This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Subject taught
- Physics
Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43-CfukEgs&t=212s
Type of Product
- Videos
Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Students will develop self-directed learning and peer assisted learning skills.
Description
The students will be able to explain what the Force of Gravity is. By examining the video material on the youtube site, students make sure that the acceleration of free fall on the planet Earth, in the same latitude, is the same. Its size depends only on the distance between the center of the Earth and the body (the acceleration of free fall varies slightly in different geographical locations).
The aim of the video is to demonstrate the true nature of gravity by conducting the experiment in Nassa‘s space power facility, the wold‘s biggest vacuum chamber. First of all, Galileo‘s experiment with a heavy object and the light one is demonstrated. Both objects are dropped at the same time to see which fell fastest. In this case the feathers fell to the ground at a slower rate than the bowling ball because of air resistance. Then, the air is pumped out of the chamber until there is a near-perfect vacuum inside. When the objects are released, they fall at the same speed.
Isaac Newton would say that the ball and the feather fall because there‘s force puling them down. The reason the bowling ball and feather fall together is because they‘re not falling. They are standing still. There is no force acting on them at all. There‘d be no way of knowing that the ball and the feathers were being accelerated towars the Earth.
Key vocabulary will be introduced (gravity, force of gravity, mass, matter, force of attraction, attractive force, gravitational pull, orbit) and students will practice key vocabulary describing the experiment, asking and answering the questions while working in pairs. Students will improve their writing skills describing the experiment in writing while working individually.
This short video can be used to introduce the topic to lower-secondary school students and to improve their speaking skills.
The video could be used with 14 – 18 years old students whose level of competence in English (CEFR) is A2 and higher.
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