PROJECT: NEWTON'S LAW According to Newton's universal law of gravity, everything possesses a force called gravity. The earth pulls everything toward its center due to its gravitational attraction. This is how we stay on the ground and why objects fall toward the ground.

Newton's first law of motion, called the law of inertia, states an object has a tendency to maintain its motion unless acted upon by an outside force. If an object is still, inertia keeps it still. If an object is in motion, inertia keeps it in a straight line, unless an outside force changes its course.

Newton's second law of motion states that the acceleration of an object depends on the force applied to the object and the mass of the object. Hit a baseball hard and it will fly at a faster speed than if you hit the ball softly.

Newton's third law of motion states that for every force (or action) there is an equal and opposite force (or reaction). When you hit a baseball with a bat, the baseball hits the bat with an equal but opposite force.

The experiment described below will allow you to test some of Newton's laws of gravity and motion.

OBJECTIVES
Examine Newton's laws of gravity and motion in an experiment.
Materials
Water
Bucket with a handle
Conduct the Experiment
Fill a bucket about 3/4ths full with water.
Hold the handle of the bucket.
Swing the bucket around in a circle quickly, but at a steady speed and motion, as in the following graphic.
Observe the water as you swing the bucket.
Next, slow down your swing, but at a speed and motion to keep the water in the bucket.
Observe the water at this slower speed.
Questions:

Did the water stay in the bucket or did it spill out?
Was it easier to keep the water in the bucket at a faster or slower swinging speed?
What would happen to the water if you stopped the motion of the bucket while it was turned upside-down?
Describe how Newton's laws of gravity and motion relate to your observations and responses to the questions above.