Question 6
Read the extract.
Imagine you are holding hands with a classmate. Your arms are stretched out and you both are spinning around in a circle.
When you spin around really fast, it feels as if you are being pulled away from each other, but your hands keep you together. Even when you are spinning, the distance between you remains the same.
Now imagine that Earth and the Moon are two classmates holding hands across space. Instead of hands keeping them together, it is the force called gravity, or gravitational force. The strength of this force depends on two things: the mass of each object and how far apart they are.
The gravitational force between Earth and the Moon keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth. The Moon is not just floating in space; it is constantly being pulled towards the Earth and also moving sideways. Because the Moon is distant and moving fast, as it curves towards the Earth, the Earth’s round surface is curving away beneath it. So the Moon keeps missing the Earth. This balance between the pull of gravity and the Moon’s sideways motion keeps the Moon in its orbit around planet Earth.
Is the extract biased? How do you know?
Remember that “biased” is when something is prejudiced, one-sided or not impartial.
Imagine you are holding hands with a classmate. Your arms are stretched out and you both are spinning around in a circle.
When you spin around really fast, it feels as if you are being pulled away from each other, but your hands keep you together. Even when you are spinning, the distance between you remains the same.
Now imagine that Earth and the Moon are two classmates holding hands across space. Instead of hands keeping them together, it is the force called gravity, or gravitational force. The strength of this force depends on two things: the mass of each object and how far apart they are.
The gravitational force between Earth and the Moon keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth. The Moon is not just floating in space; it is constantly being pulled towards the Earth and also moving sideways. Because the Moon is distant and moving fast, as it curves towards the Earth, the Earth’s round surface is curving away beneath it. So the Moon keeps missing the Earth. This balance between the pull of gravity and the Moon’s sideways motion keeps the Moon in its orbit around planet Earth.
Is the extract biased? How do you know?
Remember that “biased” is when something is prejudiced, one-sided or not impartial.
