Name:_____________________________________________________ Core: A B C D

Lab partner:_________________________________________________
Date: _____________________________________
Standard 2:
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system

Title: Gravity and the speed of orbits lab

The planets in the Solar System are different masses and different distances from the Sun.
Now look at the speed of the planets’ orbits in the graph. Why do you think there is a difference between
the speeds/velocities?

You will now model the speed of different bodies controlled by Centripetal Force.
Centripetal Force is the name given to a force that causes an object to move in a circular path. According
to Newton’s first law of motion (Law of Inertia), a moving object will continue to travel in a straight line at
a constant speed unless acted upon by a force. In the solar system that force is provided by a larger mass.
When there is a larger mass with smaller masses moving around it, the massiveness of the larger mass (in
our system the Sun) keeps objects in their orbits. However, the revolving objects move at different speeds.

Question: What are the variables involved and how does changing these variables affect the speed of one
object’s revolution around another object?

Purpose: To model the motion of the planets of the solar system and explain how a change in a
variable affects the motion of the object.

Prediction:
The longer the line is, the less amount of revolutions there will be.

Materials list:
- Centripetal force measurer
- 10 Washers
- Stopwatch
- Metre ruler
- Safety goggles

Diagram: (Insert a photo of the equipment below and label it.)

Procedure:
1. Get a Centripetal Force measurer.
- The rubber stopper at the top end of the string represents the planet.
2. Pull the planet so that there is 50 cm of string between the planet and the glass tube.
- This represents the planet’s average radius around the Sun.
- On the other end of the piece of string is a carabineer with 4-washers which represent the mass of
the Sun.
3. Wear goggles to protect your eyes as you swing the rubber stopper.
4. Find a clear area where you can twirl the stopper without hitting anyone else’s stopper or body.
5. Hold the string near the bottom of the tube while you begin to swing the stopper around carefully in a
circle above your head.
- When the stopper is orbiting smoothly, carefully let go of the lower string.
- Keep the clip (marker) on the string from sliding up and touching the glass tube as you swing the
stopper. Ensure you are swinging the stopper consistently.
6. Count the number of revolutions of the stopper in 10 seconds. Repeat two times.
7. Adjust the string to shorten the upper radius to 35 cm. Adjust your clip to 3 cm below the lower end of the
glass tube.
8. Using the same smooth motion, measure the number or revolutions in 10 seconds. Repeat twice.
9. Predict what will be the result if you shorten the upper distance to 20 cm? Now test your prediction and
record your results.

Results table: (Make your own results table in the space below.)
Title: The number of revolutions in 10 seconds as the length of string increases

Number of revolutions in 10 seconds

Length of string
(cm) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

50 15 12 13 13.3

35 13 13 15 13.6

20 17 16 19 17.3

Graph: (Make a graph by using spreadsheets using the average results and insert the graph in the space
below.)
Calculations: (What simple calculations did you need to make? Explain the calculations and give one
example.)

CER (Claim, Evidence and Reasoning)

B2 - Develop and use a model to represent the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system
(P)

Evidence: Explain what happened with each length of string (use your data from the table and the
slope of the graph):
Length 1: The shortest length of string had the most amount of revolutions. The weight
would have had to travel a shorter amount of distance in order to make one revolution and
the gravitational force would be stronger. 20 cm radius had an average of 17 revolutions
during the ten seconds.
Length 2: The medium length of string had the second most amount of revolutions. The
weight would have had to travel a medium amount of distance in order to make one
revolution and the gravitational force would be moderately strong. 35 cm radius had an
average of 13.6 revolutions during the ten seconds
Length 3: The longest length of string had the least amount of revolutions. The weight
would have had to travel a longer amount of distance in order to make one revolution and
the gravitational force would be much weaker. 50 cm radius had an average of 13.3
revolutions during ten seconds

Claim: Describe the relationship between length of string and the number of revolutions:
The more length of string the less revolutions the object would get.

Reasoning: Discussion (Apply Theory):

Apply Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation to the length of string and the number of
revolutions. Remember to quote Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation
 (Use these vocabulary words in your answer: length, mass, force, distance, increase,
decrease
Newton's law of universal gravitation states that “every particle attracts every other
particle in the universe with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their
masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers”.
During this experiment we tested this theory by using weights that orbited each other by
using piece of string. The mass and weight of the objects stayed constant but the length of
string did not. We measured the amount of revolutions the object had around the center
depending on the length of the string that connected it.

We found that the longer the string, the decrease in revolutions the object would get.
The longest length of string had the least amount of revolutions. It had a 50 cm radius had
an average of 13.3 revolutions. The weight would have have to travel a longer amount of
distance in order to make one revolution and the gravitational force would be much
weaker. The medium length of string had the second most amount of revolutions. The
weight would have had to travel a medium amount of distance in order to make one
revolution and the gravitational force would be moderately strong. It had a 35 cm radius
had an average of 13.6 revolutions during the ten seconds. The shortest length of string
had the most amount of revolutions. The weight would have had to travel a shorter amount
of distance in order to make one revolution and the gravitational force would be stronger. It
had a 20 cm radius had an average of 17 revolutions during the ten seconds.

Having a stronger gravitational force would require the object to move at a higher speed
to prevent from colliding. This means that the weaker the gravitational force the slower it
would have to travel.

How does this model represent the motion of the planets in the Solar System?
(Use these vocabulary words in your answer: mass, force, distance, increase, decrease

This would relate the solar system because it would mean that the closer the distance is a
planet is toward the sun, or a moon to a planet, the faster the moon or planet would have to
revolve around the center to avoid it from crashing into the center because the gravitational force
would be stronger. The mass of the object that is being revolved around also affects the strength
of the gravitational force because the larger the mass, the stronger the pull. This would make the
object have to revolve even faster. For example, Mercury revolves around the sun at 47.87 km/s
around the sun whereas Neptune revolves around the sun at 5.43 km/s. There is a difference in
speed because Mercury is closer to the sun than Neptune.