Unit 3: Forces and Energy

Lessons in this unit

• Lesson 3.1: gravity, weight, and mass
• Lesson 3.2: formation of the solar system
• Lesson 3.3: movement in space
• Lesson 3.4: tides
• Lesson 3.5: energy
• Lesson 3.6: changes in energy
• Lesson 3.7: where does energy go?
 Lesson 3: movement in space

In this topic, you will:

• Learn about what keeps the planets in orbit around the sun
• Understand why planets move at different speeds
• Discover why objects moving in space do not slow down as they do on
Earth
 The Sun

• We already know that objects with

more mass have more gravity

• The sun is much bigger in mass

than the Earth.

• Gravity force of the sun is much

more than the gravity force of the
Earth.
 The Sun

• Strength of gravity on Earth= 10 N/kg

• Strength of gravity on Sun = 270 N/Kg

The gravity of the sun is 27 times

stronger than the gravity of Earth
 Orbits of planets

• The orbits of planets are circular.

• The force of gravity of the sun on the planet always

acts towards the sun.

• If the force of gravity of the sun did not act on the

planets; the planets would travel in a straight line.

• The suns gravity force holds all planets in their orbits.

The diagram shows how the force of
gravity acts on a planet to keep it in orbit.
• The closer the planet is to the sun, the stronger the
pull towards the sun therefore, the higher the
 Air resistance
• On earth, all objects that move have forces acting on
them to slow them down.

• One of these forces that slow objects on Earth is known

as air resistance.

• Air resistance is a force that acts in the opposite

direction to movement.

• It is caused by the movement of air particles in the air.

Air resistance can slow down objects
• The airplane has landed and using extra air resistance to help it slow
down.
 Speed in space
• In space, there is no air. There are very few particles in space
• A space where there are no particles is a vacuum

• Since there is no air  there is no air resistance  anything

would move fast in space, unlike in Earth
 Speed in space
• This spacecraft, called the Jubo probe, would have lots of air
resistance if it was on Earth, however in space there is no air
resistance therefore it can reach a very high speed.
Interactive activity
• https://wordwall.net/play/24946/454/859
Keywords

• Air resistance

• Speed

• Vacuum
LB questions page 94
LB questions page 94 answers
LB questions page 94
LB questions page 94 - answers