Gravitational Acceleration

Gravitational acceleration is the rate at which an object speeds up when falling toward a massive body, like Earth. It results from gravity, the force pulling objects toward each other because of their mass. On Earth, this acceleration is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared, meaning that for each second an object falls, its speed increases by about 9.8 meters per second. Gravitational acceleration depends on the mass of the celestial body and the distance from its center, which explains why gravity is stronger near the surface of planets and weaker further away.