VIDEO: Is There Gravity In Space? by Veritasium

If you've seen footage from the International Space Station or any of the space shuttle missions, you know that astronauts float around as they orbit the Earth. Why is that? Is it because the gravitational force on them is zero in space? (Or nearly zero?) The truth is that the strength of the gravitational attraction is only slightly less than it is on Earth's surface. So how are they able to float? Well, they aren't floating - they're falling, along with the space station. They don't crash into the Earth because they have a huge orbital velocity. So as they accelerate towards the Earth, the Earth curves away beneath them and they never get any closer. Since the astronauts have the same acceleration as the space station, they feel weightless. It's like being in a free-falling elevator (without the disastrous landing).

VIDEO: Misconceptions About Falling Objects by Veritasium

link to video on YouTube

SONG!: Gravity by Veritasium

LYRICS

Gravity is working with me
And Gravity, keeps me on the ground

All mass attracts all other mass
a force proportional to mass one and two
and inversely to the distance between them squared

Oh, gravity is working with me
and gravity, makes apples fall to ground

Oh twice the mass has twice the pull
but the force on each is still equal
It keeps the moon and the satellites
going round

Oh twice the mass has twice the pull
but the force on each is still equal
It keeps the moon and the satellites
going round

Oh gravity, the force that makes weight on me
Woah, gravity, now general relativity (how can that be?)

The force between us all is
The force between us all is
The force between us all is
Gravity between us all is
Gravity between us all is
Gravity between gravity between us all is

link to video on YouTube

VIDEO: What Is Gravity? by Vertasium

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SONG!: "G-R-A-V-I-T-Y" from Bill Nye

LYRICS

London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down, my fair lady

London bridge is falling down
'Cause gravity is all around
Why don't we fall up to the sky?
It's G-R-A-V-I-T...

Why are all the planets round
Does what goes up always come down
It's called attraction action, see
It's everywhere, it's gravity

An apple fell on Newton's head, it caused a great distraction
'Cause Isaac felt the force of gravity's attraction action
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
His weight combined with gravity and moved to a high velocity

Now, Galileo Galilei knew all about gravity
Went to the top of Pisa's tower and dropped two balls to show its power
Fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue
The Earth is round, he found to be true
We all owe that to gravity too

G-R-A-V-I-T-Y
Keeps all the planets in a line
We all spin around the sun
And always have since time begun
Now sing it with me, don't be shy
It's G-R-A-V-I-T-Y