Gravity Mini Unit Resources

Students demonstrate acceleration due to gravity by dropping objects (basketballs, golf balls etc.) and showing they fall at the same rate, regardless of mass. Then, students answer the question “How is surface gravity related to mass?” by analyzing data and citing evidence from planets in our solar system. Students compare orbital periods with distance from the sun and draw a diagram of balanced forces. Finally, students calculate the weight of a basketball on different planets and figure out what it would be like to play their favorite sport on Jupiter or the sun!