Outcomes

Pupils can define weight as the force on an object due to its mass.
Pupils can describe qualitatively the effect of changing distance and masses on the strength of a gravitational force.

Specification References

Define difference between mass and weight.
Interplanetary Can experiment.
Video clip of moon experiments; link to Newton's Laws of Gravitation.
Bowling Ball and Lycra demonstration.
Introduce gravity as the cause of spherical orbiting planets
- Might be helpful to relate this to bubbles - you only ever get spherical bubbles because "the force" (link surface tension and gravitational force) is equal in all directions.
- Mount Everest can't be much taller than it already is. If it were 16km tall instead of 8km then it would collapse under its own weight.

What if the Earth was a Cube? worksheet
- Teachers will need to do some exposition here - pupils should consider not only the new effects of gravity but also effects of the shape on other phenomena e.g. sunrise\sunset, the placement/appearance of the horizon.

Bowling ball is heavy; please refer to the Manual handling section of the Laboratory Lessons Health and Safety Risk Assessment
General Laboratory Health and Safety Risk Assessment