Forces on a Basketball on Earth and the Moon

Use the basketball sheet when teaching weight and gravity, and the slalom sheet when students need to practice net force arrows and energy tables.

Compare a basketball's weight and shot on Earth and the Moon and match shot stages to Newton's laws. The directions on the page read: Read the text and the table. Write the name of each lettered force on its line, using weight or air drag. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 7th grade forces and motion, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object and does not depend on location. Weight is the force of gravity, found by mass times gravity in N/kg, so it changes on the Moon.

Air drag is a force that points opposite to the motion of an object moving through air. The Moon has almost no air, so drag there is close to zero.

Add the forces as arrows, taking direction into account. In the slalom sheet, gravity pulls down the slope and the snow pushes back on the skis' edges, which turns the skier.