Science Project on “Gravitational Pull”, Project Experiment Topics on Flight, Motion & Friction for Class 8, 9, 10 and 12 Students.

Gravitational Pull

Materials Required:

1. Modelling clay
2. Cardboard
3. Four rulers
4. Two marbles of equal size
5. Two marbles of different size
6. A table
7. An uncarpeted floor under the table

Though the force of gravity has the same force for everything on the earth’s surface, have you ever imagined as to what would happen, if you were to drop two marbles at the same time, from the same height?

Would there be any difference in their fall, or would they both drop at the same time?

It is a common fact that if you throw a marble, it will definitely travel a greater distance from you, as also the fact that when the marble is thrown, the force of gravity will pull it down towards the ground.

In this project we will go on to prove that a marble, irrespective of whether it is dropped or thrown, will reach the ground at the same time.

Place a table on an uncarpeted floor. Put a cardboard on the table, so as to keep it clean and add two mounds of modelling clay on the table, one mound measuring up to about 3 cm and the other up to 18 cm.

Place two rulers into each mound at one point, inverting them a little, so as to get a V shape.

This will facilitate as the ramp for the marbles. You can also put some modelling clay around the rulers, so that they do not move during the experiment. Measure the apparatus, so that the end of the ramp is approximately one inch from the end of the table onto the floor.

The marble that slides out from the smaller mound will travel more slowly than the other marble. You have to keep your ears open to hear the sound of the hit on the floor. If you hear two sounds, it will prove that the marbles did not hit the floor at the same time.

You have to take some precautions to make sure that there is no mistake in the launching of the marbles.

Both of them should fall from the edge of the table at the same time, so as to avoid any time gap between the two.

To get the timing exact, you should remember to let the marble from the low-sloped ramp to start off earlier than the other ramp.

Since you can never know the exact position to launch the marbles, you will have to get the timing right, through repeated trials.

You can use the markings on the rulers for greater efficiency. Once you get the timing right, you shall hear both the marbles falling on the ground at the same time.

However, the marble being launched from the higher mold will obviously travel a greater distance than the other one.

Once this experiment is completed, re-do the whole project, with the use of marbles of unequal sizes and note your observations.