Session Date
Lesson Topic
Gravity
Lesson Outline
After having talked about black holes for the past few lessons, it was time we examined gravity. So today we looked more closely at Newton's theory of gravitation, and dissected the equation that states that the gravitational force exerted by one body on another is directly proportional to their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of their separation. In other words, the more massive a body is, and the closer two objects are, the stronger the gravitational influence. We can then use the equations for kinetic and potential energy to calculate the escape velocity that an object requires to free itself from the gravitational influence, say, of the Earth. In class we calculated what that is for Earth, and compared this velocity to the maximum velocity attained by a car on a race track. Jared came to realize that even the fastest car would not be able to leave Earth forever! Hence, rockets.
Assignment
Calculate the escape velocity for the following celestial bodies: Earth, the Moon, Jupiter, a neutron star
Session Minutes
90
Minutes Student Attended
90
Lesson Comments
Even though today's lesson was much more centered on physics and math than most prior classes, I have to say Jared stayed focused and engaged in the calculations I was doing on the whiteboard. On top of it, it was a 90-minute session (with a 3-minute break). He appeared to be very intrigued in the concept of gravitation. I can genuinely say that I think we both had fun today, and all we did was dissect equations and plug in relevant numbers in an effort to understand the underlying physics better!
Session Hours
1.50
Hours Attended
1.50
Entry Status
Review Status
Student Name(s)
Subject
School