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Gravity Webquest
In this webquest, you will be exploring the nature of gravity, how it affects us, and how it affects the
interactions of the planets and other objects in the solar system.
#1) Click on this site:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/space/level1/interactive.htm
#2) You will start by exploring the difference between gravity on earth and gravity on the moon by doing the
activity called “Moon Olympics.” Click on the picture of the Moon Olympics and follow the directions. When
finished, go onto #3.
#3) Click on this site: http://library.thinkquest.org/27585/frameset_intro.html
This site will teach you a little more about what gravity is. Click on the question mark to go to the “What is
Gravity?” chapter.
#4) Click “NEXT PAGE:” on the contents page to get to Page 2. Questions for Page 2:
1 What is gravity?
2 What produces gravity?
3 TRUE OR FALSE: Gravity is just the force that pulls us down on Earth.
#5) NEXT PAGE: Questions for Page 3:
4 What are the 4 fundamental interactions?
5 TRUE OR FALSE: Gravity is the weakest of all the fundamental interactions.
6 TRUE OR FALSE: While gravity exists between a table and you, it is not strong enough for us to
notice. Very large objects have strong attractive forces over great distances.
#6) NEXT PAGE: Questions for Page 4:
7 What two factors does the strength of gravitational attraction depend on?
8 Look at the first picture. Which of the 2 sets of objects, top or bottom, has a larger attractive force?
9 Read the paragraph dealing below the first picture and answer this question: If 2 objects are quadruple
(4 times) the distance, how much less is their attraction?
#7) NEXT PAGE: Questions for Page 5:
10 Whose view of gravity is more accurate, Newton or Einsteins?
#8) NEXT PAGE: Questions for Page 6:
11 TRUE OR FALSE: Gravity is a force that can be seen.
12 TRUE OR FALSE: According to Einstein’s principle of equivalence, there is no difference between
forces of gravity and acceleration.
13 What is acceleration?
14 Give an example of when you feel acceleration:
15 TRUE OR FALSE: When you stand on a scale in upward accelerated elevator, you weigh less than
you normally do.
#9) NEXT PAGE: Questions for Page 7:
16 Remember back to the demonstration we did with the sheet. How does gravity change the path of the
ball if there is another larger ball present?
17 According to the last paragraph on this page, what object in our Solar System creates the curves in
space-time that affects the planets?
#10) LEARNING BREAK! Play this gravity launch game below until you succeed in the first 2 missions
http://www.freeonlinegames.com/puzzle-games/gravity-launch.html
#11) Click back to this link: http://library.thinkquest.org/27585/frameset_intro.html
Click on the link to LARGE SCALE EFFECTS
#12) NEXT PAGE:. Answer the questions about page 2:
18 TRUE OR FALSE: Gravity not only affects humans on earth, but it also affects the structure of the
universe.
19 What holds the planets in orbit around the sun?
#13) NEXT PAGE: Questions about Page 3:
20 TRUE OR FALSE: The larger the objects, the weaker the attraction between them.
21 If two objects are closer in distance, is their attractive force stronger or weaker?
#14) NEXT PAGE: Questions about Page 4:
22 What is the definition of a satellite?
23 If you threw a ball off a mountain at a very fast speed, what would happen?
24 How does a satellite stay in orbit?
#15) NEXT PAGE: Questions about Page 5:
25 What stops planets from falling into the sun directly?
26 If a planetary system has two stars, what happens between the two stars?
NEXT PAGE: Questions about Page 6:
27 TRUE OR FALSE: Planets orbit the sun in a perfect circular orbit.
How does the force of gravity change how much your weight on other planets? The more mass the planet has
(think larger planet), the more force it will attract you with, and the more you will weigh. The less mass (think
smaller) the planet is, the less it will attract you, and the less you will weigh. To see how much you’d weigh on
different planets, click on this site and input your weight: NEXT PAGE: Questions about Page 5:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/
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How much would you weigh on the moon?
How much would you weigh on Mercury?
On which planet would you weigh the most?
On which planet would you weigh the least?
31 Now, go to the fishtank and get the PSSA practice questions on gravity and planetary orbits. Answer
the questions by typing your answer below:
If you’re done, you can go back to this site,
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/space/level2/index.htm and click on level 2. Go to the
Activate Asteroids! link and follow the directions to take the challenges. When you’ve taken all 3 challenges,
click on the Investigate link and read about what interests you!
Lastly, try this challenge: http://www.miniclip.com/games/gravity/en/