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What Is Gravity

Interactive passage with audio narration, comprehension questions, and printable PDF.

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Format: Interactive (Online), Printable (PDF)
Grades: 5678
Subjects: scienceela
Standards: MS-PS2-4
Languages: English, Spanish

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What's included

Reading passage

Reading comprehension

Audio narration

With word word highlighting

Comprehension quiz

Auto-graded

Writing activity

Open-ended response

Glossary & flashcards

Vocabulary practice

Differentiated version

Adapted for varied levels

Spanish translation

Bilingual support

About this reader

This comprehensive middle school science reading passage explores gravity (MS-PS2.B) as a non-contact attractive force acting between all objects with mass. Aligned to NGSS standard MS-PS2-4, the passage helps students understand that gravity is a universal force, with Earth's pull on us serving as the most familiar example. Students learn how mass affects gravitational strength and why we experience Earth's gravity more than the gravity of smaller objects around us. The passage includes real-world examples, scientific terminology, and connects gravity to observable phenomena in everyday life. Audio-integrated content supports diverse learners, while differentiated versions ensure accessibility for all students. Supplementary activities include comprehension questions, writing prompts, and graphic organizers that reinforce understanding of this foundational concept in physical science. Perfect for introducing gravitational interactions in a middle school physics unit.

Written by Workybooks TeamPublished by Workybooks

Preview

Sample passage and quiz content

CONTENT PREVIEW

What Is Gravity — Conceptual image depicting the gravity.

Gravity is a force that pulls objects with mass toward each other. This force acts between all objects in the universe. You cannot see gravity, but you can observe its effects everywhere. When you drop a ball, gravity pulls it toward Earth. When you jump, gravity brings you back down. Scientists explain that gravity is a non-contact force because objects do not need to touch for gravity to work between them.

Every object with mass has gravity, including you. However, Earth has much more mass than you do. Evidence shows that objects with greater mass have stronger gravitational pull. Earth's mass is so large that its gravity pulls everything near its surface toward the center of the planet. This is why objects fall downward. The gravitational force between two small objects, like two books on a table, is extremely weak. You cannot feel this tiny force because Earth's much stronger gravity overwhelms it.

Scientists observe that gravity acts over great distances. The Moon orbits Earth because Earth's gravity pulls on it continuously. Similarly, Earth and other planets orbit the Sun because the Sun's enormous mass creates powerful gravitational attraction. The strength of gravity decreases as objects move farther apart. This means the Moon experiences less gravitational pull from Earth than objects on Earth's surface do. Understanding how distance affects gravity helps scientists predict the motion of planets, moons, and satellites.

In 1687, scientist Isaac Newton measured how fast objects fall near Earth's surface. He found that gravity accelerates falling objects at about 9.8 meters per second squared. This measurement applies to all objects regardless of their mass. A feather and a hammer fall at the same rate in a vacuum where air resistance is removed. Astronauts on the Moon demonstrated this phenomenon during the Apollo 15 mission. They dropped both objects simultaneously, and both hit the ground at the same time.

Gravity matters because it shapes our daily lives and the universe around us. Gravity keeps our atmosphere close to Earth so we can breathe. It holds water in oceans and lakes. Gravity allows us to walk on the ground instead of floating away. On a larger scale, gravity formed stars, planets, and galaxies. Without gravity, the universe would look completely different. Understanding gravity helps scientists design buildings, predict tides, and send spacecraft to other planets.

Interesting Fact: Gravity on Mars is only about 38% as strong as gravity on Earth. If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh only 38 pounds on Mars!

What is gravity?

A force that pulls objects with mass toward each otherA force that pushes objects away from EarthA type of energy that makes objects glowA contact force that requires objects to touch

Why do objects fall toward Earth when you drop them?

Because air pushes them downBecause Earth's mass creates strong gravitational pullBecause they want to reach the groundBecause the Sun pulls them down

What does the term 'non-contact force' mean in the passage?

A force that only works when objects are touchingA force that does not exist in natureA force that acts on objects without them touching each otherA force that only works in space

According to the passage, what is the relationship between mass and gravitational pull?

Objects with less mass have stronger gravitational pullMass has no effect on gravitational pullObjects with greater mass have stronger gravitational pullOnly Earth has mass that creates gravity

What happens to the strength of gravity as objects move farther apart?

Gravity becomes strongerGravity stays exactly the sameGravity becomes weakerGravity stops working completely

Why did the feather and hammer fall at the same rate during the Apollo 15 mission on the Moon?

Because the Moon has no gravityBecause there was no air resistance on the MoonBecause the hammer was very lightBecause astronauts threw them with equal force

If you were standing on Mars, how would your weight compare to your weight on Earth?

You would weigh more on MarsYou would weigh the same on MarsYou would weigh less on MarsYou would have no weight on Mars

Which statement best explains why the Moon orbits Earth?

The Moon is attached to Earth by invisible stringsEarth's gravitational pull continuously acts on the MoonThe Moon has its own engine that keeps it movingAir currents push the Moon around Earth

True or False: You can feel the gravitational pull between two books sitting on a table.

TrueFalse

True or False: Gravity only exists on Earth and does not act between other objects in the universe.

TrueFalse

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