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Forces: On Earth and Beyond

Unit Plan

Forces: On Earth and Beyond

Objectives

In this unit, students will explore some of the forces that surround us and have created the world in which we live. Students will identify ways that we use force to describe objects as well as methods to make inferences about our planet and solar system. Students will:

  • identify the similarities and differences between mass and weight.

  • calculate weight on other planets.

  • describe and demonstrate the law of inertia.

  • understand the relationship between planetary orbits and inertia.

Essential Questions

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Formative Assessment

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    Multiple Choice Items:

    1. Which statement best describes the relationship between matter and mass?

      A

      Matter is the amount of mass.

      B

      Mass is the amount of matter.

      C

      Matter and mass are the same.

      D

      Mass and matter are not related.

    2. Which statement best describes the difference between mass and weight?

      A

      Weight is gravity’s pull on mass.

      B

      Mass is gravity’s pull on weight.

      C

      Weight is gravity’s push on mass.

      D

      Mass is gravity’s push on weight.

    3. Object A and Object B have the same mass. Object A is larger than Object B. Which of the following statements is true about Object B?

      A

      Object B has a greater volume than Object A.

      B

      Object B has a lesser volume than Object A.

      C

      Object B experiences more gravity than Object A.

      D

      Object B experiences the same gravity as Object A.

    4. Which term represents a scientific law, stating that objects at rest tend to stay at rest while objects in motion tend to stay in motion?

      A

      Gravity

      B

      Evolution

      C

      Inertia

      D

      Orbiting

    5. Why is a table tennis ball affected more by the wind than a golf ball?

      A

      The table tennis ball has more mass than the golf ball.

      B

      The table tennis ball has less mass than the golf ball.

      C

      The golf ball has a different shape than the table tennis ball.

      D

      The golf ball has less inertia than the table tennis ball.

    6. Which characteristic of a planet is directly related to its gravitational pull?

      A

      Volume

      B

      Size

      C

      Inertia

      D

      Mass

    7. If a boy weighed 50 pounds on Earth and another planet had half the gravitational pull of Earth, what would the boy weigh on the other planet?

      A

      100 pounds

      B

      75 pounds

      C

      50 pounds

      D

      25 pounds

    8. What object in the solar system has the greatest gravitational pull?

      A

      Jupiter

      B

      Sun

      C

      Earth

      D

      Earth’s moon

       

    9. Object C is twice as big as Object D. Object C and Object D weigh the same on Earth. What is true about both objects?

    A

    Object C and object D have the same mass

    B

    Object C has a greater mass than Object D

    C

    Object C has a lesser mass than Object D

    D

    Object C has less matter in it than Object D

     

    Multiple Choice Answer Key:

    1. B

    2. A

    3. B

    4. C

    5. B

    6. D

    7. D

    8. B

    9. A

    		  

    Short-answer Items:

    1. Why doesn’t the Sun pull the Earth directly into it? You must use inertia in your response.

     

     

     

     

    1. Explain the difference between mass and weight.

    Short-answer Scoring Rubrics

    1. Why doesn’t the Sun pull the Earth directly into it? You must use inertia in your response.

    Points

    Description

    2
    • Student clearly explains that the Earth’s inertia keeps it moving away from the Sun while the sun is pulling it toward it. The resulting motion is the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

    1
    • Student does not clearly explain what keeps the Earth from being pulled into the Sun or what keeps it orbiting around the Sun while the Sun is pulling it.

    0
    • Student fails to provide a correct response to the question.

     

    1. Explain the difference between mass and weight.

    Points

    Description

    2

    • Student’s response includes both of the following components:

    • Student clearly explains that mass is the amount of matter in an object.

    • Student clearly explains that weight is the gravitational pull on an object’s mass.

    1
    • Student’s response correctly includes one of the two components.

    0
    • Student’s response does not correctly include any of the components.

    Performance Assessment:

    Materials:

    Hand out the Film-Canister Rockets performance assessment to students (S-5-4_Film Canister Rockets Performance Assessment.doc). Students should work with a partner to do the Film-Canister Rockets procedure. After doing the experiment, they should answer the Analysis and Conclusion questions individually and hand in their answers for evaluation.

DRAFT 11/17/2010
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