity always pulls; it never pushes.
7. There is zero gravity in outer space, so you would be weightless if you were floating out in space!
8. Objects weigh more at sea level than on the top of a mountain.
9. To escape Earth’s gravitational pull, you would have to travel seven miles (about 11 kilometers) per second.
10. The Sun has the most powerful gravitational pull in our solar system.
11. People grow taller without gravity. Astronauts grow up to three percent taller while living in microgravity.
12. Gravity has been around since the beginning of the universe, and it works the same way everywhere in the universe.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What might happen without gravity?
If there’s no gravity, all the objects on the Earth, including humans, will become weightless and fly in the air. The Earth will stop rotating and collide with the moon or sun, causing the planet to disappear in the universe.
2. Is there any place on Earth without gravity?
There’s no place on Earth without gravity. According to experts, gravity is ubiquitous, which means it exists everywhere, including outer space. It may go undetected in some places due to the distance, but it’s always present (12).
3. What planet has the most gravity?
Jupiter is said to have the highest gravitational force. Its surface gravity is 2.4 times higher than the earth’s surface gravity (13).
Although discovered decades back, the concept of gravity continues to be an intriguing topic for children across the globe. They find it interesting to learn about this mysterious force that pulls everything down toward the earth. Moreover, many interesting and complex physics topics revolve around gravity. Hence, revealing some interesting facts about gravity to children can help satiate their curious minds. In addition, learning fun facts from parents instead of their textbooks can help them develop an inclination toward the subject and make them wonder more about related topics.
Infographic: Effects Of Gravity On Human Body
Gravity is one of the primal forces of nature and determines many aspects of life on Earth. Learn how gravity affects you directly with this infographic on the effects of gravity on the human body. Save and share this page with your child and help them impress their friends with these interesting facts.
![gravity and human body [infographic]](https://cdn2.thebridalbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Infographic-Effects-Of-Gravity-On-Human-Body-360.jpeg.avif)
Key Pointers
- Gravity is an exciting topic of discussion for kids.
- The force of gravity is the primary force that keeps everything in its place and allows us to walk steadily on the ground rather than float.
- Sun has the strongest gravitational pull in the solar system, and many such interesting facts about gravity are listed below.
References
2. What is gravity?;Qualitative Reasoning Group – Northwestern University
3. What is Matter?;LibreTexts
4. Why do the planets orbit the sun? (Beginner);Astronomy Department at Cornell University
5. Your Weight On Other Worlds;The museum of science, art and human perception
6. How Do We Weigh Planets?;NASA
7. What Causes Tides?;SciJinks
8. How Does Gravity Affect Root Growth?;The Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies
9. What Is a Black Hole?;NASA
10. Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity;Austin Community College
11. Station Spinal Ultrasounds Seeking Why Astronauts Grow Taller in Space;NASA
12. Why Is There No Gravity in Space?; National Center for Families Learning
13. How strong is the gravity on Jupiter?; Cool Cosmos
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