Big Telescopes: Gravity

Students perform an investigation to measure the strength of gravity on Earth, either by measuring the acceleration of a falling object or by using Newton meters to weigh masses. They learn investigative skills as well as Newton’s classic model of gravity. Then students explore how gravity affects objects in space, confronting the popular misconception that there is ‘no gravity in space’. A large hoop and stretchy material simulates the curvature of spacetime as in Einstein’s theory of general relativity: it is a fun exercise that provides a model of how gravity acts.