Gravity on Other Planets
True or False: All the planets are evenly spaced out.
FALSE!
What does km/s stand for? What does it tell us?
Kilometers per second. This tells us how many kilometers something travels in one second.
1 kilometer = 0.62 miles
Is gravity a CONTACT or NON-CONTACT force?
If gravity was stronger on Earth, what would it feel like to us?
Mercury is 0.4 AU. Venus is 0.7 AU. What information does 'AU' tell us?
Which has more gravitational pull:
-35 pound small shotput ball
-12 pound large bowling ball
35 pound small shotput ball. Gravity is based on mass, not size.
Astronauts on the moon can jump very high and feel light! Why do we weigh less on the Moon?
We weigh less on the Moon because the Moon has a smaller mass than Earth. Therefore, the Moon has a weaker gravitational force and pulls us down less. When we are pulled down less, we weigh less.
Neptune orbits in 59,800 days. Venus orbits in 225 days. Which one has a higher orbital velocity?
Venus, it orbits the Sun much faster than Neptune.
What two factors affect the strength of gravity?
Mass and Distance
Match these gravitational forces to the correct place: MOON, EARTH, AND JUPITER.
a. 10 m/s^2
b. 26 m/s^2
c. 1.7 m/s^2
a. 10 m/s = Earth
b. 26 m/s = Jupiter
c. 1.7 m/s = Moon
Objects with more mass have stronger gravitational pull.
Mars is 1.5 AU from the Sun.
Saturn is 9.5 AU from the Sun.
Why does Mars orbit faster than Saturn?
Mars is closer to the Sun, meaning that the Sun pulls on Mars with more gravitational force. Since there is more gravity, Mars moves faster around the Sun.
When an object is in space, what happens to the 'fabric of space'? What does it represent?
The fabric of space bends, this represents gravity pulling other objects towards it
Why would we weigh more on Saturn? Mention gravitational pull and mass.
We weigh more on Saturn because Saturn has more mass. Therefore, it has a stronger gravitational pull. The more we are pulled down, the more we weigh.
Jupiter is 5.2 AU from the Sun. It's orbital velocity is 13.1 km/s.
Mercury is 0.4 AU from the Sun. Which makes sense for it's orbital velocity?
a) 5.4 km/s
b) 13.1 km/s
c) 47.4 km/s
d) 24.1 km/s
C) 47.4 km/s.
Mercury has the fastest orbital velocity of all the planets.
Two ping pong balls were placed on opposite sides of the gravity well. They did not move. What are TWO ways to change the scenario so that they are pulled together?
1. Place the ping pong balls closer together.
2. Use objects with more mass, such as shot puts or bowling balls.