Determination of the Force of Gravity
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/gravity-force-lab
Qualitative Observations
1. How does the changing the separation of the objects
affect the force between them? (increases, decreases,
not affected)
2. What happens to the force between the objects when
mass 1 increases? (increases, decreases, not affected)
3. What happens to the force between the objects if Mass 2 decreases? (increases, decreases, not
affected)
4. What is the ratio of the force on the blue object to the force on the red object? What if the mass of
the blue one is twice as big as the red object? Explain.
5. What direction are the gravitational forces acting on the objects?
Quantitative
It is now time to build a model.
1. What THREE things can we change/vary?
2. Select an independent and dependent variable and constant
a. DV ___________________________
b. IV ___________________________
c. C ___________________________
3. Collect 10 data points and graph
4. Select a new independent and dependent variable and constant
a. DV ___________________________
b. IV ___________________________
c. C ___________________________
5. Collect 10 data points and graph
6. Repeat the varying mass vs. force experiment, changing the second mass.
Questions
1. Explain why varying the second mass had the same effect on the force as varying the first mass.
2. What is the relationship (proportionality) between Mass and force? What happens to the force if
you double the mass of the blue object? What happens to the force if you then triple the red
object’s masses?
3. What is the relationship between distance and the force of gravity? What happens if you triple the
distance between the objects? Half the distance between them?
4. Combine your proportions between Mass 1 (m1), Mass 2 (m2) distance (r) into a single proportion
to the Force of gravity (Fg).
Show your instructor your proportionality before you continue.
5. Does your lab data for m1, m2, and r does equal Fg? Also work out your units, do they equal a unit
of force?
6. Make a graph of Force vs. your proportionality
7. Determine the gravitational constant (G) that will satisfy your units
G=_________________________
8. Write your full formula and check with your instructor.
