rogue49

Nah, I think you all pretty much got the info down.

Now, here's the REAL question.

WHY does gravity act that way?


BTW, besides all your explanations of gravity.
You forgot to say to the questioner why they are "feeling"
a change in "pull".

The change you might "feel" when you are going faster (accelerating),
or going slower (decelerating)
is because you are changing your velocity in respect to the laws of inertia.

This means as you go faster, you "feel" a pull.
And as you go slower, you "feel" a push.
And this "feeling" can exist when you change your direction too.

This is why you are "feeling" pushed & pulled all different types of ways on a roller coaster.
It's not gravity changing, the pull is always constant (at least on that small scale)
Gravity only affects the energy or work needed to move you back up, but the coaster is taking care of this.
Notice that on your ride the hills are getting smaller and smaller.
That's because of the loss of energy through friction,
it doesn't have as much to get up the next hill.

However, let's say you were on the same roller coaster,
but now it's up on the non-gravity space-station and the first car is pulling at a constant rate.
Even though there is no gravity & no acceleration you would still feel all the twists and turns, etc. that you felt on Earth.
Why?
Because as you change direction you are changing your relation in Space with Inertia.

Some all this "Centrifigal Force"
But this is NOT really a "force"
This is an illusion, an effect.
Because your body wants to continue in a straight line ALWAYS.
But the car you are within is pulling you left & right, etc.
And then you "feel" the pull in the opposing direction.
Giving the illusion of a force or "gravity".