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This fun and simple hands-on astronomy activity lets learners experiment with marbles and weights to discover some basics about gravity and black holes. A key message of the activity is that space is curved completely around black holes—we cannot escape. Participants will explore the relationship between mass, distance, and gravitational attraction. The PDF contains step-by-step instructions, photos, presentation tips, and links to background information.
- 5 to 10 minutes
- 10 to 30 minutes
- $10 - $20 per group of students
- Ages 6 - adult
- Activity, Model, Simulation
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- 2 buckets (13”/33 cm plastic planters), from a garden store
- 2.5 lb (1 kg) lead weight, from a fishing or sporting goods store
- 8 oz (225 g) lead weight
- 4 oz (100 g) lead weight
- 2 pee-wee marbles
- 2 shooter (1"/2.5 cm) marbles
- a few regular marbles
- 2 bungee cords
- 2 18" (45 cm) squares stretch fabric
- 4' (1.5 m) of string
- fishing bobber (sports store)
- large towel or blanket
Subjects
-
Earth and Space Science
-
Astronomy
- Stars and Galaxies
-
Astronomy
-
Mathematics
-
Measurement
- Size and Scale
-
Measurement
-
Physical Sciences
-
Motion and Forces
- Gravity
- Newton's Laws
-
Structure and Properties of Matter
- Mass and Weight
- Volume and Density
-
Motion and Forces
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Components that are part of this resource:
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- All rights reserved, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008