The Value of g

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If you're a physics student, you surely have heard about the 9.8 figure. That is, you've learned that gravity pulls downward with a force of 9.8 N on every 1-kg of mass (g = 9.8 N/kg). Or perhaps you've learned that all objects free fall with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2 (g = 9.8 m/s2). After a few units of physics, you've heard the number so often that you begin to think it is some grand constant in the universe. But is it? Find out more about the value of g in this out-of-this-world Interactive.