Students learn that gravity is a non-contact force of attraction between all masses, what makes it stronger or weaker, and how gravity keeps the planets orbiting the Sun and the Moon orbiting Earth. They calculate their weight on other worlds, distinguish mass from weight, and find the pattern between a planet's distance from the Sun and the length of its year.
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Curriculum: Texas grade levels (TEKS). We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.
Completed: Gravity and Orbits in the Solar System
Ready for more? Move on to 8th Grade Science.
7th Grade students (typically ages 12–13) working on the solar system & space. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.
Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.
About 40 minutes for 14 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.
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Success TutoringWorksheets7th Grade · Science · The Solar System & SpaceName
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Weight changes from world to world — mass does not.
Read the passage, then answer the questions.
Gravity is a non-contact force that pulls objects with mass towards each other. The more mass the objects have, and the closer they are, the stronger the pull.
The Sun has an enormous mass, so its gravity is very strong. Each planet is moving forward very fast, and the Sun's gravity pulls it inwards. Together these produce a curved path called an orbit. In the same way, Earth's gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth.
Show your working.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms (kg). It is the same everywhere. Weight is the force of gravity on an object, measured in newtons (N). It changes depending on where you are.
weight (N) = mass (kg) × gravitational field strength (N/kg). On Earth the field strength is about 10 N/kg (more precisely 9.8 N/kg).
Planet data (1 astronomical unit = the average distance from Earth to the Sun, about 150 million km)
Mercury: 0.39 astronomical units from the Sun, one orbit takes 88 Earth days
Earth: 1.0 astronomical unit, 365 Earth days
Mars: 1.5 astronomical units, 687 Earth days
Jupiter: 5.2 astronomical units, about 12 Earth years
Neptune: 30 astronomical units, about 165 Earth years
Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.
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Worksheet · 5th Grade · The Solar System & Space · Level 2 · Standard
Worksheet · 5th Grade · The Solar System & Space · Level 2 · Standard
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