Question

gizmos
name: laylah conner date: 10/6/25
student exploration: weight and mass
directions: follow the instructions to go through the simulation. respond to the questions and prompts in the orange boxes.
vocabulary: balance, force, gravity, mass, newton, spring scale, weight
prior knowledge questions (do these before using the gizmo.)

1. your weight is the pull of gravity on your body. suppose you step on a bathroom scale on the moon. how would your weight on the moon compare to your weight on earth? highlight your answer.

a. greater on the moon b. less on the moon c. same on earth and the moon

1. your mass is the amount of matter, or \stuff,\ in your body. how would your mass on the moon compare to your mass on earth? highlight your answer.

a. greater on the moon b. less on the moon c. same on earth and the moon
gizmo warm - up
on the weight and mass gizmo, you can use a balance to compare the masses of objects.

1. place the dog on the right pan of the balance. what happens?
2. place the 5 - kilogram (kg) mass on the other pan. which has more mass, the dog or the 5 - kg mass?
3. the 5 - kg (5,000 gram) mass is heavier than the dog, so take it off the pan and place a 1 - kg (1,000 gram) mass on the pan. add 1 - kg masses to the left pan until it goes down. then take one of the 1 - kg masses off the pan so that the masses are above the dog.
4. use this process of adding and subtracting other masses from the left pan until the two pans are balanced. add up all the masses on the left pan. this is equal to the mass of the dog. what is the mass of the dog? you can check your answer by clicking the center of the cross beam of the balance.

Explanation:

• Question 1: Weight is the force due to gravity. The Moon has weaker gravity than Earth. So, weight on the Moon is less than on Earth.
• Question 2: Mass is the amount of matter. Matter doesn't change when moving from one place (like Earth) to another (like the Moon). So, mass remains the same.

Answer:

1. B. less on the Moon
2. C. same on Earth and the Moon