Gravity Force Lab This can be done either as an LCD projector or Smartboard activity, with one person (not

necessarily the teacher) makin the chan es to the objects, or, i! s"!!icient comp"ters are available, as a small# ro"p activity$ This is desi ned to teach So"th Carolina %hysical Science Standard (&otion ' Forces) (, )ndicator %S#($*+$ ,-plain how the ravitational !orce between two objects is a!!ected by the mass o! each object and the distance between them$ Learnin Goals. St"dents will be able to e-plain the e!!ects o! chan in mass or distance between objects on ravitational !orce$ St"dent hando"t on /nd pa e$

Gravity Force Lab 0S 1ame 222222222222222222222222222222 Date 22222222222 *$ Go to phet$colorado$ed"3sim"lations /$ Select 1ew Sims on the sidebar, then Gravity Force Lab$ 4$ 0hen the sim"lation !irst starts, the objects the h"manoids are holdin are 45 k !or the bl"e one, and /( k !or the red one$ 6n yo"r paper, write the !orce in 1ewtons e-pressed as scienti!ic notation (!or e-ample, +$++4( is written as 4$( 7 *+#4) 8"estion *. a) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the red object on the bl"e object: 22222222222 1 b) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the bl"e object on the red object: 22222222222 1 ;$ )ncrease the si9e o! the red object "ntil it e<"als the bl"e object$ 8"estion /. a) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the red object on the bl"e object: 22222222222 1 b) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the bl"e object on the red object: 22222222222 1 ($ Decrease the si9e o! the red object "ntil it is = the mass o! the bl"e object$ 8"estion 4. a) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the red object on the bl"e object: 22222222222 1 b) 0hat is the si9e o! the !orce o! the bl"e object on the red object: 2222222222 1 >$ Try chan in the mass o! the objects in relation to each other$ 6bserve the !orce on each object$ 8"estion ;. 0hat eneral r"le can yo" write to e-plain the !orces between objects o! di!!erent mass:

)! the moon were twice as massive as it is (it is abo"t *3> the mass o! the ,arth), how wo"ld that chan e the ravitational p"ll on the ,arth: ?$ )ncrease the bl"e object@s mass to (+ k , and the red object@s mass to 4+ k $ 1ow, move the h"manoid holdin the red object closer to the bl"e object$ 8"estion (. Aow did the !orce on the bl"e object chan e: 2222222222222222222222222222 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 8"estion >. Aow did the !orce on the red object chan e: 2222222222222222222222222222 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222

5$ %redict what wo"ld happen i! either h"manoid moved !"rther away !rom the other object$ Test it$

8"estion ?. ,-plain what happened$ 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 Concl"sion. 0rite a eneral r"le !or the ravitational !orce between objects, that e-plains the e!!ect o! increasin mass, and reater distance$