Children are sometimes very curious and sometimes ask questions that are very difficult to answer. For example, why do people not fall from the surface of the earth? After all, it is round, rotates on its axis, and even moves in the vast expanses of the universe among a huge number of stars. Why, then, can a person walk calmly, sit on the couch and not worry at all? In addition, some peoples live upside down. And the sandwich that was dropped falls to the ground, and does not fly into the sky. Maybe something draws us to the Earth and we can’t come off?
Why don't people fall from the surface of the earth?
If the child began to ask such questions, then you can tell him about gravity, or in another way - about gravity. After all, it is this phenomenon that makes any object strive to the surface of the Earth. Thanks to gravity, a person does not fall and does not fly away.
Earth gravity allows the population of the planet to safely move along its surface, erect buildings and all kinds of structures, sled or ski from the mountain. Thanks to gravity, objects fall down, not fly up. To test this in practice, just throw the ball. In any case, it will fall to the ground. That is why people do not fall from the surface of the Earth.
But what about the moon?
Of course, gravity does not allow a person to fall from the Earth. But another question arises - why the moon does not fall on it? The answer is very simple. The moon is constantly moving in the orbit of our planet. If the satellite of the Earth stops, then it will certainly fall to the surface of the planet. This can also be verified by conducting a small experiment. To do this, tie the rope to the nut and untwist it. It will move in the air until it stops. If to stop untwisting, then the nut will simply fall. It is also worth noting that the gravity of the moon is about 6 times weaker than gravity. It is for this reason that weightlessness is felt here.
Everyone has the force of gravity
Virtually all objects possess the force of gravity: animals, cars, buildings, people, and even furniture. And a person is not attracted to another person just because our gravity is small enough.
The force of attraction directly depends on the distance between the individual bodies, as well as on their mass. Since a person weighs very little, he is attracted not to other objects, but to the Earth. After all, its mass is much larger. The earth is very large. The mass of our planet is huge. Naturally, the force of gravity is great. Thanks to this, all objects are attracted precisely to the Earth.
When was gravity discovered?
Boring facts are uninteresting for children. But the story of the discovery of gravity is rather strange and funny. The law of gravity was discovered by Isaac Newton. A scientist sat under an apple tree and reflected on the universe. At that moment, a fetus fell on his head. As a result of this, the scientist realized that all objects fall precisely down, because there is a force of attraction. Isaac Newton continued his research. The scientist found that the force of gravity depends on the mass of bodies, as well as on the distance between them. He also proved that objects cannot influence each other over long distances. So the law of gravity arose.
Does it all fall down: a little experiment
So that the child can better understand why people do not fall from the surface of the Earth, you can conduct a small experiment. This will require:
- Cardboard.
- Glass.
- Water.
The glass must be filled with liquid to the brim. After this, the container should be covered with cardboard so that no air gets inside. After that, you need to turn the glass upside down, while holding the cardboard with your hand. It’s best to experiment with a sink.
What happened? Cardboard and water remained in place. The fact is that there is absolutely no air inside the tank. Cardboard and water are unable to overcome the air pressure outside. It is for this reason that they remain in their places.