Orbital Forces: Student Page

NASA Hawaii Space Grant Program

This activity teaches students about orbital motions and forces using a tennis ball swung by a ribbon. Students answer the question "What happens when you let the ball go?" Background information, activity procedures, and key words are provided. This activity is part of Exploring Planets in the Classroom's Planetary Properties series.

This resource originally cataloged at:


Subject: Geoscience:Lunar and Planetary Science
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity
Theme: Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Planetary Science
Climate Literacy Principles: Sun Drives Earth System:Orbital Cycles, Axial Tilt
Topics: Solar system, Chemistry/Physics/Mathematics