Vocabulary
A force of attraction that pulls objects without them touching. Earth’s gravity pulls objects near its surface toward Earth’s center.
gravity
Earth has a ______________ around it.
gravitational field
A nickname for a meteor is a ____________.
shooting star
The strength of the force of gravity changes when objects move _______ together or_____ apart.
closer, farther
The moon’s gravity is ______ than the Earth’s gravity.
weaker
The streak of light that a chunk of rock falling from space toward Earth produces.
meteor
Why do objects on Earth fall?
Objects on Earth fall because gravity pulls them toward Earth’s center.
Meteorites that reach Earth’s surface are usually the size of ....
a grain of sand
The further you go from Earth’s surface, the _____ gravity pulls on you.
less
Why would you weigh less on the moon than on Earth?
You would weigh less on the moon because the moon’s gravity is not as strong as Earth’s gravity.
A curved path that an object makes around another object.
orbit
How do we sense “up” and “down” in regards to gravity?
Whenever you are on Earth, Earth’s gravity pulls you toward its center. Due to this “down” is always toward the center of the Earth and “up” is always away from the center of the Earth.
True or False:
A meteoroid gets cooler and cooler as it falls through the air.
False
The object gets very hot as it falls through the air.
Where does Earth's gravity pull the strongest?
Near sea level
The sun is about __________ times bigger than Earth.
1 million
A chunk of rock floating in space
meteroid
True or False:
Gravity keeps objects on Earth's surface from floating away into space.
True
What happens to space objects,, such as meteoroids when they come near Earth?
Gravity pulls it toward Earth’s center. The closer the object gets to Earth’s surface, the stronger the pull gets, and the object falls faster.
What property determines how much gravity an object has?
The strength of an object’s gravity depends on the object’s size. Larger objects have stronger gravity.
We are pulled toward Earth’s center instead of the sun’s because
The leftover chunk of material from a meteoroid that cools and forms a rock that hits the ground at very high speeds.
meteorite
The force of gravity between two objects increases as they are...
moved closer together
What happens to meteoroids that do not burn up in Earth’s atmosphere?
Sometimes very large meteoroids do not burn up all the way in the Earth’s atmosphere. They hit the ground at very high speeds. The leftover chunk of material cools and forms a rock called a meteorite. Meteorites are usually as small as grains of sand, but sometimes they are larger.
What must two objects have for gravity to exist between them?
mass
Why does the Earth orbit the sun? Explain.
The Earth orbits the sun because the sun’s gravity is so strong.