The attraction force of the mass of the Earth, the Moon, or a planet for bodies at or near its surface is called what?

The attraction force of the mass of the Earth, the Moon, or a planet for bodies at or near its surface is called what?

• A. Gravitational forces
• B. Aerial drag
• C. Buoyancy
• D. Electrostatic force

Answer: (A)

Gravity is the force of attraction between masses, such as a planet and objects near its surface. This attraction is what we experience as weight: near the surface, the force pulling you downward is F = m g, with g being the planet’s gravitational acceleration. The same idea applies to the Moon or other planets, though the strength of gravity differs there, so objects would weigh differently. Aerial drag is the resistance of air acting on a moving object, buoyancy is the upward push from a surrounding fluid due to displaced fluid, and electrostatic force is the attraction or repulsion between electric charges. The attraction between a planet’s mass and nearby bodies is gravity, i.e., gravitational forces.

Gravity is the force of attraction between masses, such as a planet and objects near its surface. This attraction is what we experience as weight: near the surface, the force pulling you downward is F = m g, with g being the planet’s gravitational acceleration. The same idea applies to the Moon or other planets, though the strength of gravity differs there, so objects would weigh differently.

Aerial drag is the resistance of air acting on a moving object, buoyancy is the upward push from a surrounding fluid due to displaced fluid, and electrostatic force is the attraction or repulsion between electric charges. The attraction between a planet’s mass and nearby bodies is gravity, i.e., gravitational forces.