Gravity and Orbits PhET

In the Model section, observe how the gravitational force changes as the masses of two objects are adjusted (Make sure the Gravity Force box is checked. What happens to the gravitational force when the mass of one of the objects is doubled?

• The gravitational force decreases by half.

• The gravitational force remains the same.

• The gravitational force is doubled.

• The gravitational force is quadrupled.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Observe how the distance between two objects affects the gravitational force. What happens to the gravitational force when the distance between two objects is doubled?

• The gravitational force remains unchanged.

• The gravitational force is halved.

• The gravitational force is quadrupled.

• The gravitational force is zero.

Observe the interaction between the gravitational force and the orbital speed of objects. What happens to the speed of an object in orbit as the gravitational force increases?

• The speed of the object decreases.

• The speed of the object increases.

• The object stops orbiting.

• The speed of the object remains the same.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Experiment with changing the distance and mass of objects in orbit. What happens if you decrease the distance between two orbiting objects but keep their masses the same?

• The gravitational force decreases.

• The gravitational force increases.

• The gravitational force remains unchanged.

• The objects stop orbiting.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

In the To Scale section, observe how planets orbit when scaled to realistic sizes. How does increasing the mass of a planet in the To Scale section affect its orbit around a star?

• It causes the planet to move closer to the star.

• It causes the planet to move farther from the star.

• The planet's orbit stays the same.

• The planet stops orbiting.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Experiment with the distance between a planet and a star. What happens to the gravitational force between the planet and the star if you double the distance between them?

• The gravitational force doubles.

• The gravitational force decreases by half.

• The gravitational force quadruples.

• The gravitational force is unaffected.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Observe the movement of planets in different orbits around a star. What effect does increasing the mass of a star have on the orbit of a planet?

• The planet moves farther from the star.

• The planet's orbit becomes faster.

• The planet moves closer to the star.

• The planet's orbit remains unchanged.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Observe the effect of different orbital speeds on planets. What effect does increasing the orbital speed of a planet have on the size of its orbit?

• The orbit becomes smaller.

• The orbit becomes larger.

• The orbit remains unchanged.

• The orbit becomes elliptical.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Experiment with adjusting the mass of planets and observe how their orbits change. How does the mass of a planet affect its orbit in the To Scale section?

• The more massive the planet, the smaller its orbit.

• The more massive the planet, the larger its orbit.

• The planet's mass does not affect its orbit.

• The planet will stop orbiting if it becomes too massive.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Observe how the gravitational force between a planet and its star changes with distance. What happens to the gravitational force if you decrease the distance between a planet and its star by half?

• The gravitational force decreases.

• The gravitational force increases.

• The gravitational force remains the same.

• The gravitational force becomes zero.