Gravity Basics
What force keeps us on Earth’s surface?
Gravity
Which never changes: mass or weight?
Weight
Which has the strongest gravity in the solar system: Earth, Moon, Jupiter, or the Sun?
The Sun
Why do astronauts weigh less on the Moon than on Earth?
The Moon's gravity is weaker
What force holds galaxies together?
Gravity
What two factors affect the strength of gravity?
Mass & Distance
Which changes depending on location: mass or weight?
Weight
Why do planets orbit the Sun instead of floating away?
The Sun’s gravity pulls them into orbit
What causes tides on Earth?
The Moon’s gravity pulling on Earth’s oceans
What is a galaxy?
A system of billions of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity
If the distance between two objects doubles, what happens to gravity?
It decreases (weaker pull)
A student weighs 600 N on Earth. On the Moon (1/6 gravity), how much do they weigh?
100 N
Jupiter is much more massive than Earth. Does it have stronger or weaker gravity?
Stronger
Which is larger: Earth’s gravity or the Moon’s?
Earth’s
The Milky Way is an example of what?
A galaxy
Why do astronauts look like they are floating in the space station? Describe one piece of evidence that supports the Big Bang Theory.
They are too far from the Earth to be pulled down by Gravity. So they are essentially in a free fall state/floating.
Explain in one sentence how mass and weight are related.
Weight is the pull of gravity on mass
If Earth’s gravity suddenly disappeared, what would happen to the planets?
They would no longer orbit — they’d fly off into space
Why does the Moon orbit Earth instead of drifting away?
Earth’s gravity keeps it in orbit
What force keeps stars orbiting the center of a galaxy?
Gravity
Without gravity, what would happen to Earth’s orbit around the Sun?
Earth would fly off into space in a straight line
If the Earth's mass doubled but its size stayed the same, what would happen to your weight?
Your weight would double (gravity would be stronger)
What planet has the weakest gravity in our solar system?
Mercury/Pluto (smallest!)
If the Moon suddenly vanished, what would happen to Earth’s tides?
They would disappear or become much weaker as only the Sun’s tides would remain
True or False: Without gravity, the universe would still have galaxies, stars, and planets.
False — they would not exist