Gravitational Force

# force Non-contact Forces – Gravitational Force Why does a ball fall to the ground when you drop it? Why do skydivers fall to the surface of the Earth when they leap from an airplane? For an object to be in motion, like a skydiver falling to the Earth’s surface, one or more unbalanced forces must act on it. All objects have an invisible force that pulls on other objects. This force is called gravitational force, or gravity. A skydiver falls to the surface of the Earth due to the pull of the Earth’s gravity. The strength of an object’s gravitational force depends on it mass. The gravitational force of objects with a small mass, such as a tennis ball, is too weak to observe. Compared to a tennis ball, the Earth has a much greater mass. The strong gravitational force of the Earth keeps everything on the Earth’s surface. The Sun’s gravity attracts the Earth and other planets in the solar system. It keeps the planets and other objects in the solar system in orbit around the Sun. Gravitational force also depends on distance. The closer objects are to each other, the greater the gravitational force.