Gravity Basics
This force pulls objects toward Earth’s center and causes dropped objects to fall.
A. Magnetism
B. Friction
C. Gravity
D. Electricity
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!
C. Gravity
A streak of light seen in the sky when a space rock falls through Earth’s atmosphere is called a _____.
A. meteor
B. meteorite
C. asteroid
D. comet
A. Meteor (shooting star)
Earth’s gravity pulls strongest on objects that are _____.
A. far from Earth
B. in airplanes
C. near sea level
D. on the Moon
C. Near sea level
All objects have gravity, but the strength depends on the object’s _____.
A. color
B. shape
C. size
D. temperature
C. Size
Your weight is a measure of _____.
A. the force of gravity pulling on you
B. how much space you take up
C. how tall you are
D. how fast you move
A. The force of gravity pulling on you
Gravity is a force of attraction, which means it ______.
A. pushes objects away
B. pulls objects but does not push
C. needs objects to touch
D. only works on heavy objects
B. Pulls objects but does not push
What causes a meteoroid to fall toward Earth?
A. Wind
B. Air pressure
C. Earth’s gravity
D. Sunlight
C. Earth's gravity
How does gravity change as you move farther away from Earth?
A. It disappears suddenly
B. It gets stronger
C. It stays the same
D. It becomes weaker
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!
D. It becomes weaker
Why don’t you feel the gravity of a truck or a mountain?
A. They are moving
B. Their gravity is too weak
C. Earth blocks it
D. They have no gravity
B. Their gravity is too weak
Why would you weigh slightly less at the top of a ladder than at sea level?
A. You are higher up
B. The scale is broken
C. Gravity is weaker farther from Earth
D. Air pushes you up
C. Gravity is weaker farther from Earth
Which statement best explains why objects do not float away into space?
A. Air holds objects down
B. Earth spins very fast
C. Gravity pulls objects toward Earth’s center
D. Objects are too heavy to float
C. Gravity pulls objects toward Earth's center
As a meteoroid falls closer to Earth, Earth’s gravity becomes _____.
A. weaker
B. stronger
C. the same
D. reversed
B. Stronger
Why don’t people notice much difference in gravity on top of a mountain or in an airplane?
A. Gravity does not work there
B. The difference is very small
C. Air pressure replaces gravity
D. Gravity only works at sea level
B. The difference is very small
Which object has gravity strong enough to noticeably affect Earth?
A. A house
B. A mountain
C. The Moon
D. A car
C. The Moon
As an astronaut travels away from Earth, their weight would _____.
A. slowly decrease
B. increase
C. stay the same
D. double
A. slowly decrease
Gravity works even when objects are not touching because Earth has a ______ around it.
A. magnetic field
B. gravitational field
C. force shield
D. pressure zone
B. Gravitational field
Why does a falling meteoroid glow as it moves through the atmosphere?
A. It reflects sunlight
B. It freezes
C. The air heats up and begins to glow
D. It catches fire from space
C. The air heats up and begins to glow
If a ball were thrown high enough into space, what could eventually happen?
A. It would bounce back
B. It would burn up
C. Earth’s gravity would not pull it back
D. It would turn into a meteor
C. Earth's gravity would not pull it back
Why are people pulled toward Earth instead of the Sun?
A. The Sun has weaker gravity
B. Earth is closer to us
C. The Sun is too small
D. Gravity only works on planets
B. Earth is closer to us
Why does an astronaut’s weight decrease as they get closer to the Moon?
A. Earth’s gravity increases
B. The Moon’s gravity pulls on them
C. Space has air
D. The Moon pushes them down
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!
B. The Moon's gravity pulls on them
No matter where you stand on Earth, “down” is always the direction ______.
A. toward the Sun
B. toward the sky
C. toward Earth’s center
D. toward the equator
C. Toward Earth's center
What is a meteorite?
A. A streak of light in the sky
B. A chunk of rock floating in space
C. A leftover piece of a meteoroid that hits Earth
D. A star moving across the sky
C. A leftover piece of a meteoroid that hits Earth
Why can rockets travel into space but people cannot throw objects that far?
A. Rockets are lighter
B. Rockets have engines stronger than gravity
C. Space has no gravity
D. Rockets float
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!
B. Rockets have engines stronger than gravity
What keeps Earth moving in an orbit around the Sun?
A. Earth’s rotation
B. Air resistance
C. The Sun’s gravity
D. Earth’s gravity
C. The Sun's gravity
An astronaut weighs about one-sixth as much on the Moon because _____.
A. the Moon is smaller
B. the Moon has weaker gravity
C. the astronaut loses mass
D. space changes weight
B. The Moon has weaker gravity