Why does gravity not pull air down?

Answer 1

Gravity is mass pushing us down towards to planet based on Einsteins theory of relativity.

The large a planetary mass is the more space it takes up and in turn the space pushes you down.

Contrary to popular uneducated belief, gravity does not 'Pull' you down

Answer 2

There are various depths to one could go in answering this question.

Keeping with Newtonian gravity the answer is simply that that is what gravity does! Gravity causes massive objects to attract other objects. The Earth is a massive object and therefore it will attract you, and since the Earth is (usually) beneath you, it will pull you down.

We can go a step further and consider the theory of general relativity, which is the modern model we use for gravity. In that model, devised by Albert Einstein in 1916, mass (or rather energy) curves spacetime around it. In this representation the Earth curves space and time and you are constantly 'falling' into this. This is sometimes illustrated with the rubber sheet analogy where the Earth is a heavy Bowling ball laying on such a sheet and deforms it. (Note that this is an analogy; it has numerous flaws!)

One can go even one step further and use a result from quantum field theory; this result shows that gravity is mediated by a spin-2 particle called a graviton. One can also show that forces mediated by spin-2 particles must be universally attractive, which is, again, the reason why gravity pulls you down!

Answer 3

In fact gravity is keeping air around the surface of the planet. Outer space is a near-vacuum and the only thing keeping the atmosphere from dissipating into the voids of space is the gravity of Earth. You may not feel it since the pressure is equalized on the inside and outside of your body, but the atmospheric pressure (that is the force the atmosphere is exerting on everything on the surface of the Earth due to gravity pulling the atmosphere down) is around 101 kPa, or the equivalent of 10400 kg (22800 lbs.) of mass on every square meter of your body.

Answer 4

Gases tend to rise through liquids as liquids are conventionally heavier/denser than gases.

A less dense gas will rise over a more dense gas, but gases do not necessarily always rise. sulphur hexafluoride, for instance, will 'sink' as it is significantly heavier than air; you can even fill an open-topped vessel with it and float a tin-foil boat on it (so that it is seemingly floating on air) as the same rules of displacement apply to gases as to liquids.

See video in related links.

Answer 5

Air molecules are pulled downwards by gravity, but they also have kinetic energy from their motion, causing them to move in all directions. This constant movement creates air pressure that balances the force of gravity, preventing the air from being pulled down all at once.

Answer 6

Gravity is a force that attacks all objects. So gravity pulls objects towards each other or pulls you down.

Answer 7

Actually it's neither. It pulls you in whatever direction said object is from the force point of gravity