Eleventh graders explore circular motion and gravity — why an object in a circle is always accelerating, how centripetal force keeps it curving, and how Newton’s law of universal gravitation governs orbits and falling apples alike.
Students will be able to…
The Moon has been “falling” toward Earth for billions of years — yet never hits it. How does gravity bend motion into an orbit, and why is circular motion always accelerated?
Project each item and have students answer about circular motion and gravitation. The tool explains centripetal force and gravity.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
The Moon is always “falling” toward Earth — so why doesn’t it hit?
Students investigate.
Students explain.
Students elaborate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (High School Physical Science / Physics).
Use Newton’s law of gravitation to describe and predict gravitational forces.
Analyze motion using Newton’s second law.
Predict the motion of objects.
Using mathematics and computational thinking.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students use gravitation to explain why you would weigh less on the Moon and more on Jupiter. A printable gravitation sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.