Gravity & Falling Objects
Explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
What a learner can do afterwards
- Define gravity as a force of attraction between the Earth and objects
- Explain that unsupported objects fall because gravity pulls them towards the Earth
- Give examples showing gravity in action (dropping objects, jumping, water flowing downhill)
The lesson
You already know that a non-contact force can push or pull without touching. Gravity is a non-contact force. Earth pulls every object towards it, all the time, even when nothing is touching that object.
Leo holds a ball above the ground, then lets go. Nothing is holding the ball up anymore, so gravity pulls it straight down until it lands. This happens every single time you drop something.
The same force acts when you jump. Your legs push you up for a moment, but gravity keeps pulling you towards the Earth, so you always come back down.
Rain lands on top of a hill and trickles down to the bottom. It never flows uphill on its own. Gravity pulls the water down, the same force that pulls a dropped ball down.
To spot gravity at work, ask what is holding an object up. If the answer is nothing, gravity will pull it towards the Earth.
Gravity is the pulling force between the Earth and every object, so anything unsupported falls towards the Earth.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.