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J1b
Activity
Core
Investigating gravity
Planets are held in orbit around the Sun because of the
gravitational attraction of the Sun on them.
You are going to find out about gravitational attraction by
examining some data about the planets in the Solar System.
Use the information on the Resource sheet to help you answer the
following questions.
1 Which planet has the greatest surface gravity?
2 Which planet has the greatest mass relative to Earth?
3 Do you agree with the statement 'Planets with the greatest
mass have the greatest surface area'? Explain your answer.
4 Which planet has the lowest surface gravity?
5 Which planet has the smallest diameter?
6 Draw a graph to find out whether there is a relationship
between the diameter of a planet and its surface gravity.
Explain your answer.
7 Do you agree with the statement 'The planets in the Solar
System can be sorted into two groups, smaller planets nearer
the Sun and larger planets further from the Sun'? Explain your
answer.
Extension
8 Explain why planets of the same size may have different
surface gravity.
9 Estimate the diameter of a planet that has a relative mass of 4
(Earth having a mass of 1) and is made of similar substances
to Earth.
10
Use the graph you drew in Question 6 to estimate the diameter
of a planet that has a surface gravity twice as great as that of
Earth.
© Harcourt Education Ltd 2004 Catalyst 3
This worksheet may have been altered from the original on the CD-ROM.
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