Gravity and Friction test

Gravity and Friction Notes

Key concepts

What are some contact forces and some non-contact forces?


What is the law of universal gravitation?

What goes up must come down.


How does friction affect the motion of two objects sliding past each other?

Two forces rubbing together cause friction.


Types of forces

What is force?

A push or pull on an object that can change its motion, shape, or direction

Contact force

A push or a pull on the object by another that is touching it 

Noncontact force

A force that one object can apply to another object without touching it


What is gravity

What is Gravity

An attractive force that exists between all objects that have mass


The law of universal Gravitation

“Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that depends on two things:

  1. How much mass the objects have 

  2. How far apart they are”

What does all this mean?

  1. All objects pull on each other with gravity - not just big ones like Earth. Even you and your pencil pull on each other; you just don't feel it, because it's a small force.

  2. More mass =  stronger its gravity

  3. Closer objects are to another = Stronger force of gravity is between them

  4. If the moon were closer to Earth, Earth would exert a stronger gravitational pull on it.

      Vocab

Mass: The amount of matter in an object

Weight: The gravitational force exerted on an object

Friction: A force that resists the motion of two surfaces that are touching  


The Law: Goda order in creation

 Newton's law tells us:

“Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that depends on their mass and the distance between them

This law reveals a deep order and harmony in creation. It shows that the universe operates under consistent rules, not chaos or randomness

From a Christian perspective, this points to a wise and orderly creator—a God who “created the heavens and the earth” and sustains them with perfect precision.


Conclusion

Just as God’s love holds us spiritually, his gravity holds the universe physically