Gravity-affected blocks in Minecraft: Everything you need to know

In Minecraft, most blocks will float in the air when there is nothing underneath them. That is, unless the blocks have gravity.

Gravity in Minecraft is an aspect of the game that acts the same as gravity in real life, which is what causes things to stay on the ground.

Every Minecraft player should know about gravity, as it can cause many forms of Minecraft deaths. Gamers can die of fall damage thanks to this aspect, or they can even suffocate in gravity-affected blocks.

The following is a brief guide to gravity in Minecraft, the blocks it affects, and what to watch out for when dealing with gravity-affected blocks.

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Blocks with gravity in Minecraft

Gravity-affected blocks

Image via Minecraft

The Minecraft blocks that are affected by gravity are:

• Sand / Red Sand
• Gravel
• Anvils
• Activated TNT
• Concrete Powder
• Dragon Egg

Minecraft tends to emulate real-life phenomena, but gravity is, frequently, not one of them. Clearly, most Minecraft blocks do not have gravity. Sand and gravel are perhaps the most common of the gravity-affected blocks that Minecraft players will interact with.

Mechanics

Image via Minecraft

All of these blocks will fall to the nearest ground no matter where they are placed if there is not a block underneath them unaffected by gravity. This means that gravity-affected blocks cannot be used to bridge across large lava pools, for example.

Gamers should beware of mining underneath gravity-affected blocks because as mentioned before, they can suffocate within them. This is definitely something to keep in mind while mining under a desert biome as they are made almost entirely of sand.

One way to avoid gravity-affected blocks as they fall is to place a torch on the block where they would land. This will cause all the falling blocks to break instead. Gravel and sand specifically break faster when a shovel is used, so if players are worried about suffocation, they should keep a shovel on them at all times.

With TNT, players should note that the block is not affected by gravity until it is activated. When a TNT with no block underneath is lit, it will fall until it hits the ground or explodes, whichever comes first.

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More gravity information

Image via Minecraft

Gravity does not just affect blocks. In fact, the main reason gravity exists in Minecraft is so that players can’t fly away in survival mode.

The non-block Minecraft elements that possess gravity are:

• Players
• Mobs
• Dropped items
• Lava
• Water

Gravity is the reason why lava often falls from the ceiling of the nether. As mentioned earlier, it is also the cause of fall damage - one of the most common and frustrating ways to die in Minecraft.

Nearly every mob is affected by gravity, except for the flying mobs who either do not land on the ground (ender dragon, phantoms) or can fly safely to it (chickens).

Overall, it is clear that being aware of how gravity affects the game will surely help Minecraft players in the long run.

Ever wondered what Minecraft would be like if every block had gravity? Watch popular Minecraft YouTuber Dream take on a challenge with a mod that does exactly that in this video: