Gravity and the Law of Universal Gravitation

Gravity is a fundamental force that exists between any two objects with mass. It is responsible for the attraction between objects and is what keeps us grounded on Earth. The Law of Universal Gravitation, formulated by Sir Isaac Newton, describes the force of gravity between two objects.

Force of Gravity

According to the Law of Universal Gravitation, the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2

Where:
- F is the force of gravity
- G is the gravitational constant
- m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
- r is the distance between their centers

Earth and Apple Scenario

In the case of an apple and the Earth, both objects attract each other with a gravitational force. However, the difference in their masses and the distance between their centers causes the effect to be more noticeable on the apple.

Mass

The Earth has an immensely larger mass compared to the apple. The mass of the Earth is approximately 5.97 x 10^24 kilograms, while the mass of an average apple is only around 0.2 kilograms. Due to the significant difference in mass, the force of gravity exerted by the Earth on the apple is much greater than the force exerted by the apple on the Earth.

Distance

The distance between the centers of the Earth and the apple is relatively small compared to the radius of the Earth. Therefore, the distance factor (r^2) in the equation plays a minor role in the force of gravity exerted by the apple on the Earth.

Resulting Motion

As a result of the larger mass of the Earth and the negligible force exerted by the apple, the apple falls towards the Earth. This is because the force of gravity acting on the apple is able to overcome the resistance offered by other forces, such as air resistance, causing the apple to accelerate downwards.

On the other hand, the force exerted by the apple on the Earth is negligible due to its significantly smaller mass. The Earth's immense mass and the resistance offered by other forces prevent any noticeable movement towards the apple.

Conclusion

In summary, the apple falls towards the Earth due to the significant difference in their masses and the resulting force of gravity. While both objects attract each other, the Earth's larger mass and the negligible force exerted by the apple cause the apple to experience a noticeable motion towards the Earth, while the Earth remains relatively unaffected.

Because mass of apple is negligible as compared to the mass of earth.