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Understanding Gravity!

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Understanding Gravity!

Read the information and answer the questions. Use complete sentences where needed. Gravity can be difficult to see, but its effects are all around us.

Read: What gravity does

Gravity is a force that draws objects toward one another. Earth’s gravity pulls objects inward toward our planet’s middle. This pull gives objects weight and keeps people, water and the air around our planet from drifting away. When you let go of a ball, gravity pulls it down. Gravity also pulls on the ball while it is in your hand, but your hand pushes up and holds it still. Air can affect how quickly an object falls. A flat sheet of paper has a large area for air to push against, so it may flutter down slowly. If the same paper is scrunched into a tight ball, it has less area pushing against the air and usually falls more quickly. Gravity pulls on both pieces of paper; the difference is air resistance, not a lack of gravity.

Investigate the evidence

Hudson and Sienna drop three objects from the same safe height. They repeat each drop and record the typical result. Their observations are below.

Object: flat paper sheet | Typical fall time: 1.8 seconds | Observation: fluttered from side to side

Object: crumpled paper ball | Typical fall time: 0.8 seconds | Observation: fell almost straight down

Object: lightweight empty cup | Typical fall time: 1.1 seconds | Observation: tipped and wobbled as it fell

1.Which way does gravity pull an object near Earth?

Towards the centre of Earth
Towards the nearest cloud
Only towards the north
Away from Earth

2.True or false: Gravity stops pulling on a ball once someone catches it and holds it still.

TrueFalse

3.Complete the sentence: Gravity is a force of that pulls objects towards Earth.

4.Which paper shape took longer to fall, and what was its typical fall time?

5.The flat sheet and crumpled ball were made from the same paper. Why did the crumpled ball usually fall faster?

6.Write the objects in order from the shortest typical fall time to the longest. Include each fall time.

7.Hudson wants to find out whether an object's shape affects its fall. Which change would make his test fairer?

Drop each object from the same height and change only the shape being tested
Drop each object from a different height
Throw each object sideways with a different force
Test the flat sheet indoors and the ball outdoors in the wind

8.Sienna scrunches a second flat sheet of paper into a tight ball. Predict how its fall might compare with the original flat sheet, and explain your reasoning.

9.Give one example of how gravity helps people in everyday life, and explain what gravity is doing in your example.

10.The Moon has much less air around it than Earth. If a hammer and a feather were dropped together on the Moon, what would you expect, and why?