Why do some bodies have different gravities than others?

Because the strength of a gravitational field depends on how much mass is assembled into a body, and how far away from it you are. For solid bodies, the surface gravity depends on the radius of the body, and its mass ( or density). It is precisely determined by Newton's famous Law of Universal Gravitation:

                G M m
    Force =   ---------
                   2
                  r

where G is the constant of gravity, M is the mass of the planet, m is your mass and r is the radius of the planet, or your distance from the planet's center.
Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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