What does gravity do?

Gravity is a fundamental force of nature that pulls objects toward one another, primarily based on their mass. The strength of this gravitational attraction increases with the mass of the objects and decreases with the distance between them. For example, the Earth attracts objects toward itself due to its significant mass, which is why we experience a constant force pulling us downwards. This interaction is crucial for various phenomena, such as keeping planets in orbit around stars and moons around planets, as well as the falling of objects due to gravity.

Understanding gravity as an attractive force reflects key principles of physics, such as Newton's law of universal gravitation, which describes how every point mass attracts every other point mass in the universe. This is in stark contrast to the notion that gravity repels objects, pushes them away, or has no effect on stationary objects, as these concepts do not align with the established understanding of gravitational forces.