Lesson 6 of 7 · Gravity

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

Why Astronauts Float

🧪Lab Brief #6

Why Astronauts Float.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ 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

Astronauts on the space station are not beyond gravity — it is still about nine tenths as strong there as at the surface. They float because they and their spacecraft are falling around the Earth together, and everything falls at the same rate.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

plastic cup
water
tray
phone with slow-motion video

Safety First

Do this over a tray or outdoors and mop up spills at once.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

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

Step 2 — Do

Drop a cup with a hole in it, full of water, and watch whether water leaks out during the fall. Film it in slow motion and explain what you see using free fall.

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

Astronauts on the space station float because they are:

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

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🔭Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

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