Effects of Gravity

You learned that the force of gravity pulls objects toward the center of the earth. This gravitational force gives you your weight here on earth. The force of gravity is equal to your weight. If you weigh 40 kilograms (kg), the pull of gravity on your body is also equal to 40 kg. If your book weighs 1.5 kg, the pull of gravity on the book is equal to 1.5 kg too. Weigh yourself using a weighing scale and discover how much the pull of gravity is on your body.

The force of gravity is advantageous to people. Gravity keeps everything down, including people. If the earth has no gravity, you and everything around you would just float around. This would make doing different activities difficult. At home, the force of gravity and the pumping system works hand in hand. Many houses have a water tank, which is usually kept in a high place in the house and is filled with water by pumps operating in the basement or on the roof. The water is then fed to the different parts of the house by gravity. The water flows down to the pipes and faucets in the ground floor.

However, the force of gravity can also have harmful effects. When hanging or loose objects are shaken or pushed, they might break and fall because of gravity. There is a danger that these falling objects might accidentally hit and harm people. You need to handle breakable materials carefully because once they slip off your hands, they would turn into pieces and become useless. You also have to be careful when going to a higher place, say when you go up the stairs, to prevent falling that may injure your body.