• Question: Why did Newton call it gravity?

    Asked by lilygrainger to Anouk, Chris, Judith, Leisha, Seyyed on 12 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Chris Kettle

      Chris Kettle answered on 12 Jun 2012:

      Easy this one if you know your latin – Gravitas means the weight of something, or rather weightiness. Latin was all the rage back then – just look up species names etc. So, as this thing he discovered gave an object its “weight” he called it gravity.

    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 12 Jun 2012:

      Yep, as Chris says, from the latin Gravitas. Latin was one subject I didn’t like at school because I was rubbish at it. No, I didn’t sit at the desk next to Newton, it was just an old-fashioned school!

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