01.11 Gravity Application

Question Set #1

Students are investigating the factors that affect the strength of the gravitational force that one object exerts on another object. Students collected data using a computer simulation in order to find the strength of the gravitational force that object R exerted on object S. The masses of R and S, as well as the distance between the centers of R and S, were changed in order to find the effect of these changes on the strength of the gravitational force.

​Use the information below to to answer the questions on slides 2-5.

Multiple Choice

Claim #1: Select the evidence from the data on slide 1 that supports the claim, “Changing the masses of R and S, affects the strength of the gravitational force that R exerts on S”. (Remember to refer to the scenario on Slide #1)

• 1 and 2

• 2 and 3

• 1 and 4

• 1 and 3

Open Ended

Reasoning: State the scientific principle, as a relationship statement, that explains how the evidence supports Claim #1. (Remember to refer to the scenario on Slide #1)

Multiple Choice

Claim #2: Select the evidence from the data on slide 1 that supports the claim, “Changing the distance of R and S, affects the strength of the gravitational force that R exerts on S”. (Remember to refer to the scenario on Slide #1)

• 1 and 2

• 2 and 4

• 3 and 4

• 1 and 3

Open Ended

Reasoning: State the scientific principle, as a relationship statement, that explains how the evidence supports the Claim #2. (Remember to refer to the scenario on Slide #1)

Question Set #2

Some satellites that orbit Earth, like the GOES-14 satellite, are geostationary. This geostationary satellite travels over the equator. It moves in the same direction and the same rate Earth is spinning. From Earth, a geostationary satellite looks like it is standing still since it is always above the same location. In 2022, there were 402 geostationary satellites in orbit around Earth.

​Use the information below to to answer the questions on slides 7 & 8.

Draw

Complete the model below by drawing ONE arrow in a box around each object to indicate the direction of the gravitational force that Earth exerts on GOES-14 and the direction of the gravitational force that GOES-14 exerts on Earth.

Open Ended

Another model was drawn for a different satellite that has the same mass as GOES-14 and Earth. In this model, the gravitational force arrows were drawn smaller. What can you infer about the distance between the satellite and Earth in this scenario?

Question Set #3

The Hubble is a space telescope located in orbit around Earth. It is powered by solar panels and it is approximately the same size and mass as a large school bus.

The model represents the locations of the Sun, Earth, and the Hubble telescope in our solar system. Earth and Hubble complete a trip around the Sun in a year, while Hubble compelts a trip around the Earth in approximately 95 minutes.

​Use the information below to to answer the questions on slides 10 & 11.

Open Ended

Explain, in terms of gravitational forces, why Earth orbits the Sun instead of the Sun orbiting the Earth.

Open Ended

Explain, in terms of gravitational forces, why Hubble orbits the Earth and not the Sun.

Question Set #4

All planets in our Solar System, including Earth, revolve around our Sun in elliptical shaped orbits, rather than in perfect circles. Due to this elliptical shape, there are times when a planet can be closer or further from the Sun within its own orbit.

Use the data below to complete slides 13-17.

Labelling

Label the following based on the data on the previous slide.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

152.1 million km

147.1 million km

SUN

Draw

Use arrows to represent the differences in the force of gravity between the Sun and Earth for BOTH positions

Open Ended

Write a claim that answers the question, “At which position is Earth’s orbital velocity the greatest?”.

Categorize

Options (4)

As distance increases, gravitational pull decreases.

As gravitational pull increases, orbital velocity increases.

As distance increases, gravitational pull increases.

As gravitational pull increases, orbital velocity decreases.

Sort the following principles based on whether they could be used to connect your evidence to your claim or not.

Supports Claim

Does NOT support claim

Open Ended

State the evidence that supports your claim.

Question Set #5

Answer the multiple choice questions on the following slides.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has the most mass?

• A beach ball blown up with air

• A beach ball filled up with sand

Multiple Choice

What is gravity?

• a force that repels two objects

• a force that pulls objects towards each other

• the reason we can jump

• a force that depends on mass and weight

Multiple Choice

What affects gravity?

• mass

• mass and weight

• distance

• mass and distance

Multiple Choice

As mass increases, gravity________ . As mass decreases, gravity___________

• remains constant; remains constant
• increases; decreases
• increases; remains constant
• decreases; increases

Multiple Choice

As distance increases, gravity ________ . As distance decreases, gravity_______.

• increases; decreases
• remains constant; remains constant
• decreases; increases
• increases; remains constant

Multiple Choice

True or False: Mass is the amount of matter, or stuff, in an object.

• False

• True

Multiple Choice

As distance increases between two objects, what happens to gravity?

• gravity increases

• gravity decreases

• gravity stays the same

Multiple Choice

Which Planet will have the strongest gravity due to mass?

• Earth's mass is 5.9 x 10²⁵ kg

• Mars's mass is 6.9 x 10²³ kg

• Neptune's mass is 1.8 X 10²⁷ kg

• Venus's mass is 4.8 x 10²⁴ kg

Multiple Choice

Which Planet will have the weakest gravity due to mass?

• Earth's mass is 5.9 x 10²⁵ kg

• Mar's mass is 6.9 x 10²³ kg

• Neptune's mass is 1.8 X 10²⁷ kg

• Venus's mass is 4.8 x 10²⁴ kg

Multiple Choice

As distance increases, orbital velocity ______ .

• increase

• decrease

• stays the same

Multiple Choice

If a planet had a perfect circular orbit, which of the following would change during its orbit.

• Gravitational pull

• Orbital Velocity

• Distance

• All would remain constant

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is evidence that supports, "Uranus has a higher gravitational pull than Neptune"

• Uranus has a mass of 14.54

• Uranus is 2,871 million km from the sun

• Uranus has a density of 1.3 g/cm3

• Uranus is blue

Multiple Choice

Which planet has the most elliptical orbit?

• Venus

• Earth

• Uranus

• Mercury

Multiple Choice

What is "revolution"?

• The spinning of an object

• to go around another object

• to orbit

• to turn