Meteoroids fall to Earth due to the gravitational pull between the meteoroid and our planet. A meteoroid is a small celestial object, typically ranging in size from a grain of sand to a few meters in diameter. These objects are remnants from asteroids or comets that have entered Earth's vicinity.
When a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it encounters a significant amount of air resistance, also known as drag. The friction generated by the interaction between the meteoroid and the Earth's atmosphere causes the meteoroid to heat up and ablate. This process creates a luminous trail known as a meteor or shooting star. The intense heat generated during atmospheric entry causes the meteoroid to vaporize, with only small fragments surviving the journey to the Earth's surface.
The force of gravity acts on the meteoroid, pulling it downward toward the Earth's surface. As the meteoroid continues to descend, its velocity increases due to the acceleration caused by gravity. The acceleration of the falling meteoroid is roughly 9.8 meters per second squared (9.8 m/s²), which is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth.
Ultimately, the meteoroid reaches a point where its velocity is no longer sufficient to overcome the drag force and it falls to the ground. The impact of the surviving meteoroid fragments with the Earth's surface results in the formation of a meteorite.
In summary, meteoroids fall to Earth because of the combination of gravitational attraction and the deceleration caused by atmospheric drag.