The Earth stays in orbit around the Sun because:
-
The Sun's gravity pulls on the Earth
This is only part of the answer. -
The Earth's gravity pulls on the Sun
This is only part of the answer. -
The gravity of the Sun and the Earth pull on each other
Yes! The gravitational attraction between the Earth and the Sun is a result of both the Sun pulling on the Earth and the Earth pulling on the Sun. -
Gravity does not keep the Earth in its orbit.
No. Without the pull of gravity, the Earth would continue moving in a straight path instead of curving around the Sun.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.P.13.1 Identify familiar forces that cause objects to move, such as pushes or pulls, including gravity acting on falling objects.
| The Slow Race | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| Magic Coin | video |
| Making a Compass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
SC.8.E.5.9 Explain the impact of objects in space on each other including: 1. the Sun on the Earth including seasons and gravitational attraction 2. the Moon on the Earth, including phases, tides, and eclipses, and the relative position of each body.
| Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Why is a Full Moon So Bright? | text page, free, checked |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
| Review Space-12 | practice |
SC.6.P.13.2 Explore the Law of Gravity by recognizing that every object exerts gravitational force on every other object and that the force depends on how much mass the objects have and how far apart they are.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
Utah
UT.3.IV.2.c Pose questions about gravity and forces.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
UT.6.III.3.a Describe the forces holding Earth in orbit around the sun, and the moon in orbit around Earth.
| Review Space-13 | quest |
NGSS
MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
| Review Space-10 | practice |