Circular and Satellite Motion Labs
The following PDF files represent a collection of Lab write ups pertaining to the topic of Circular and Satellite Motion. The Labs are synchronized to readings from the Tutorial, missions of the Minds On activities, and more. Teachers may print these Labs and their related Ruberics and use them freely with their classes. Learn more about creating a Lab Notebook for these activities as well as Reporting and Guidelines.
Available Labs
Select a Lab below to learn more about it, or download the teacher guide and other supporting documents.
Making the Turn Lab
What is the direction of the velocity of and the net force upon a passenger in a car which is making a left-hand turn?
Loop the Loop Lab
How does the strength of the tension force on a bucket when at the top of a vertical loop compared to the strength of the tension force when at the bottom of the loop?
Race Track Lab
What is the most effective strategy for successfully guiding a simulated car around a racetrack using force buttons and how does the strategy relate to Newton’s laws of motion and vector principles?
The Great Mass Attraction Simulation
What is the effect of varying separation distance, object mass and planet mass upon the gravitational force of attraction between an object and a planet?
Satellite Motion Simulation
How do the magnitude and direction of the velocity and net force vector for a perfectly circular orbit of a satellite compared to that for an elliptical orbit of a satellite?
The Law of Harmonies Analysis
What is the evidence which supports Kepler's third law of motion?
Jupiter's Moons Analysis
Does Kepler’s law of harmonies apply to satellites other than Sun-orbiting satellites? Do they apply to Jupiter’s moons?
The Mass of Saturn Analysis
What is the mass of Saturn?
The Mini Drop Lab
Consider an object free-falling from rest and eventually stopping upon contact with the ground. How does the value of the contact force compare to the object’s weight at the various phases during its fall?