Grade 3 Science Worksheet on Gravity with Diagrams and Activities for 8-Year-Olds

Instructions

Read each question carefully. Follow the instructions for each section to show what you know about gravity!

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. What is gravity?
   • A. A type of weather
   • B. An invisible pulling force
   • C. A type of glue


2. When you throw a ball up in the air, what does gravity do?
   • A. It pushes the ball higher
   • B. It makes the ball disappear
   • C. It pulls the ball back down to the ground


3. Which of these is pulled towards the Earth by gravity?
   • A. You
   • B. A pencil
   • C. All of the above


4. What keeps the Moon moving around the Earth?
   • A. Earth's gravity
   • B. A big, invisible rope
   • C. The Moon's own engine


5. A famous scientist named Sir Isaac Newton is known for his ideas about gravity, which he thought about after seeing...
   • A. A bird flying
   • B. An apple falling from a tree
   • C. A ship sailing on the sea


6. The force of gravity on the Moon is _________ than the gravity on Earth.
   • A. stronger
   • B. weaker
   • C. the same


7. Gravity is a force that you can...
   • A. see
   • B. feel the effects of
   • C. hear


8. Why don't you float away into space?
   • A. Because your shoes are heavy
   • B. Because the sky is a solid roof
   • C. Because Earth's gravity pulls you down


9. The bigger an object (like a planet), the...
   • A. weaker its gravity
   • B. stronger its gravity
   • C. less gravity it has


10. Gravity pulls on...
    • A. only very heavy things
    • B. only very light things
    • C. everything that has mass

Part 2: True or False

Read each sentence. Circle True if the statement is correct and False if it is incorrect.

11. Gravity is a force that pushes things away.      True / False


12. Without gravity, a dropped pencil would float instead of fall.      True / False


13. The Sun's gravity is what keeps Earth and other planets in orbit.      True / False


14. You can turn gravity off by flipping a switch.      True / False


15. Gravity only works on the planet Earth.      True / False

Part 3: Matching Activity

Everything in Column A is happening because of the force in Column B. Draw a line to match the action to the force that causes it.

Part 4: Short Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

Section A: Fill in the Blanks

Use the words in the box to complete the sentences.

1. Gravity is an invisible ____________ that pulls objects toward each other.


2. The Earth's gravity ____________ on you and keeps you on the ground.


3. A scientist named _________________ helped us understand the laws of gravity.


4. What goes up must come ____________.


5. On our planet, gravity pulls everything towards the center of the ____________.

Section B: Thinking About Gravity

Write your answers on the lines below.

6. Why does a ball you kick into the air always come back to the ground?
   ____________________________________________________________________
   ____________________________________________________________________


7. Look at this simple drawing of a tree and an apple.

         / \
        /   \
       /     \
      -------
         |
        / \
       O   O
      / \ / \
     O   *   O  <-- Apple
    / \ / \ / \
   O   O   O   O
         | |
         | |
       

   What will happen to the apple if its stem breaks? Why?
   ____________________________________________________________________
   ____________________________________________________________________


8. What do you think would happen if there was no gravity on Earth? Describe one thing.
   ____________________________________________________________________
   ____________________________________________________________________


9. Why is it much easier for an astronaut to jump high on the Moon than on Earth?
   ____________________________________________________________________
   ____________________________________________________________________


10. Give one example of how gravity helped you today.
    ____________________________________________________________________
    ____________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. B. An invisible pulling force
2. C. It pulls the ball back down to the ground
3. C. All of the above
4. A. Earth's gravity
5. B. An apple falling from a tree
6. B. weaker
7. B. feel the effects of
8. C. Because Earth's gravity pulls you down
9. B. stronger its gravity
10. C. everything that has mass

Part 2: True or False

11. False
12. True
13. True
14. False
15. False

Part 3: Matching Activity

16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 should all be matched to "Gravity".

Part 4: Short Questions - Section A: Fill in the Blanks

1. force
2. pulls
3. Isaac Newton
4. down
5. Earth

Part 4: Short Questions - Section B: Thinking About Gravity

(Answers will vary. Look for understanding of the main concept.)

6. Example Answer: The ball comes back to the ground because Earth's gravity is pulling it down.
7. Example Answer: The apple will fall to the ground. This is because gravity will pull it down once it is not attached to the tree.
8. Example Answer: People and things would float away. Cars would float off the roads. Rain would not fall down.
9. Example Answer: It is easier to jump high on the Moon because the Moon has less gravity (a weaker pull) than Earth.
10. Example Answer: Gravity helped me by keeping my breakfast cereal in my bowl. / Gravity helped by keeping me on my chair at school. / Gravity helped by making the ball come down when I played catch.