Understanding Gravity and Orbits

Front

What happens to the planets if the sun suddenly loses half its mass?

Back

Their orbits would change or drift away from the sun.

Front

Why do tides happen twice a day on Earth?

Back

The moon’s gravity pulls on different sides of Earth as it rotates.

Front

What lab tool should you use to measure the mass of a rock?

Back

Balance / Scale.

Front

Which celestial body has the strongest gravitational pull in our solar system?

Back

The Sun.

Front

What is likely true about a moon with low density?

Back

It will stay irregular and have weak gravity.

Front

Define gravity.

Back

Gravity is the force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Front

What is an orbit?

Back

An orbit is the curved path of an object around a star, planet, or moon, due to the gravitational pull.

Front

Explain how the mass of an object affects its gravitational pull.

Back

The greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational pull.

Front

What role does the moon play in Earth's tides?

Back

The moon's gravitational pull causes the water on Earth to bulge, creating high and low tides.

Front

What is the relationship between distance and gravitational force?

Back

Gravitational force decreases as the distance between two objects increases.