We Need Gravity

Pick up a pencil. Now, let go. What

happens?
The pencil falls to the ground. Why doesnt
it float away or fly up in the sky? The pencil
falls because gravity pulls it down.
Gravity is a force that pulls things toward
Earth.
We need gravity.
When you walk,
gravity pulls your
feet toward the
ground.
It keeps rocks on the ground. It holds your
familys car on the road. It keeps your
bicycle on the sidewalk.
What would happen if we didnt have
gravity?
Discovery Education Science

2010 Discovery Communications, LLC

Name___________________________________Class________________Date_____________

Using what you have learned from texts, class experiments, and
discussions, explain what would happen if we didn't have
gravity? You may use words, pictures, and diagrams to explain
what you know.

Name___________________________________Class________________Date_____________

Using what you have learned from texts, class experiments, and
discussions, describe a situation where 2 unbalanced forces are
acting on a box. Be sure to explain the strength of each force
and how it would interact with the box. You may use words,
pictures, and diagrams to explain what you know.

How Static Electricity Works

by Doug Taylor
Static Electricity
Did you know that everything in the universe is made of tiny particles called atoms? Its true!
Your desk is made of atoms. This piece of paper is made of atoms. Even your body is made of
atoms! Atoms are made of even smaller particles. These small parts of atoms each have an
electric charge. They can have a positive charge, a negative charge, or no charge.
Most objects have the same number of positive charges and negative charges. Rubbing two
objects together can make some of the negative charges move from one object to the other.
This makes the objects have too many or not enough negative charges. If the object has extra
negative charges, it has an overall negative charge. If it has extra positive charges, it has an
overall positive charge.
Have you ever touched a doorknob and gotten a shock? If so, you have seen static electricity.
Before getting the shock, you were probably walking on a carpet. You rubbed your feet against
the carpet. Negative charges moved from the carpet into your body. That gave your body an
overall negative charge. That static charge stayed on your body until you touched the
doorknob. Static means not moving. You touched the doorknob. The charge jumped from
your body to the metal knob. You felt a shock.
A Simple Experiment
Blow up two balloons. Tie the stem of each balloon on a string. Hold one string in each hand.
Bring the balloons close together. What do you notice? Now rub the balloons against your hair
for 20 seconds each. Hold both balloons by the strings again. Bring them close together. Do you
notice something different?
The balloons you rubbed against your hair
seemed to push away from each other.
Rubbing the balloons against your hair
gave them an overall negative charge.
Negative charges moved from your hair
moved to the balloons.

Both balloons had a negative charge. Remember that objects can have a positive charge, a
negative charge, or no charge. Objects with the same charge will repel. Objects with different
charges will attract.
Sometimes when you take your clothes out of the dryer, they stick
together. This is also caused by static electricity. The clothes in the
dryer rub against each other. They rub against the sides of the dryer.
When the objects rub together, they move negative charges around.
Some of the clothes get a positive charge. Other clothes get a negative
charge. What can you tell about clothes that stick together?

repel: push away

attract: pull towards

Name___________________________________Class________________Date_____________

Using what you have learned from texts, class experiments, and
discussions, explain how you know static electricity has a
charge. You may use words, pictures, and diagrams to explain
what you know.