Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Science Lesson #3: Gravity

Short list of topics to be included in the lesson on gravity:

- Explain how gravity is a force
- Newton's law: F = mg
- How things fall i.e: slowly at first, building up speed with gravitational acceleration
- History behind gravitational theory (Galileo and Newton)
- Gravity holds bodies in the Solar System together
- The Moon stays in orbit around the Earth because of gravity
- Bigger objects (planets, stars) have greater gravitational pull
- Weight on the Moon is different because the Moon is so much smaller than Earth

This episode starts with The Captain receiving a package in the mail.  The Crew (with visiting Marisol and Barry) spend some time guessing what is in the package. The Captain finally opens it and it's an anti-gravity laser gun - whatever you shoot it at loses gravitational pull. This lends to lots of items in the ship being fired at and floating up and away - most notably, Rodger and Sergio.  Can put in some funny gags like they are tethered to furniture or weigh down their feet to keep them anchored. Lessons on gravity are interspersed through the episode while the cast tries to bring Rodger and Sergio back into check with gravity. The Crew learns that you have to order another product to undo the effects of the anti-gravitational laser. Rodger and Sergio end up floating for a weeks time before the re-gravitizing potion arrives. 

Here's a song by one of my favorite bands Super Furry Animals that was playing in my head while I was thinking about gravity. It doesn't have much to do with science, but is a nice song anyways.

No comments:

Post a Comment