Gravity And Orbits

Gravity And Orbits Screenshot
  • Gravitational Force
  • Circular Motion
  • Astronomy
Java Logo Original Sim and Translations

Topics

  • Gravitational Force
  • Circular Motion
  • Astronomy

Description

Move the sun, earth, moon and space station to see how it affects their gravitational forces and orbital paths. Visualize the sizes and distances between different heavenly bodies, and turn off gravity to see what would happen without it!

Sample Learning Goals

  • Describe the relationship between the Sun, Earth, Moon and space station, including orbits and positions
  • Describe the size and distance between the Sun, Earth, Moon and space station
  • Explain how gravity controls the motion of our solar system
  • Identify the variables that affect the strength of gravity
  • Predict how motion would change if gravity was stronger or weaker
Version 1.1.15

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
MC Physics
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro
Demo
HW
Lab
Physics
Gravity and Orbits-Vector Concept A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
MS
MC Physics
Astronomy
Earth Science
Gravity and Orbits A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Emily Moore, Kathy Perkins, Christine Denison, Trish Loeblein K-5
MS
Lab Astronomy
Earth Science
Physics
Solar System NGSS aligned A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Debbie Brown MS Lab Earth Science
Gravity and Orbits Lesson A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. UTeach Middle School PhET Team MS Lab Earth Science
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Earth Science
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López MS
HS
Other Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Physics
Gravitational Force and Orbits Meg Tredinnick HS
UG-Intro
Remote
Lab
Guided
Physics
Astronomy
Earth Science
Mapping of PhET and IBDP Physics Jaya Ramchandani HS Other Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS
Other Chemistry
Physics
Biology
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other Physics
Gravitação Paulo Gouveia MS
HS
Discuss
HW
Lab
Earth Science
Physics
Mathematics
Astronomy
Investigating the Parameters of Circular Orbits Bruce Palmquist UG-Intro
HS
Guided
Lab
HW
Astronomy
Physics
Kepler's Laws and Orbits Simon Lees HS Guided
Lab
HW
Physics
Astronomy
Student Guide for PhET - Gravity and Orbits Brian Libby MS
HS
Guided
HW
Lab
Discuss
Astronomy
Physics
Preguntas de razonamiento para todas las simulaciones HTML5 A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS
UG-Adv
Grad
K-5
MS
HW
Discuss
Astronomy
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
SECUNDARIA: Alineación PhET con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López HS
MS
Other Chemistry
Mathematics
Biology
Physics
PREPARATORIA: Alineación de PhET con programas de la DGB México (2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS
Other Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
PRIMARIA: Alineación con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López K-5
MS
Discuss
Guided
Demo
Lab
HW
Astronomy
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
Gravidade no "Gravity and Orbits (HTML5)" Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales Other
HS
MS
Guided
HW
Other
Earth Science
Physics
Other
[tradução] Gravidade, Orbitais e leis de Kepler Amanda Santos HS Guided Physics
Astronomy
Gravitação Luis Carlos HS HW
Demo
Astronomy
Mathematics
Physics
Aplicação e verificação das Leis de Kepler e Gravitação Universal. Vinicius Rodrigues Gomes de Freitas HS
MS
HW
Demo
Astronomy
Physics
B5 GRAVEDAD Y ÓRBITAS FRANCISCO CRUZ CANTU HS HW
Lab
Guided
Physics

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqip Run now Graviteti dhe Orbitat
Arabic All العربية Run now الجاذبية و الأفلاك
Arabic (Saudi Arabia) All العربية (السعودية) Run now الجاذبية والمدارات
Azerbaijani All Azerbaijani Run now Qravitasiya və Orbitlər
Basque All Euskara Run now Grabitatea eta orbitak
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Гравітацыя і арбіты
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now Gravitacija i orbite
Bulgarian All български Run now Гравитация и орбити
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 重力和轨道
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Gravity and Orbits_重力與軌道
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Gravitacija i orbita
Danish All Dansk Run now Tiltrækning og kredsløb
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Gravitatie en banen
Estonian All Eesti Run now Gravitatsioon ja orbiidid
Finnish All suomi Run now Painovoima ja kiertoradat
French All français Run now Gravité et orbites
Galician All Gallegan Run now Gravidade e Órbitas
Georgian All ქართული Run now ორბიტები და გრავიტაცია
German All Deutsch Run now Schwerkraft und Umlaufbahnen
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Βαρύτητα και Τροχιές
Gujarati All Gujarati Run now ગુરુત્વાકર્ષણ અને ભ્રમણકક્ષા- Pankajsid34
Hebrew All עברית Run now כבידה ומסלולים
Hungarian All magyar Run now Tömegvonzás és keringési pályák
Indonesian All Bahasa Indonesia Run now Gravitasi dan Orbit
Irish All Gaeilge Run now Domhantarraingt agus Fithisí
Italian All italiano Run now Gravità e orbite
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 重力と軌道
Kannada All Kannada Run now ಗುರುತ್ವ ಮತ್ತು ಕಕ್ಷೆ
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Гравитация және орбиталар
Khmer All Khmer Run now ទម្ងន់ និងគន្លង
Korean All 한국어 Run now 중력과 궤도
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Gravitācija un orbītas
Lithuanian All Lietuvių Run now Gravitacijos ir orbitos
Macedonian All македонски Run now Гравитација и орбити
Maori All Maori Run now Te Tō ā-papa me ngā Amio
Marathi All मराठी Run now गुरुत्वाकर्षण आणि कक्षा
Mongolian All Монгол (Монгол) Run now Гравитац Ба Орбит
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Gravitasjon og baner
Oriya All Oriya Run now ମାଧ୍ୟାକର୍ଷଣ ଓ କକ୍ଷ
Persian All فارسی Run now گرانش و مدار
Polish All polski Run now Grawitacja, a orbity
Portuguese All português Run now Gravidade e Órbitas
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Gravidade e Órbitas Download teacher tips PDF
Romanian All română Run now Gravitatia si Orbitele
Russian All русский Run now Гравитация и орбиты
Serbian All Српски Run now Гравитација и орбите
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Gravitácia a obežná dráha
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Gravitacija in tir gibanja
Spanish All español Run now Gravedad y Órbitas Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Gravedad y Órbitas Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Gravedad y Órbitas
Spanish (Spain) All español (España) Run now Gravedad y órbitas
Swedish All svenska Run now Gravitation och banor
Thai All ไทย Run now ความโน้มถ่วงและวงโคจร
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Yerçekimi ve Yörüngeler
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Grawitasiýa we orbitalar
Ukrainian All українська Run now Гравітація і орбіти Download teacher tips PDF
Urdu All Urdu Run now کششِ ثقل اور مدارِگردش (Gravity & Orbits)
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Lực hấp dẫn và quỹ đạo
Welsh All Welsh Run now Disgyrchiant ac Orbitau

HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
iPad compatible sims

Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Chromebook compatible sims

Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.

Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.9.5+, Safari 9+, latest version of Chrome.

Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with troubleshooting issues.

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Amy Rouinfar (lead designer)
  • Emily Moore (lead designer)
  • Noah Podolefsky (lead designer)
  • Trish Loeblein
  • Ariel Paul
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Jesse Greenberg (lead developer)
  • Sam Reid (lead developer)
  • Aaron Davis (developer)
  • Jon Olson (developer)
  • almond-0.2.9.js
  • base64-js-1.2.0.js
  • FileSaver-b8054a2.js
  • font-awesome-4.5.0
  • game-up-camera-1.0.0.js
  • jama-1.0.2
  • jquery-2.1.0.js
  • lodash-4.17.4.js
  • pegjs-0.7.0.js
  • seedrandom-2.4.2.js
  • text-2.0.12.js
  • TextEncoderLite-3c9f6f0.js