Leaning Tower Video – Gravity Investigation with Air Resistance

Leaning Tower Video – Gravity Investigation with Air Resistance
Publication Date: February, 2013
Type of Resource: Weblink

This online resource investigates the gravity tower at Gingin near Perth.

The resource is a video from the ABC television show Catalyst and shows several objects being dropped from the 45 m high tower and their acceleration due to gravity is compared.

It also demonstrates that an object with a chain attached, like a bungee cord, can actually accelerate faster than gravity. This is then compared to the cracking of a whip where the whipping motion accelerates the end of the whip to a speed faster than the speed of sound.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)

Australian Curriculum:
  • Year 7 > Science Inquiry Skills > Evaluating > Reflect on scientific investigations including evaluating the quality of the... > ACSIS131
  • Year 7 > Science Inquiry Skills > Processing and analysing data and information > Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and... > ACSIS130
  • Year 7 > Science Inquiry Skills > Questioning and Predicting > Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and... > ACSIS124
  • Year 7 > Science Understanding > Physical Sciences > Change to an object’s motion is caused by unbalanced forces, including Earth's... > ACSSU117
  • Year 7 > Science as a Human Endeavour > Nature and development of science > Scientific knowledge has changed people's understanding of the world and is... > ACSHE119