How Low Can You Go?

Objective – I can describe the forces that keep objects in orbit in the Solar System. How Low Can You Go? (source: Texas Space Grant Consortium)

Question

 How does the mass (weight) of the object affect gravitational pull?

Overview

Gravity is the invisible force between objects that makes them attract each other. Gravity keeps our planets in place and keeps us on the ground. Gravity is a force which actually pulls on objects. If an object has more mass, the gravitation pull is stronger.

Gravity is what keeps the milk in your glass and your feet on the ground. The stronger the gravity, the more and object weighs. The Moon’s gravity is about 1/6th that of Earth. If you weighed 60 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 10 pounds on the Moon.

Materials

 Plastic cup  Tape  Two sheets white paper  Pencil  Scale  Rock  Rubber ball  Washer  Glass bottle  Rolling pin  Chalk

Procedure

1. Take your cup. Tape a piece of string on the outside lip of the cup.

2. Stretch the string to the other side of the cup and tape it to the outside of the cup.

3. Wrap or tie the rubber band around the middle of the string.

4. Tape a pencil to the desk so that it extends about halfway off the desk. (Make sure the pencil is very secure!) 5. Tape two pieces of paper together and then tape them longwise to the side of the desk under the pencil. You will use this paper to make markings.

6. Hang the cup from the rubber band on the pencil. When finished, the cup should be hanging from the pencil in front of the two sheets of paper. This is you scale.

~1~ Objective – I can describe the forces that keep objects in orbit in the Solar System. 7. Take your six items to weigh. Place each object separately in the cup.

8. Place a mark on the paper and label it where the bottom of the cup lies with each object in it. Label each marking so you know which objects is which.

9. Complete the lab worksheet.

~2~ Objective – I can describe the forces that keep objects in orbit in the Solar System.

Names ______

______

Absent ______How Low Can You Go? (source: Texas Space Grant Consortium) I. Gather (Record your data in the table below.) Object Mass (Weight) (ounces/pounds) Chalk Rock Small Glass Bottle Small Rolling Pin Washer Car Rubber ball After “weighing” each object in your “scale,” rank the items from most mass (heaviest) to least mass (lightest). (Use the marks you made on your paper to put them in order.)

Object 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. II. Reasoning (Analysis/Analyze/What does the data our group gathered in Step I tell us.)

~3~ Objective – I can describe the forces that keep objects in orbit in the Solar System.

III. Communication (Come to a conclusion and use your evidence from Part II to support your conclusion. Remember, you are answering the question – How does the mass (weight) of the object affect gravitational pull?)