4

Lesson 4 of 84 ยท Forces

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Gravity: The Force That Pulls

๐ŸงชLab Brief #4

Gravity: The Force That Pulls.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

โšก The twist

Energy never disappears โ€” it just hides somewhere else.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

โšก Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: which will move faster, and why?

What You'll Learn

Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward each other. On Earth, gravity pulls everything toward the center of the planet, giving objects their weight.

Key Words

  • friction
  • inertia

Materials Needed

  • toy cars
  • ramps
  • string
  • weights

Safety First

  • Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Review the background information on Forces before starting.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Construct a catapult from popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Launch a marshmallow from different angles and measure the distance. Find the angle that gives the longest launch.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Look for patterns in your observations.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Make a graph or chart showing your results.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What causes an object to accelerate?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

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Checkout complete lesson on Forces for 4th Grade

Get the full Forces track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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