Universal Gravitation
Universal Gravitation
Objectives
* Compare and contrast gravitational force vectors as mass and distance are changed. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3) * Discover how changes in the distance between two objects affects the gravitational force between them. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3) * Describe how changes in the masses of two objects affects the gravitational force between them. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3)
Description of Activity
In this activity, you will explore how distance and mass affect the gravitational force between two objects. You will select one of three locations to work within: a 9 m2 room, a 9 × 104 m2 city block, or a 9 × 1022 m2 region of space. You will also change the mass of each object as well as manipulate the positions of both objects. For purposes of this simulation, masses will be represented as spheres and the distance between them will be the distance between their centers.
Jump Start 1. What is mass? Mass is a coherent, typically large body of matter with no definite shape. 2. Describe gravitational force. The force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface; "the more remote the body the less the gravity"; "the gravitation between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them". 3. How can you tell if one variable is directly proportional to another variable? One variable is directly proportional to another if increasing/decreasing the first variable increases/decreases the second variable by the same proportion. 4. How can you tell if one variable is inversely proportional to another variable? As the first variable increases the second variable decreases or vice versa means one variable is nversely proportional to another. 5. Write Newton’s law of universal gravitation as an equation.
Exploration 1: Gravitational Interactions in a Room
Objectives
* Compare and contrast gravitational force vectors as mass and distance are changed. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3) * Discover how changes in the distance between two objects affects the gravitational force between them. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3) * Describe how changes in the masses of two objects affects the gravitational force between them. (Explorations 1, 2, and 3)
Description of Activity
In this activity, you will explore how distance and mass affect the gravitational force between two objects. You will select one of three locations to work within: a 9 m2 room, a 9 × 104 m2 city block, or a 9 × 1022 m2 region of space. You will also change the mass of each object as well as manipulate the positions of both objects. For purposes of this simulation, masses will be represented as spheres and the distance between them will be the distance between their centers.
Jump Start 1. What is mass? Mass is a coherent, typically large body of matter with no definite shape. 2. Describe gravitational force. The force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface; "the more remote the body the less the gravity"; "the gravitation between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them". 3. How can you tell if one variable is directly proportional to another variable? One variable is directly proportional to another if increasing/decreasing the first variable increases/decreases the second variable by the same proportion. 4. How can you tell if one variable is inversely proportional to another variable? As the first variable increases the second variable decreases or vice versa means one variable is nversely proportional to another. 5. Write Newton’s law of universal gravitation as an equation.
Exploration 1: Gravitational Interactions in a Room