11th Grade Physics

Circular Motion Lab

Name of the student: Date: _____________

Orbits and Planets Activity

Use the following link for the simulation:

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/gravity-and-orbits/latest/gravity-and-orbits_en.html

Intro Section

1. Think back to the discussion of circular motion. Why the movement of planets is an example of circular motion?
A// The planets move around the sun in a circular path for which the gravitational force of attraction on the
planet by the sun provides the necessary centripetal force. This centripetal force is always directed towards the
center of the sun at each point of its path which is responsible for circular motion of planet.

2. Play with the simulation in the model section. Select the Sun and Earth, check the gravity force. Play the
simulation and explain what happens. Why are the direction of the gravity forces pointing these directions?
A// the sun arrow is pointing to the earth and the earth arrow is pointing to the sun. The direction of the
gravitational field is pointed towards the body that produces the field. In other words, gravitational force always
attracts the object towards the body producing the field.

3. What happens if you increase the mass of the sun to 1.5 its value? Would life be possible on Earth under these
conditions? Why or why not?
A// No, because in some days the earth would be very close to the sun

4. How is Earth’s period affected when you increased the mass of the Sun?
A// If we add mass to the sun, the planet will take less time move around the sun

5. Predict. What would happen if you increase the mass of both, the Sun and Earth, to twice their values? Was
your prediction right or wrong?
A// If the mass of both increases, the earth will collide with the sun. My prediction is correct

6. Predict. What would happen if you suddenly turn off the gravity? Was your prediction right or wrong?
A// If I turn off the gravity the earth would not move around sun and the earth and would go to another place in
the space because there is no more gravity

7. Select the Sun, Earth and Earth’s moon. Play the simulation and describe in detail what you see.
A// what I see is that the earth is moving around the sun and the moon is moving around the earth. So there is
circular motion
8. Predict. What would happen if you increase the mass of the sun to twice its value? Was your prediction right or
wrong?
A// If I increase the mass of the sun twice the earth will collide with the sun and the moon will continue to move
alone and will go to another place in space because the earth collided with the sun. My prediction was correct

9. Select the Earth and its moon. Play the simulation and describe what you see.
A// What I can see is that the moon is moving around the earth and that it takes approximately 28 days to make
a complete turn.

10. Predict. What would happen if you increase the mass of the moon to twice its value? Was your prediction right
or wrong?
A// If I increase the mass of the moon, the moon will collide with the earth. My prediction was wrong because
the moon just continues moving around the earth and earth just move a little bit from one side to another

11. How was the Earth’s orbit affected when you increased the moon’s mass?
A// when the mass of the moon increases, the earth changed its orbit because the earth moved a little bit to
another place. The moon's gravity pulls at the Earth, causing predictable rises and falls in sea levels known as
tides.

12. Predict. What would happen if you increase the mass of the satellite to twice its value? Was your prediction
right or wrong?
A// if I increase the mass of the satellite to twice its value the satellite will collide with the Earth. My prediction
was wrong because the satellite doesn’t collide with the earth

13. Predict. What would happen if you decrease the mass of Earth to half its value? Was your prediction right or
wrong?
A// If I decrease the mass of Earth to half its value the satellite will go to another place and will not continue
moving around the earth. My prediction was correct.

14. Investigate. How tides are affected by the moon’s movement?

A// High tides and low tides are caused by the Moon. The Moon's gravitational pull generates something called
the tidal force. The tidal force causes Earth—and its water—to bulge out on the side closest to the Moon and
the side farthest from the Moon. These bulges of water are high tides.

15. Investigate. How Moon’s movement may have affected life on Earth?
A// There are three main ways in which the Moon impacts on life: time, tides and light. 'For many animals,
particularly birds, the Moon is essential to migration and navigation. Other will time their reproduction to
coincide with the specific phases of the lunar cycle.