Gravity affects objects in motion in several ways:
1. **Acceleration:** Gravity causes objects to accelerate toward the center of the Earth at a rate of approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²) near the Earth's surface. This means that any object in freefall, regardless of its mass, will accelerate at this rate.
2. **Trajectory:** Gravity affects the trajectory of moving objects. For example, when you throw a ball into the air, gravity pulls it back down toward the ground. The curved path the ball follows is influenced by both its initial velocity and the gravitational force acting on it.
3. **Velocity:** Gravity can alter the velocity of objects. For objects thrown upward, gravity slows them down until they come to a stop at their highest point and then accelerates them back downward. For objects moving downward, gravity increases their velocity as they fall.
4. **Orbital Motion:** In the case of celestial bodies like planets and satellites, gravity is responsible for their orbital motion around more massive objects like the Sun or Earth. The gravitational force provides the centripetal force required to keep these objects in orbit.
5. **Weight:** Gravity also affects the weight of an object. An object's weight is the force of gravity acting on it, and this force determines how much an object weighs on a particular planet or celestial body. Weight is proportional to an object's mass and the strength of the gravitational field.
In summary, gravity is a fundamental force that influences the motion of objects by causing acceleration, altering trajectories, affecting velocities, and playing a crucial role in celestial orbits. It is a force that governs the motion of objects both on Earth and in the broader universe.