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Dropping Two Balls Experiment. Galileo, Gravity, and Momentum Sc!Team 2.0. Prediction. Galileo dropped a one pound and ten pound cannonball at the same time from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa . We predicted that the heavier ball would hit first.
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Dropping Two Balls Experiment Galileo, Gravity, and Momentum Sc!Team 2.0
Prediction • Galileo dropped a one pound and ten pound cannonball at the same time from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. • We predicted that the heavier ball would hit first. • Click the animation to the right to see what happens.
Dropping Ball Experiment • We repeated Galileo’s experiment with a rubber ball and ping pong. • Click the picture to see the experiment.
The Force of Gravity • We did research to find out why the heavier ball did not fall faster. • We found out that gravity puts the same amount of pull on all objects. This is why they fall at the same speed. • When we did the experiment, we noticed that the heavier ball made a bigger dent in the snow.
Momentum • We researched why the heavier ball made a deeper dent in the snow. • We discovered that it was because the heavier ball had more momentum. • Momentum is mass times velocity. The velocity of the two balls is the same, but the mass of the two balls is different. • Therefore, the momentum of the heavier ball is bigger than the smaller ball and it makes a bigger dent.
Galileo’s impact • Galileo’s “drop the cannonball” experiment helped to show that gravity pulls all objects the same. • This conclusion was different from what people thought before Galileo did this experiment. • The experiment also helped us to learn the difference between velocity and momentum.
Bibliography • Carr, K. (2009). Physics for Kids. Retrieved February 20, 2010, from http://www.historyforkids.org/scienceforkids/physics/space/gravity.htm • Computer Animations of Physical Processes. Retrieved February 20, 2010, from http://physics-animations.com/Physics/English/mech.htm • PBS Online (n.d.). Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens. Retrieved February 20, 2010, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/