Final answer:
Gravity is the force that exists between objects due to their mass, as described by Newton's universal law of gravitation, where the force is proportional to the mass of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gravity is a force between objects because of their mass. This force, known as the gravitational force, describes the interaction of one object that has mass with another object that has mass. According to Newton's universal law of gravitation, the gravitational force is always attractive, directly proportional to the product of the two masses involved, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This inherent force is what gives us the sensation of weight and is responsible for keeping the planets in their orbits around the Sun.
It's essential to understand that gravity is quite different from other forces like electric force, which depends on electric charge. While gravity is fundamentally important on an astronomical scale, the electric force is much stronger than gravity and dictates many everyday interactions, from chemical bonds to biological processes.
Overall, the gravitational force plays a pivotal role in the cosmic order, influencing the movement of celestial bodies and enabling us to calculate the masses of astronomical objects through mutual gravitational effects, as mentioned in the reexamination of Kepler's laws.