Skip to main content Skip to Search Box
Definition: gravity from Dictionary of Energy

Physics. the phenomenon by which massive bodies are attracted to one another. In popular usage, gravity is often used to describe the force of attraction itself, but technically gravitation is the force and gravity is the observed effect of this force.

gravity

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Force of attraction that arises between objects by virtue of their masses. The larger the mass of an object the more strongly it attracts other objects. On Earth, gravity causes objects to have weight; it accelerates objects (at 9.806 metres per second per second/32.174 ft per second per second) towards the centre of the Earth. The Earth's gravity also attracts the Moon towards the Earth, keeping the Moon in orbit around the Earth. The Moon's gravity is one-sixth that of Earth's, so objects on the Moon weigh less than on Earth. The Sun contains 99.8% of the mass of the Solar System, and the resulting large force of gravity keeps the planets of the Solar System in orbit around the Sun. If a spacecraft launched from Earth reaches a speed of about 40,000 kph/25,000 mph and then turns its engines off, it can coast on to indefinitely great distances without applying any further power. This is called Earth's escape velocity . Fundamental force of nature Gravity is regarded as one of the four…
5,146 results
Gravity field over the North Pacific. This...
Abstract The gravity field varies over the oceans on account of lateral variations in density beneath the ocean surface. The most prominent anomalies arise from undulations on density interfaces, such as occur at the water–rock interface at the seafloor or at the crust–mantle interface, also known…
| 5,744 words , 3 images
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity

From The Chambers Dictionary
weightiness; the force attracting a body towards the centre of the earth or other celestial body, gravitational attraction or acceleration; graveness, solemnity; seriousness, dangerous nature; lowness of pitch. [L’ gravitās , -ātis , from gravis heavy] vi to be acted on by gravity; to tend towards…
| 322 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Gravity

From National Geographic Science of Everything
When we think of gravity, we tend to think of Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree: an apple falls on his head, and the idea of gravity is born. The story probably didn’t happen quite that way, but Newton did observe falling objects, and he did wonder what mysterious force drew them to the…
| 214 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy
Also known as: gravitational force In general, the attraction of a celestial object for any nearby mass. Specifically, the downward force imparted by Earth on a mass near the planet or on its surface. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force of gravity (commonly called the “weight” …
| 204 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Experimental evidence for general relativity...
Universal force of attraction that acts between all bodies that have mass . Though it is the weakest of the four known forces, it shapes the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the entire universe. The laws of gravity describe the trajectories of bodies in the solar system and the motion…
| 177 words , 1 image
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity

From The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary
The force of attraction between any two objects in the universe. Gravity increases as the masses of the objects increase and as their distance from each other decreases. Gravity is the weakest of the four basic forces of nature, being weaker than the strong nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, …
| 369 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article GRAVITY

From Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
Scottish physician Attraction, as gravitation, is the muscle and tendon of the universe, by which its mass is held together and its huge limbs are wielded. As cohesion and adhesion, it determines the multitude of physical features of its different parts. As chemical or interatomic action, it is the…
| 3,795 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Force of attraction that arises between objects by virtue of their masses. The larger the mass of an object the more strongly it attracts other objects. On Earth, gravity causes objects to have weight; it accelerates objects (at 9.806 metres per second per second/32.174 ft per second per second) …
| 852 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Gravity

From Dictionary of Industrial Terms
An attractive force between two objects; each object accelerates at a rate equal to the attractive force divided by the object’s mass. Objects near the surface of the earth tend to accelerate toward the earth’s center at a rate value is often called the gravitational constant and denoted as G. The…
| 192 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article gravity models

From The Princeton Encyclopedia of the World Economy
Gravity models utilize the gravitational force concept as an analogy to explain the volume of trade, capital flows, and migration among the countries of the world. For example, gravity models establish a baseline for trade-flow volumes as determined by gross domestic product (GDP), population, and…
| 1,641 words
Key concepts:
Mind Map

Stack overflow
More Library Resources