The gravitational attraction (or gravitational force) of a planet is proportional to its mass and the distance from the center of the planet to the object being attracted (in this case, usually an object on or near the surface). The force can be calculated using Newton’s law of gravitation. Since the mass of a planet is a key factor in determining its gravitational pull, planets with more mass exert a stronger gravitational force.
Here’s a general ranking of the planets in our solar system by their gravitational attraction at the surface, from least to greatest:
- Mercury: The smallest planet, with a surface gravity of about 3.7 m/s².
- Mars: Slightly larger than Mercury, with a surface gravity of 3.71 m/s².
- Venus: About 90% of Earth’s size, with a surface gravity of 8.87 m/s².
- Uranus: A gas giant, with a surface gravity of about 8.69 m/s².
- Neptune: Slightly stronger gravity than Uranus, at around 11.15 m/s².
- Earth: With a surface gravity of 9.81 m/s².
- Saturn: A gas giant, with a surface gravity of 10.44 m/s².
- Jupiter: The largest planet, with the strongest gravitational pull of 24.79 m/s².
This ranking is based on the surface gravity, which combines the planet’s mass and radius. Planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are gas giants with much more mass than Earth, while Mercury and Mars have significantly weaker gravity because of their smaller sizes and masses.