Gravity
This Topic is About...
- I will learn about the force of gravity.
- I will measure using standard units.
- I will choose the best equipment and use it correctly.
- I will make predictions and say whether they are correct or not.
- I will do an investigation safely.
You’re going to be a science explorer!
Key Words
- fall
Tap to Learn the Meaning!
- fall: When something drops or moves downward due to gravity.
Great job! You’ve learned a key word related to movement.
Which way is down?
The Earth’s gravity is a force that pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth. When we drop things, they fall down. Down is a different direction in different places on the Earth. Down is always towards the centre of the Earth.
People and objects do not fall off the Earth because they can only fall towards the centre of the Earth. Gravity makes things have weight.
FUN QUESTIONS
1. In which direction do things fall?
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2. What is the force that pulls things to the centre of the Earth?
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3. Why do things not fall off the Earth?
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Let’s Investigate!
Do heavier objects fall faster?
You will need
- some objects
- some forcemeters
- a cushion
Arun makes some predictions about what will happen when these objects fall.
Zara disagrees. She has a different prediction.
Tell a friend what you think will happen. Give a reason for your prediction.
Choose the best forcemeter to measure the weight of each object. Predict what will happen when the objects fall.
Continue the investigation
- Write your measurements and predictions in a table like Arun’s.
- What will you need to keep the same to make this a fair test?
- Test how your objects fall and check by dropping them again.
- How can you stay safe in this investigation? Why is the cushion useful?
- Write the results in your table.
- Record whether your prediction was correct.
How am I doing?
Talk to your classmates about what they found out.
Were their predictions correct?
Compare your results. Is there a pattern in the results?
Do heavier objects fall faster?
Show answers
In this investigation, you explore whether an object’s weight affects how fast it falls.
Predictions and fair testing
- Your prediction: You might predict that the heavier object will fall faster.
- What to keep the same: the height you drop objects from, the type of surface they land on, using the same person to drop them, and ensuring no air resistance differences (shape and size kept similar).
- What to change: only the weight of the object.
- What to measure: the time it takes to fall or whether the objects land at the same time.
Safety
The cushion helps protect the objects and prevents them from bouncing or breaking, making the test safer and more consistent.
Conclusion
In real life, if air resistance is small or the objects are similar shapes, heavier objects do not fall faster—they fall at the same rate. Your results should show whether this happened in your test.
Example conclusion:
“Both objects landed at almost the same time. This shows that heavier objects do not necessarily fall faster.”