Our Place in Space
-Gravity, Eclipses and the Seasons
Task 1. How to Think About Gravity
Watch the ‘How to Think About Gravity‘ Video (on student Public) or via the website
Answer the following questions:
1. When you drop a rock from a cliff, which of the following happens?
a)Only the rock falls to the Earth
b)Only the Earth falls up to meet the rock
c)The rock and the Earth fall towards each other
d)None of the above
2. As the video states, a person weighs less on the moon than on the earth. Discuss why gravity is a benefit. What would it be like if the force of gravity were stronger? What if it were equal to that of the moon? Why are gravity and weight related?
3. If you place two teenagers with equal mass in space:
a)They will fall towards each other
b)They will remain in place
c)They will move apart
d)We cannot even make an educated guess about what will happen
4. What is gravity?
a)What goes up must come down
b)Everything is attracted to everything else
c)Only small things are attracted to larger things
d)Only larger things are attracted to smaller things
5. Distance also plays a role in the force of gravity. Explain how the force changes with respect to distance.
6. Why do astronauts weigh less on the moon than they do on the earth?
a)It's a little known fact, but space suits generally make people weigh less.
b)The moon has less mass than the Earth. Therefore, it has a smaller gravitational pull on the astronaut.
c)The Earth is closer to the sun.
d)Astronauts weigh the same no matter where they are.
7. What causes gravity?
a)The force of magnetism.
b)The amount of electrons in a particular object.
c)We don't know, conclusively.
d)Scientist determine the amount that objects are attracted to one another.
Task 2. Free Falling in Outer Space
Watch the ‘Free Falling in Outer Space‘ Video (on student Public) or via the website
Answer the following questions:
1.An orbiting astronaut would feel like they were:
a)Floating in a swimming pool
b)On a roller coaster about to take a huge dive
c)Hanging from a rope
d)Lying down on a waterbed
2. If a person has a rock and lets it go, what direction will it go?
a)Up
b)Down
c)Sideways
d)It will hang there
e)It depends on how fast the person is travelling
3. When a satellite is orbiting the Earth, it doesn’t hit the earth because
a)It is too high to be affected by gravity
b)It is too small for the Earth to affect it
c)It would hit the Earth but it keeps missing
d)It uses a rocket to stay in orbit
4. Which of the following objects experiences the force of gravity?
a)An apple falling off a tree
b)An apple hanging on a tree
c)A bullet fired from a gun
d)A bullet dropped from someone’s hand
e)A rock sitting on the ground
f)All of the above
5. If a ball is tossed up in the air, when does it not experience the force of gravity?
a)On the way up
b)On the way down
c)At the top
d)On the way up and the way down
e)All of the above
f)None of the above
6. If an astronaut orbiting the Earth lets go of a rock, what will happen to the rock? Describe the path of the rock and why it follows that path.
7. Gravity actually determines how most of the universe moves about. Describe how our ideas of free fall can be related to the orbits of the planets in our solar system.
8. To put an object into orbit around the Earth takes a lot of energy. Describe the places that energy must go.
Task 3. What Causes The Phases of the Moon?
Watch the ‘What Causes the Phases of the Moon‘ Video (on student Public) or via the website
Answer the following questions:
1. A total lunar eclipse is when instead of a visible full moon, the moon is hidden by ______.
a)The Sun's orbit
b)The Earth's shadow
c)Dense cloud cover
d)Any of the above
2. Why does the Earth appear red during a lunar eclipse?
3. Why is the lunar eclipse important to us?
a)It has no importance
b)It's only a beautiful thing to look at
c)We can compare the light reflecting off the moon to the light that comes through the atmosphere of exoplanets that are similar to earth
d)Lunar eclipses help us look at the moon without fear of damaging our eyes
4. What are scientists looking for in the atmospheres of exoplanets?
a)Hints that the planet could support life like water vapour and elements like methane
b)Entropy
c)The only things scientists look for is carbon dioxide levels
d)Communication broadcast signals which typically cause colour changes in the light refracted from an atmosphere
Task 4. Total Eclipse of the Sun
Watch the ‘A rare, spectacular total eclipse of the sun‘ Video (on student Public) or via the website
Answer the following questions:
1. During which lunar phase does every solar eclipse occur?
a)1st Quarter Moon
b)Full Moon
c)3rd Quarter Moon
d)New Moon
2. What type of eclipse occurs when the Moon aligns with the Sun but is too far from Earth to block the Sun completely?
a)Lunar Eclipse
b)Partial Solar Eclipse
c)Annular Solar Eclipse
d)Total Solar Eclipse
3. What do we call the Sun’s outer atmosphere that is visible around the dark disk of the Moon during a total solar eclipse?
a)Photosphere
b)Chromosphere
c)Corona
d)Solar Flare
4. Why are total solar eclipses so rarely seen?
a)They only occur once every 18 years
b)They occur over the ocean more often than over the land
c)They can only be seen along a narrow path
d)They are difficult to notice with out special equipment
e)Both b & c
5. Why are total solar eclipses so dangerous?
a)They affect the motion of the Earth
b)They affect the motion of the Moon
c)They affect the weather
d)The sun’s light can easily damage your eyes
Task 5. Reasons for the Seasons
Watch the ‘Reasons for the seasons‘ Video (on student Public) or via the website
Answer the following questions:
1. Currently, the Earth's rotational axis is tilted by how many degrees?
a)66.5
b)23.5
c)40
d)90
2. In the northern hemisphere, the Sun reaches the greatest height in the sky at solar noon on which day?
a)The autumnal equinox
b)The vernal equinox
c)The summer solstice
d)The winter solstice
3. Seasonal change is a result of:
a)Changes in daylight hours throughout the year
b)Changes in solar intensity throughout the year
c)The axial tilt of the Earth
d)All of the above
4. The Earth is closest to the Sun during the month of:
a)July
b)March
c)January
d)September
5. The poles of the planet experience many months in a row when the Sun never sets. Why are the North and South poles still relatively cold during these times?
a)The sun is still low in the sky, so solar intensity is low
b)The Sun is low in the sky so solar intensity is high
c)The poles were cooling for six months with no sunlight, and it takes a long time to warm up
d)Both a and c are correct