Principal Sponsors
Makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time.
National Science Foundation
An independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science.
King Saud University seeks to become a leader in educational and technological innovation, scientific discovery and creativity through fostering an atmosphere of intellectual inspiration and partnership for the prosperity of society.
The O'Donnell Foundation is devoted to building model programs to enhance the quality of education.
Gravity and Orbits
Move the sun, earth, moon and space station to see how it affects their gravitational forces and orbital paths. Visualize the sizes and distances between different heavenly bodies, and turn off gravity to see what would happen without it!
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Teaching Resources
Main Topics
- Gravitational Force
- Astronomy
- Circular Motion
Sample Learning Goals
- Describe the relationship between the Sun, Earth, Moon and space station, including orbits and positions
- Describe the size and distance between the Sun, Earth, Moon and space station
- Explain how gravity controls the motion of our solar system
- Identify the variables that affect the strength of gravity
- Predict how motion would change if gravity was stronger or weaker
Tips for Teachers
The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.
Teaching Ideas
| Title | Authors | Level | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gravity and Orbits Lesson
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UTeach Middle School PhET Team | MS | Lab | 6/22/12 |
Gravity and Orbits
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Emily Moore, Kathy Perkins, Christine Denison, Trish Loeblein | K-5 MS |
Lab | 1/31/12 |
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Gravity and Orbits-Vector Concept
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Patricia Loeblein | HS UG-Intro MS |
CQs | 4/10/12 |
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Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
CQs | 3/3/13 |
| Gravity and Orbits Student Guide | Joel Barthel | HS | Lab | 12/8/11 |
| Gravity Assist | Ahmad Abdelhadi | UG-Intro | Demo | 5/10/11 |
| rico22222 | rico22222 | HS | Lab | 6/16/12 |
You can submit your own ideas and activities.
Related Simulations
Translated Versions:
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
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Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later |
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
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