Gravity Movie Worksheet (2013, PG-13)

Description

Gravity (2013) is a stunning movie exploring the potential dangers of space and the physics behind them. This movie captivates the students through dazzling visuals, but the movie guide keeps them focused on analyzing the physics behind the scenes. Having said that, there are very accurate and inaccurate depictions of Newton’s Laws of Motion. But the inaccuracies add to the dramatic tension and advance the storyline of the movie. The movie guide is designed to have the students analyze the physics of the movie scenes, choose which of Newton’s Laws applies, and then describe why it applies or why it is inaccurate. The movie guide does not analyze the plot or emotional arcs during the movie, it just sticks to the physics behind each scene. The movie guide is best used for classes like physics, physical science, or astronomy. Topics presented include all of Newton’s Laws of Motion, air pressure, forces, mass, weight, inertia, thrust, structural engineering, stresses, tension, aerodynamic drag, 0-g environments, vectors, free body diagrams, atmospheric drag, center of gravity, orbital velocity, rotational inertia, and air resistance.
The runtime is 78 total minutes, designed to last over three days. Each day of viewing runs from 25 to 29 minutes. This leaves time at the end of viewing for students to answer questions and facilitate class discussion.

physics, physical science, astronomy, Newton’s Laws of Motion, air pressure, forces, mass, weight, inertia, thrust, structural engineering, stresses, tension, aerodynamic drag, 0-g environments, vectors, free body diagrams, atmospheric drag, center of gravity, rotational inertia, gravity, gravitational pull, orbital velocity, air resistance