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Why do gravity exist so strongly on earth

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Solution

On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects and causes the ocean tides. The force of Earth's gravity is the result of the planets mass and density – 5.97237 × 1024 kg (1.31668×1025 lbs) and 5.514 g/cm3, respectively. This results in Earth having a gravitational strength of 9.8 m/s² close to the surface (also known as 1 g), which naturally decreases the farther away one is from the surface.

In addition, the force of gravity on Earth actually changes depending on where you're standing on it. The first reason is because the Earth is rotating. This means that the gravity of Earth at the equator is 9.789 m/s2, while the force of gravity at the poles is 9.832 m/s2. In other words, you weigh more at the poles than you do at the equator because of this centripetal force, but only slightly more.

Finally, the force of gravity can change depending on what's under the Earth beneath you. Higher concentrations of mass, like high-density rocks or minerals can change the force of gravity that you feel. But of course, this amount is too slight to be noticeable. NASA missions have mapped the Earth's gravity field with incredible accuracy, showing variations in its strength, depending on location.

Gravity also decreases with altitude, since you're further away from the Earth's center. The decrease in force from climbing to the top of a mountain is pretty minimal (0.28% less gravity at the top of Mount Everest), but if you're high enough to reach the International Space Station (ISS), you would experience 90% of the force of gravity you'd feel on the surface.

However, since the station is in a state of free fall (and also in the vacuum of space) objects and astronauts aboard the ISS are capable of floating around. Basically, since everything aboard the station is falling at the same rate towards the Earth, those aboard the ISS have the feeling of being weightless – even though they still weight about 90% of what they would on Earth's surface.



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