crash course kids- why does gravity pull objects down at the same speed

by Mr. Orlo Strosin III 3 min read

Gravity has the same effect on every object. If you drop a huge elephant or if you drop a small, thin feather, they fall at the exact same speed. The feather will look like it falls more slowly and it does on Earth because there is air resistance that interferes with the force of gravity and can slow it down.

Part of a video titled Gravity Compilation: Crash Course Kids - YouTube
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First. The size of the object. Objects with a bigger mass have a stronger pull of gravity. AndMoreFirst. The size of the object. Objects with a bigger mass have a stronger pull of gravity. And second the distance between objects.

Full Answer

How does gravity pull things down?

Mar 24, 2015 · So, if gravity pulls everything down, then why don't things on the bottom of the Earth get pulled down into space? In this episode of Crash Course Kids, Sabr...

Does gravity affect the speed of objects with the same acceleration?

The farther apart objects are, the weaker the pull of gravity between them, and the closer together they are, the stronger the pull of gravity. All of this means that when the day comes that you're flying a spaceship to the moon, you just have to escape Earth's gravity, and then get close enough to the moon to enter its gravity.

What happens to an object's speed when it falls?

In this episode of Crash Course Kids, Sabrina talks about gravity and explains that when we talk about gravity pulling things down, what we really mean is gravity is pulling things TOWARD the Earth. Really, it's all about attraction. This first series is based on 5th grade science. We're super excited and hope you enjoy Crash Course Kids!

How does gravity affect everything on Earth?

Aug 20, 2018 · Gravity is a force, which means that it pulls on things. But the Earth isn’t the only thing which has gravity. In fact, everything in the universe, big or little, has its own pull because of ...

Why does gravity pull things down at the same rate?

There is an equal and opposite force on each of the two objects: they will both move. Now since the acceleration of each object is inversely proportional to the mass, the lighter object will move a bit faster.Oct 22, 2007

Does gravity make everything fall at the same speed?

Objects that are said to be undergoing free fall, are not encountering a significant force of air resistance; they are falling under the sole influence of gravity. Under such conditions, all objects will fall with the same rate of acceleration, regardless of their mass.

Why do heavy and light objects fall at the same speed?

If your heavy and light objects are in a vacuum, then they fall at the same speed. This is because they only have one force acting on them: gravity.Feb 14, 2020

What happens to the speed of an object as gravity pulls it down?

The force of gravity, like all other forces, can cause changes in the speed of objects. As an object falls, its speed will continually increase as Earth's gravity continually pulls it downward. When air resistance is ignored, all objects will speed up at the same rate as they fall.

Why is gravity the same for all objects?

A simple rule to bear in mind is that all objects (regardless of their mass) experience the same acceleration when in a state of free fall. When the only force is gravity, the acceleration is the same value for all objects. On Earth, this acceleration value is 9.8 m/s/s.

Why do all objects accelerate at the same rate?

When gravity pulls objects toward the ground, it always causes them to accelerate at a rate of 9.8 m/s2. Regardless of differences in mass, all objects accelerate at the same rate due to gravity unless air resistance affects one more than another.Feb 28, 2020

Does gravity pull heavier objects faster?

Heavier things have a greater gravitational force AND heavier things have a lower acceleration. It turns out that these two effects exactly cancel to make falling objects have the same acceleration regardless of mass.Oct 16, 2013

Why do objects of different mass fall at the same time?

Increasing force tends to increase acceleration while increasing mass tends to decrease acceleration. Thus, the greater force on more massive objects is offset by the inverse influence of greater mass. Subsequently, all objects free fall at the same rate of acceleration, regardless of their mass.

Why do two objects of different masses fall at the same time?

Because Earth gives everything the exact same acceleration, objects with different masses will still hit the ground at the same time if they are dropped from the same height.

How does gravity affect an object?

The answer is gravity: an invisible force that pulls objects toward each other. Earth's gravity is what keeps you on the ground and what makes things fall. Anything that has mass also has gravity. Objects with more mass have more gravity.

How does friction and gravity affect the motion of an object?

Friction is a force that slows down the motion of a moving object. Think about a land slide. Once a slide begins the rock, earth and debris will stay in motion until friction between the material and the ground slows the movement. Eventually, friction and gravity will work together to stop the motion of the slide.

How does gravity affect the motion of objects moving upward?

gravity affects things while they are falling but stops when they reach the ground. It does not operate on things that are moving upwards. gravity acts upwards on things that are moving upwards.Sep 5, 2018

Which has a stronger pull of gravity?

Objects with a bigger mass have a stronger pull of gravity. And second, the distance between objects. The farther apart objects are, the weaker the pull of gravity between them, and the closer together they are, the stronger the pull of gravity.

What causes friction on Earth?

For one thing: an atmosphere. The gases that make up Earth's atmosphere push against objects as they fall and the push of the air against a falling object causes friction. We call that friction air resistance. So on Earth, the feather's flat, fluffy shape makes it run into more air resistance than the hammer does.

Why do penguins stick to the bottom of the Earth?

It means that no matter where on Earth an object is, the planet's gravitational pull will draw the object toward it , and that's how you should think about gravity. It's the force that pulls things toward Earth. So basically, we have gravity to thank for the fact that penguins stick to the bottom of the Earth.

What brought an apple down?

Once the apple became too heavy for its stem to hold it any more, the gravitational pull of Earth brought the apple down onto Newton's noggin. Newton's also realized how heavy an object is either. Whether you are holding an apple, a bowling ball, or a feather, you let go of it that sucker is going down.

What happens when you wish on a shooting star?

If you've ever made a wish on a shooting star, you've seen the effect of Earth's gravity pulling on an object. Shooting stars, which are actually meteors, occur when pieces of rock break off from a passing comet or asteroid and get too close to the Earth.

Why is there no life on Earth?

It's because of a little something we call gravity. Gravity is what pulls everything toward the ground, including you. Without the force of gravity, there would be no life on Earth. Air, water, animals, everything would fly off into space. There'd be no you, no me, no french fries, nada.

What does it mean when you fly to the moon?

All of this means that when the day comes that you're flying a spaceship to the moon, you just have to escape Earth's gravity, and then get close enough to the moon to enter its gravity. Remember that when you're grown up, and you're welcome.

Who was the first scientist to figure out how gravity behaves?

Isaac Newton was one of the first scientists to figure out the rules of how gravity behaves. The story goes, he was sitting under an apple tree when one of the fruits fell off. As he saw the apple fall down to the ground, he started to wonder why it didn’t go up to the sky instead.

Why can you jump on the moon?

This is because the Earth is bigger than the moon, so the force between you and the Earth – which is what we call weight – is bigger than the force between you and the moon.

What happens when you kick a football into the air?

When you kick the football into the air, the Earth’s gravity pulls it back down. But that’s not the only thing that’s happening: the gravity of the football is also pulling on the Earth. The thing is, the Earth is very heavy – much heavier than the football – so it’s unaffected by the pull of the football, while the football itself is pulled back ...

Why does the moon have an effect on the tides?

This is also an effect of gravity, and it happens because the moon is close to the Earth. Unlike the football, the moon is heavy enough to have an effect – just a little one, because the Earth is still much heavier – but it’s enough for us to notice when we watch the tides.

How long have planets been around the Sun?

The answer is that the planets are all moving, and the balance between the force of gravity and the speed of their movement (which comes from when they were first made, about 4.5 billion years ago ) keeps them circling round the sun. Fly me to the moon. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center/Flickr., CC BY-NC.

Why don't we have tides?

As the water level rises, it is being pulled towards the moon, and the tide comes in. Then the tide goes out, and the water level drops, as the moon rotates around the Earth. An interesting question is why we don’t have enormous tides caused by the sun pulling on the Earth.

Is gravity a force?

Gravity is a force, which means that it pulls on things. But the Earth isn’ t the only thing which has gravity . In fact, everything in the universe, big or little, has its own pull because of gravity – even you. Isaac Newton was one of the first scientists to figure out the rules of how gravity behaves. The story goes, he was sitting ...

Why is gravity important?

Gravity also is important on a larger scale. It is the Sun's gravity that keeps the Earth in orbit around the Sun. Life on Earth needs the Sun's light and warmth to survive. Gravity helps the Earth to stay just the right distance from the Sun, so it's not too hot or too cold.

What is the acceleration of two balls of different masses?

There is actually a specific acceleration that all objects fall at called a standard gravity, or "g". It equals 9.807 meters per second squared (m/s 2 ). Fun facts about gravity.

What is the principle of weight on Earth?

Do objects fall at the same speed? Yes, this is called the equivalence principle. Objects of different masses will fall to the Earth at the same speed.

How much does Mars weigh?

Mars is smaller and has less mass than Earth. As a result it has less gravity. If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 38 pounds on Mars. The standard gravity from Earth is 1 g force.

How fast can a sky diver fly?

This is called the terminal velocity. For a sky diver this speed is around 122 miles per hour! Activities.

Do all objects have gravity?

It turns out that all objects have gravity. It's just that some objects, like the Earth and the Sun, have a lot more gravity than others. How much gravity an object has depends on how big it is. To be specific, how much mass it has. It also depends on how close you are to the object. The closer you are, the stronger the gravity.

Why Is Gravity Important In The Solar System?

Gravity is what holds the planets in orbit around the sun and what keeps the moon in orbit around Earth. The gravitational pull of the moon pulls the seas towards it, causing the ocean tides. Gravity creates stars and planets by pulling together the material from which they are made.

Why do we need gravity for our solar system?

The sun’s gravity pulls the planet toward the sun, which changes the straight line of direction into a curve. This keeps the planet moving in an orbit around the sun. Because of the sun’s gravitational pull, all the planets in our solar system orbit around it.

How does gravity affect the solar system?

One of the most noticeable effects of gravity in the solar system is the orbit of the planets. The sun could hold 1.3 million Earths so its mass has a strong gravitational pull. When a planet tries to go past the sun at a high rate of speed, gravity grabs the planet and pulls it towards the sun.

How did gravity help form the solar system?

When this dust cloud collapsed, it formed a solar nebula – a spinning, swirling disk of material. At the center, gravity pulled more and more material in. … Some of them grew big enough for their gravity to shape them into spheres, becoming planets, dwarf planets, and large moons.

What is the role of gravity in the motion within the solar system?

Gravity causes the motions of planets, stars, and galaxies. It’s why the Moon orbits around the Earth, and the Earth orbits around the Sun, and the solar system orbits around the galaxy. It’s all because of gravity. … This rotation helped smooth out the surface, and over time planets became more and more spherical.

Why is gravity so important?

Gravity is very important to us. … The sun’s gravity keeps Earth in orbit around it, keeping us at a comfortable distance to enjoy the sun’s light and warmth. It holds down our atmosphere and the air we need to breathe. Gravity is what holds our world together.

What is gravity and why is it important?

Gravity is a very important force. Every object in space exerts a gravitational pull on every other, and so gravity influences the paths taken by everything traveling through space. It is the glue that holds together entire galaxies. It keeps planets in orbit.