What term describes the attraction to the center of the Earth?

The term that describes the attraction to the center of the Earth is gravity. Gravity is a fundamental force of nature that causes two bodies with mass to be drawn toward one another. In the context of the Earth, it is the force that pulls objects toward its center, maintaining our feet on the ground and influencing the motion of everything from falling apples to the orbits of planets. This force is why we experience weight, as it pulls on our mass and causes us to exert a downward force.

Centrifugal force refers to the apparent force that acts outward on a mass moving in a circular path, due to inertia, and is not related to attraction towards the center of the Earth. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and does not describe a force of attraction. Friction is a force that opposes the relative motion of two surfaces in contact and is unrelated to gravitational attraction. Thus, gravity is the correct answer, as it specifically describes the force that pulls objects toward the Earth’s center.