Show:
Vocabulary
Gravity
Mass
Inertia
Orbital Motion
100
push or pull exerted on an object
force
100
Name the two factors that affect the strength of gravity.
mass of the objects and the distance between them
100
Name two ways that a person can alter their mass without a quick amputation or removal of a body part.
Healthy diet and exercise
100
Identify the direction inertia wants to keep all objects in motion going.
in a straight line
100
Identify the two variables the affect orbital motion.
inertia and gravity
200
the amount of matter in an object
mass
200
Explain how gravity keeps objects in orbit.
The gravity from the larger object pulls on the smaller object keeping it in orbit.
200
If an object has a greater mass, then identify the two things that will also become greater.
gravity and inertia
200
Explain how inertia is working when you are riding in the car with your seatbelt on and someone hits the breaks.
Inertia is working b/c the car was moving forward, so you will continue to move forward but the seatbelt will stop you. Feeling the movement of still going forward is the proof that inertia is still working.
200
Identify the shape an orbit takes. bonus: name the scientific term for this shape.
circular, in an oval pattern, etc... bonus: ellipse
300
force of gravity on an object bonus: Indicate the unit used to measure this.
weight bonus: Newtons
300
Explain both ways distance affects gravity.
If the distance between the objects increases, then the gravity decreases b/c they are farther away from each other. If the distance between the objects decreases, then the force of gravity increases b/c they are closer together.
300
Indicate how much larger the Earth is than the moon.
Earth is 6X the size of the moon.
300
Explain which object is more difficult to get moving and why: a brick or a sponge.
A brick will be more difficult to get moving b/c it has more mass, therefore it has more inertia. It will take a bit more force to start the brick moving than the sponge.
300
Justify how you know the Earth orbits the sun and not the other way around.
We know that the Earth revolves around the sun b/c the sun has a much greater mass, so it has a much greater gravity. If it has the greater gravity, then it will pull all objects toward it. The Earth does not have a strong enough gravity to pull the sun into orbit.
400
tendency of an object to resist change in motion
inertia
400
Justify two ways in which mass affects gravity
If an object has a great mass, then it will have a great gravity. If an object has a small mass, then it will have a small amount of gravity.
400
Calculate the mass of an object that has a weight of 54 N. Remember that 1 pound = 4.5 N.
12 pounds
400
If a fridge and a marble are rolling down a hill at you, then explain which one would be easier to stop and why.
The marble will be easier to stop b/c it has less mass, so it has less inertia. It would not take nearly as much force to stop the marble vs the fridge.
400
Explain how gravity and inertia work together to keep the moon in orbit around the Earth.
Inertia and gravity work together to keep the moon in Earth's orbit b/c inertia keeps the moon moving forward in a straight line, but Earth's gravity keeps tugging at the moon causing it to continuously be pulled toward Earth. This results in the moon orbiting around the planet.
500
State that an object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion, unless otherwise acted upon by an outside net force. Bonus: Identify this terms synonym
Newton's first law of motion bonus: inertia
500
All items have gravity. That means your pencil pulls on you and you pull on your pencil. Explain why the pencil is not stuck to you.
All items do have gravity, so you and your pencil do pull on each other. The reason your pencil is not stuck to you is b/c we are all on Earth. Earth has the greatest gravity among you, your pencil, and Earth. It has the greatest mass, so it has the greatest gravity. If it has the greatest gravity, then all items are drawn to Earth.
500
If you took a rocket to the moon right now, then explain why your mass stays the same and weight will change. Bonus: How much will a 36 N object weigh on the moon?
The amount of matter that makes up you will not change in a quick trip to the moon, so your mass will not change. Your weight will change b/c the moon has less gravity then Earth, so there is less force on you. Therefore you weigh less. Bonus: Moon = Earth/6, so 36/6 = 6 N
500
Explain how inertia and Newton's first law of motion are related.
Inertia and Newton's first law of motion are related b/c inertia is the tendency of an object to resist change in motion. It fits perfectly with Newton's first law b/c an object at rest will stay at rest (resisting moving) and an object in motion will stay in motion (resisting stopping) until an outside force acts on it.
500
Explain what would happen to all the planets' orbits in our solar system if the sun burned out.
If the sun burnt out, then all the planets would lose their orbit around the sun b/c it is gone and continue to move forward in a straight line.