Change to an object’s motion is caused by unbalanced forces, including Earth's gravitational attraction, acting on the object

This online resource looks at the speed at which objects fall.

By close observation of falling objects, students will see that it is the amount of air resistance, not the weight of an object, that determines how quickly an object falls.

A downloadable worksheet is available for students to record their results and answer questions.

Plenty of background information is provided for teachers to make this a very thorough lesson.

Answers to questions posed to students are given throughout the lesson plan in brackets.

This online resource investigates the concept of escape velocity.

The resource provides a lesson plan for investigating the effect of gravity between two objects as well as exploring the concept of escape velocity.

Students will be able to see that when the velocity of a spacecraft becomes too great for gravity to hold it in orbit, it will escape orbit and travel away from the planet.

The site includes worksheets that allow students to record their results and answer questions.

This online resource examines the effect of weight on friction.

The resource gives instructions for a hands-on activity where students can determine if weight affects friction when objects are slid across flat surfaces.

The instructions also give hints on how to lead students in the design and the conducting of the experiments.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)

This online resource examines friction.

The resource contains step-by-step instructions for an activity that examines the friction involved in dragging an object across a table top or floor.

Teacher background notes, student worksheets and sample data are also provided.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)

This online resource explores the concept of unbalanced forces.

The resource provides instructions for a student activity that explores the concept of unbalanced forces through the creation of a model skydiver.

Students make a skydiver and parachute contraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. Gravity pulls the skydiver toward the Earth, while the air trapped by the parachute provides an upward resisting force (drag) on the skydiver.

Engineering Connection

This online resource covers Year 7 Earth and space science.

The resource is an inquiry-based learning sequence that includes: hands-on activities, digital interactives, animations and videos.

The resource covers renewable and non-renewable resources, recycling, sustainability and ecological footprint, astronomy, gravity, orbits, weight and mass, telescopes and rockets.

Students also learn how to develop justifiable claims based on evidence and assess the likely impacts of new technologies.

This online resource looks at the effect of mass on gravity.

The resource is a short video from the ABC television show Catalyst about the effect of gravity on two objects of different mass and the popular misconceptions about this phenomenon.

The video shows interviews with various people who are shown a 5kg medicine ball and an ordinary basketball of the same size, but much lighter. They are asked which one will hit the ground first when dropped at the same time.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)

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.

This video investigates acceleration due to gravity.

The resource is a video that investigates what influences the speed at which objects fall and the popular misconceptions about this phenomenon.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)

This video deals with acceleration due to gravity.

The video investigates whether the mass of an object influences how fast it falls.

Science ambassadors Bernie Hobbs and Ruben Meerman explore a variety of situations in their quest to discover what affects the speed of falling objects.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S7U04 (Year 7)