Gravity Pulls Things Down

Question 1

Which statement correctly explains what happens to a ball when it is dropped?

Accepted Answer

Gravity pulls the ball straight toward the centre of the Earth, which we feel as “down”.

Answer

Gravity only works when the ball is close to the ground.

Answer

Gravity pushes the ball up toward the sky.

Answer

Gravity makes the ball move toward the nearest heavy object, like a tall building.

Question 2

Lena stands in a park in Brazil, and Noah stands at the exact opposite point on the globe (the other side of the Earth) in Indonesia. Both simultaneously drop a small eraser. Which statement correctly explains the direction of the force that makes each eraser fall?

Accepted Answer

The force pulls each eraser straight toward the center of the Earth, so each one falls toward the ground beneath the person who dropped it.

Answer

Gravity only works on the side of the Earth that faces the Sun, so only Lena’s eraser falls while Noah’s stays still.

Answer

The force pulls each eraser toward the nearest surface, so Lena’s eraser falls south and Noah’s eraser falls north.

Answer

The force pulls objects upward, but the ground stops the erasers, making them appear to fall.

Question 3

Sam is curious why the Moon stays around Earth and why the Earth stays around the Sun. Which statement correctly explains this?

Accepted Answer

Gravity pulls the Moon toward Earth, and the Moon’s sideways motion keeps it missing Earth so it stays in orbit; the Sun’s gravity pulls the planets toward it, keeping them in orbit too.

Answer

Gravity pushes the Moon away from Earth, and that push makes the Moon circle around us.

Answer

There is no gravity in space, so the Moon and the planets just keep moving on their own paths.

Answer

The Sun’s bright light pushes the planets around, not gravity.

Try three questions

Which statement correctly explains what happens to a ball when it is dropped?

Lena stands in a park in Brazil, and Noah stands at the exact opposite point on the globe (the other side of the Earth) in Indonesia. Both simultaneously drop a small eraser. Which statement correctly explains the direction of the force that makes each eraser fall?

Sam is curious why the Moon stays around Earth and why the Earth stays around the Sun. Which statement correctly explains this?

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