In compiling the questions for this project, we wanted to know which aspects of gravity are most important for
introductory astronomy courses. With the foresight that the results would guide the development of a multiplechoice
gravity concept assessment, we wanted a rather narrow focus. While Einstein’s theory of relativity is often
addressed in introductory astronomy courses, it is rarely emphasized. We deemed it unfair to ask questions that
require an understanding of Einstein’s picture, since it would be impossible to tell if the student was correctly
applying Einstein’s laws, or just had a misunderstanding of Newton’s Laws. Thus, it was decided to only focus
on aspects of Newtonian gravity.