Gravity Vocabulary
What is gravity?
A force that pulls objects toward each other.
What pulls a dropped ball toward Earth?
Gravity.
What object does the Moon orbit?
Earth.
What is an orbit?
The path an object follows around another object.
True or false: Gravity is a pulling force.
True.
What is a force?
A push or a pull.
In what direction does Earth's gravity pull objects?
Toward the center of Earth.
What force pulls the Moon toward Earth?
Gravity/gravitational force.
What moves in an orbit around Earth?
The Moon.
A student drops a pencil. What causes it to move toward the floor?
Gravity.
What is mass?
The amount of matter in an object.
What happens when you throw a ball into the air?
Gravity pulls it back toward Earth.
Does gravity only work on objects on Earth's surface?
No. Gravity also acts on objects in space.
What two things help keep the Moon in orbit?
The Moon's motion and Earth's gravitational pull.
If you jump into the air, why do you come back down?
Earth's gravity pulls you toward Earth.
What is air resistance?
A force from air that slows down a moving or falling object.
Give one example of gravity you see every day.
Answers may vary: falling rain, jumping and coming down, dropping a pencil, etc.
What keeps the Moon close to Earth?
Earth's gravitational pull.
Why doesn't the Moon just fly away from Earth?
Earth's gravity pulls on the Moon.
What direction does gravity pull objects on Earth?
Toward Earth's center.
What is gravitational force?
The force of attraction between objects.
Why don't people on the other side of Earth fall off?
Gravity pulls them toward the center of Earth.
How does Earth's gravity affect the Moon?
Earth's gravity pulls the Moon toward Earth and affects its movement.
Why doesn't the Moon crash into Earth even though Earth's gravity pulls on it?
The Moon is moving through space while Earth's gravity pulls it toward Earth, keeping it in orbit.
What keeps the Moon from moving away from Earth?
Earth’s gravity pulls on the Moon and helps keep it near Earth.