Gravity and acceleration due to gravity are related concepts, but they have distinct meanings.
Gravity: Gravity is a fundamental force of nature that attracts objects with mass or energy towards each other. It is responsible for the phenomenon of weight and is the force that keeps celestial bodies, like planets and stars, in their orbits. Gravity is described by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, which explains how massive objects curve the fabric of spacetime, causing other objects to move along curved paths.
Acceleration due to gravity: Acceleration due to gravity, often denoted as "g," is a measure of the acceleration experienced by an object in free fall near the surface of a planet or another celestial body. It represents the rate at which the object's velocity changes under the influence of gravity alone. The acceleration due to gravity is directed towards the center of the planet or body and is constant for a given location. On Earth, the average acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (9.8 m/s²), although it can vary slightly depending on location and altitude.
In simpler terms, gravity is the force that pulls objects towards each other, while acceleration due to gravity specifically refers to the rate at which objects accelerate when falling freely under the influence of gravity alone.