Question

day 2
why do we weigh more on earth than on the moon?
what makes one object have a stronger gravitational force than another? there are two factors that determine gravitational force. the first is an object’s mass. an object with a large amount of mass will exert more gravitational force than an object with a small amount of mass. since earth has more mass than the moon—about six times as much—it exerts more gravitational force.
gravitational force also depends on the distance between objects. if we were standing on the moon, we’d be pulled by earth’s gravitational force. even though earth has a greater mass than the moon, the moon’s gravity would be stronger than earth’s because we would be so much closer to the moon.
similarly, while standing on earth, we are being pulled by the moon’s gravity. however, it doesn’t have much effect on us because the moon is so far away.
a. check the box next to the object in each pair that has more mass.

1. ☐ bowling ball ☐ basketball
2. ☐ paper towel ☐ washcloth
3. ☐ toothpick ☐ nail
4. ☐ leaf ☐ quarter

b. all objects have gravitational force, including people. we pull on earth just as it pulls on us. why, then, doesn’t earth fall toward us when we jump? use the word mass in your answer.
c. the sun has 300,000 times more mass than earth, yet we don’t get pulled off earth and into the sun by its gravitational force. explain why.
week 1
vocabulary
mass
the amount of matter in an object

Explanation:

A. Mass is the amount of matter in an object; denser/heavier objects have more mass.
B. Gravitational force depends on mass—Earth’s mass is far larger than a person’s, so its pull dominates, and Earth’s movement from a person’s small gravitational force is undetectable.
C. Gravitational force weakens with distance. The sun is extremely far from Earth, so its gravitational pull on us is much weaker than Earth’s pull, keeping us on Earth.

Answer:

A. 1. bowling ball

1. washcloth
2. nail
3. quarter

B. Earth has much more mass than a person, so its gravitational force is far stronger, and Earth does not fall toward us when we jump.
C. The sun is very far from Earth, so its gravitational force on us is too weak to pull us off Earth.