Lesson 12 of 12 · Energy Transfer
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabFalling at the Same Rate
Energy Transfer.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
What You'll Learn
Drop a heavy ball and a light one together and they land together, because gravity gives every object the same acceleration. Only air resistance changes this, which is why a feather is the exception rather than the rule.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- tennis ball
- golf ball
- paper
- metre rule
Safety First
- Drop from shoulder height over a clear floor with feet well back.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Drop a tennis ball and a golf ball from the same height and record which lands first. Repeat with a flat sheet of paper, then the same sheet screwed into a ball, and explain the difference.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2A heavy ball and a light ball dropped together will:
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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Falling at the Same Rate
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
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