Author: Vincent Guo
Editors: Shirley Chen and Viola Chen
Artist: Acey Li
Gravity is all around us; it is what keeps us on the ground instead of letting us float freely around. It is the force that pulls objects toward each other and allows our solar system to behave as it does. An object’s gravitational pull is determined by its mass; the greater the mass, the stronger the gravitational pull. For example, the sun has a higher mass than Earth’s, resulting in a stronger gravitational pull.
Did you know that because of gravity, your weight can be altered depending on what planet you are on? If you were on Mercury, you would weigh less than you usually do on Earth. However, if you were on Jupiter, you would weigh more than when you were on Earth. Everything in our universe has gravity to it, but black holes–tons of mass packed together into a tiny volume–have one of the strongest gravitational pulls. Their unique structure gives them an immense gravitational pull, so strong that not even light can escape. The tides seen on Earth during the night are caused by the moon's gravitational pull. The Earth’s gravity is also what allows the moon to rotate around us. The gravitational pull of our planet varies depending on location. The gravitational pull of Earth not only keeps us on the ground but also keeps the oxygen caged in on Earth. Gravity not only maintains the structure of our solar system, but also contributes to the formation of galaxies. There are theories about gravity, like the quantum theory of gravity, and theories, that state that gravity consists of a combination of mass, energy, and space. Although gravity is an important force in our universe, it is one of the weakest among the Four Fundamental Forces of Nature.
The other three Fundamental Forces are electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. The electromagnetic force is the force between electrically charged particles, like a magnet, which, unlike gravity, not only pulls opposite-charged things together but repels objects with the same charge. Further, there is the strong nuclear force, which is the strongest force out of the Four Fundamental Forces. It is 6 x 10^39 stronger than the force of gravity and it is what holds protons and neutrons together. If protons and neutrons weren’t being held together in the nucleus, there wouldn't be any elements like gold, silver, nitrogen, and many others. Finally, the weak force, another Fundamental Force, causes the decay of elements. The weak force is vital in our daily lives because nuclear plants use the decay of an element to gain extensive amounts of energy. It not only provides us with energy, but it also keeps our sun burning and provides light.
Citations:
Rehm, Jeremy, and Ben Biggs. “The Four Fundamental Forces of Nature.” Space.com, Space,
1 Oct. 2019, www.space.com/four-fundamental-forces.html.
Erickson, Kristen. “What Is Gravity?” Nasa.gov, NASA, 17 Dec. 2020,
Webb, Richard. “What Is Gravity?” New Scientist,