How Gravity Works

Gravity is one of the four fundamental forces in the universe, and it's the one we feel most often. But here's what blew my mind when I really understood it: gravity isn't just something pulling things down to Earth. Every mass in the universe attracts every other mass.

You and your phone are pulling on each other right now. The gravitational pull between everyday objects is just way too small to notice. It's only when we get to really big masses like planets that gravity becomes noticeable.

The Inverse Square Law

Gravity follows something called the inverse square law. Double the distance between two objects and the gravitational force becomes four times weaker. Triple the distance, it becomes nine times weaker.

This is why satellites orbiting Earth don't fall down - they're far enough away that Earth's gravity is much weaker. Not zero, but weaker.