01.

04 Lab Worksheet

Directions: Use the interactive lab on the last page of lesson 01.04 to complete this worksheet.

What is the difference between objects calling in air and a vacuum?

Galileo’s Experiment on Falling Objects in World’s Largest Vacuum VIDEO

Part One: The Lab

1. You will be helping Galileo perform the experiment to determine if objects with different mass fall at
the same, or different, rates in the air and in a vacuum. Before you conduct your experiment, you
need to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a prediction of what you think will happen in the
experiment. The hypothesis is a statement that describes “if” a certain set of circumstances are
present “then” there will be a specific result that will occur.
*Address the different rates in the air vs. the vacuum.
Record your hypothesis here: I think that if the objects are the same mass but different weight then
they will fall at the same time

2. Record the results from step one of the experiment (dropping the objects in the air):

First trial: the small ball and the feather, the small ball dropped way faster than the feather

Second trial: the big ball and the feather, the big ball dropped way faster than the feather

Third trial: the big ball and the little ball, they dropped at the same time

3. Record the results from step two of the experiment (dropping the objects in a vacuum): the big ball
and the little ball had the same mass so therefore they dropped at the same time

First trial: the feather and the small ball, they dropped at the same time

Second trial: the big ball and the feather, they dropped at the same time

Third trial:the big ball and the little ball,they dropped at the same time

4. Did the experiment support your hypothesis? Using the data from your experiment, describe why
you believe your hypothesis was either proven or disproven. Yes, because the Objects that had the
same mass fell at the same time regardless of weight

5. What forces were acting on the objects dropped in the air? What force was acting on the objects
dropped in the vacuum? Gravity and weight, gravity and mass
Part Two: Comparing Forces
** You will be comparing electromagnetism, strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravitational forces.
HINT- Look on the last page of your lesson.
Forces Refresher- Fundamental Forces VIDEO - Start at 1:10
1. Choose two forces and compare and contrast these forces. You must provide two ways that they
are alike and two ways that they are different. You may make a list, write in paragraph form, or
make a chart. Strong nuclear forces and weak nuclear forces they are alike because they both
have a finite range and they both are within the nucleus of an atom they are different because the
strong nuclear force is a positive force that keeps the nucleus together and the weak nuclear force
is responsible for the decaying of the nuclei and the strong nuclear force is the strongest of all four
and the weak nuclear force is the second weakest.

2. Choose two forces and compare and contrast these forces. These must be different forces than
used in the prior question. Provide two ways that they are similar and two ways that they are
different. You may make a list, write it out, or make a chart. Gravity and electromagnetism are two
forces and they are similar because they both interact in the similar expression of inverse square
law. And they are different because gravity is a weak force and electromagnetism is a strong force
also gravity has one sign of charge and electromagnetism has two signs of charge.