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Lesson 4 of 84 ยท Motion and Forces

Lessonโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Gravity: The Force That Pulls

๐ŸงชLab Brief #4

Motion and Forces.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Learn the rule. Then catch nature using it.

โšก The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐ŸŽข You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward each other. On Earth, gravity pulls everything toward the center of the planet, giving objects their weight.

Key Words

  • friction
  • inertia

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Review the background information on Motion and Forces before starting.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Construct a catapult from popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Launch a marshmallow from different angles and measure the distance. Find the angle that gives the longest launch.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Look for patterns in your observations.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Make a graph or chart showing your results.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What causes an object to accelerate?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

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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.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

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๐Ÿ”ฌShare card

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

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Checkout complete lesson on Motion and Forces for 8th Grade

Get the full Motion and Forces track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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