Here's why it seems like we only notice the gravity of massive objects:
* Strength of the force: The gravitational force between two objects is proportional to their masses. Larger masses exert a stronger gravitational pull. The Earth's mass is immense compared to everyday objects, so its gravitational pull dominates our experience.
* Distance: Gravitational force decreases rapidly with distance. The further away objects are, the weaker the gravitational force between them. The vast distances between us and stars and planets make their gravitational pull seem negligible compared to the Earth's pull.
* Scale of our perception: We are simply not sensitive enough to detect the tiny gravitational forces between everyday objects. Even though you are pulling on your phone with gravity, the force is too weak to be noticeable.
Examples of Gravitational Force from Less Massive Objects:
* Tides: The Moon's gravitational pull on the Earth's oceans causes tides. Even though the Moon is much less massive than the Earth, its gravitational influence is significant over large distances.
* Gravitational waves: These ripples in spacetime are caused by the acceleration of massive objects, including the collision of black holes.
* Precision experiments: Scientists have conducted experiments using extremely sensitive instruments to measure the gravitational force between everyday objects, proving that even small masses exert a gravitational pull.
In conclusion: We only *notice* the gravitational force of massive objects because their pull is significantly stronger and more easily detectable than the gravitational force of less massive objects. However, every object in the universe exerts a gravitational force on every other object, no matter how small or large.
