Lesson 4 of 7 · Gravity

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

Weight Is a Force, Mass Is Not

🧪Lab Brief #4

Weight Is a Force, Mass Is Not.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

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Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

What You'll Learn

Mass is the amount of matter and is measured in kilograms. Weight is the pull of gravity on that mass and is measured in newtons. On Earth every kilogram weighs about 10 N; on the Moon it weighs less than 2 N.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

newton meter
slotted masses
clamp stand
graph paper

Safety First

Weight the base of the clamp stand and keep feet clear beneath hanging masses.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Hang five known masses from a newton meter and record the reading for each. Plot weight against mass, find the gradient, and use it to predict the weight of a 2.5 kg object.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

A 3 kg bag on Earth weighs about:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

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For the dinner table

“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Next Smart Experiment

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