Lesson Plan: Coastin' with Gravity!
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
From falling rocks to skydiving, gravity is the force responsible for bringing everything on Earth down to the ground. Gravity is an attractive force that pulls objects together. The strength of the pull of gravity is dependent on the mass of the interacting objects; thus, everything on Earth is pulled down towards Earth’s center. Scientists and engineers have observed the force of gravity and its effects for a long time in order to purposefully use gravity to solve problems and make our lives easier and more enjoyable! For example, engineers make good use of gravity to design and construct safe, fun roller coaster rides! In this lesson, students will engage in a roller coaster investigation in order to gather evidence to support an explanation that gravitational force brings objects on Earth towards it’s center.