Science · Physical Science
Understanding Gravity
Reading comprehension passage and printable worksheet about gravity — how it works, Newton’s discovery, and its role in motion and orbits — for grades 4–7.
Subject
Science
Grade Level
Grades 3–8
Resource Type
Lesson Plan
Format
Lesson + PDF
Reading Passage
Understanding Gravity
Gravity is a force that attracts objects with mass toward each other. Every object in the universe that has mass exerts a gravitational pull on every other object. The greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational pull. The closer two objects are to each other, the stronger the gravitational force between them.
Isaac Newton was the first scientist to describe gravity mathematically. According to a famous story, Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he saw an apple fall to the ground. He began to wonder why the apple fell straight down instead of sideways or upward. This led him to develop his law of universal gravitation in 1687, which explained that gravity is a force acting between all masses in the universe.
On Earth, gravity pulls all objects toward the center of the planet. This is why things fall when you drop them and why water flows downhill. The strength of Earth’s gravity gives objects their weight. Weight is different from mass — mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force of gravity pulling on that mass. If you traveled to the moon, your mass would stay the same, but you would weigh much less because the moon has less gravity than Earth.
Gravity is also responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the sun and moons in orbit around planets. As a planet moves forward through space, gravity continually pulls it toward the sun. This combination of forward motion and gravitational pull creates a curved path called an orbit. Without gravity, planets would fly off into space in straight lines.
Gravity affects everything from the falling of rain to the formation of galaxies. Stars and planets form when gravity pulls together large clouds of gas and dust. Even light is affected by strong gravitational fields. Scientists today still study gravity to better understand the universe — from how black holes form to the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Gravity is one of the four fundamental forces of nature.
Printable Worksheet
Printable PDF · 4 pages
Understanding Gravity Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Printable worksheet includes the reading passage and comprehension questions about gravity, Newton’s law, weight vs. mass, and orbital motion. Includes answer key.
More Science Worksheets
Explore our full library of science reading comprehension worksheets and lesson resources.