What is gravity and how does it influence orbits?

What is gravity and how does it influence orbits?

• A. Gravity is the attraction between masses; it provides the centripetal force that keeps planets in orbit
• B. Gravity is the magnetic pull between magnets
• C. Gravity increases orbital speed by itself
• D. Gravity is a force that only acts on Earth

Answer: (A)

Gravity is the attraction between masses. It pulls objects toward each other, and when a body like a planet or satellite moves around a much larger body, gravity pulls it inward. This inward pull acts as the centripetal force that continuously bends the path from a straight line into a curved one, so the object stays in orbit instead of flying off into space. The orbit exists because the forward motion of the object and the inward pull of gravity balance in a way that keeps the path circular or elliptical. Gravity doesn’t by itself speed things up; it provides the inward acceleration needed for the curved trajectory. And gravity acts on all masses, not just Earth.

Gravity is the attraction between masses. It pulls objects toward each other, and when a body like a planet or satellite moves around a much larger body, gravity pulls it inward. This inward pull acts as the centripetal force that continuously bends the path from a straight line into a curved one, so the object stays in orbit instead of flying off into space. The orbit exists because the forward motion of the object and the inward pull of gravity balance in a way that keeps the path circular or elliptical. Gravity doesn’t by itself speed things up; it provides the inward acceleration needed for the curved trajectory. And gravity acts on all masses, not just Earth.