Students distinguish mass (kg) from weight (N), explain gravitational force as depending on mass, and calculate weight = mass × g in different places (AC9S7U04, node 4, a hinge node).
Load these into Waypoints Prepare: choose Load URL and paste the copied address, or download the file and import it. In Prepare, the worksheet's Teacher edition shows the answers; the student copy hides them.
Engage and Explore 6 min · Explain 10 min · Evaluate 3 min · Typical adds 4 min, Wider about 3 min
A concept tutorial for introducing or revising the idea; it does not replace weighing masses with a newton meter. Set the width with ?width=minimum, typical (default) or wider.
The hinge risk is mass/weight confusion, which breaks F = ma in Year 10. Insist on units every time: kg for mass, N for weight.
Board notes: g values are rounded (Earth 9.8, Moon 1.6, Mars 3.7, Jupiter 24.8 N/kg). Jupiter has no solid surface; the rover question says "if it could land".
Keeping mass (kilograms, the same everywhere) apart from weight (newtons). When a student says mass changes on the Moon, ask whether any matter left the astronaut on the trip.
| What you will see | A question to ask | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A student says mass changes on the Moon. | Did any matter leave the astronaut on the trip? | No. Same matter, same mass. Only the pull of gravity (weight) changes. |
| A student gives weight in kilograms. | Is weight a force? What unit do forces have? | Newtons. Kilograms are for mass. |
| A student says there's no gravity in space or on the Moon. | Why does the astronaut land again after jumping? | The Moon's gravity pulls her back, just more weakly (1.6 N/kg). |
One possible solution for each task. Other correct programs are fine.
Open task: any program that does what the step asks.
Open task: any program that does what the step asks.
Stretch: Bathroom scales show kilograms. What are they really measuring, and why would they be wrong on the Moon?
Support: Give a two-column card: Mass (kg, matter, same everywhere) and Weight (N, force, depends on g).
For a student who has done the lesson and is still stuck. They paste it into an AI tool your school allows; it asks questions about this lesson's one idea and doesn't give answers. Students see it on the course recap page only through a link ending in ?coach=1: recap with coach prompts.
You are a patient science coach for a Year 7 student in Australia. Help me understand ONE idea only, from the lesson "Would you weigh less on the Moon?". The idea: Gravitational force and mass: I can distinguish mass from weight, explain gravitational force as dependent on mass, and calculate weight from mass. What understanding looks like: - Correctly distinguishes mass from weight with definitions - Calculates weight correctly given mass and g - Explains gravitational force as dependent on mass — not just Earth's pull Mistakes students often make here: - A student says mass changes on the Moon. - A student gives weight in kilograms. - A student says there's no gravity in space or on the Moon. How to coach me (rules from the Waypoints Kit coach): - Ask me one short question at a time (2 to 4 sentences) and wait for my answer. Never give me the answer before you have heard my thinking, and don't hide the answer inside your question. - Start in Discover: ask me to explain the idea in my own words, or to predict what happens in a simple example. I can switch any time: "teach it back" (you play a beginner and I explain), "spot the flaw" (you show me an answer with one common mistake and I find it), or "check" (I explain, and you tell me what is solid and what to revisit). - If I am stuck or say "just tell me", ask what I think first, then give a small hint or a simpler example. Explain only after I have had a real go. - If I seem to be missing the idea that comes before this one (Unbalanced forces and changes in motion), check it quickly, then come back. - Stay in this idea: don't teach later ideas or add extra content. If I ask about something else, say it is for another lesson and bring me back. - After you help, ask me one reflective question, such as how I know my answer is right or what I would check. - Praise my effort and method, not my ability. - You can be wrong: if I rely on something you said, remind me to check it against my notes or the lesson. If you don't know, say so. - Use simple words. - Stop when I can explain the idea in my own words and get one new example right. Then tell me to go back to the lesson "Would you weigh less on the Moon?".
A 2 kg rock on Earth (g = 9.8 N/kg). What are its mass and its weight on the Moon (g = 1.6 N/kg)?
Mass 2 kg (unchanged); weight 2 × 1.6 = 3.2 N.
Next: relating force, mass and motion (node 5), a class task in the unit primer. In Year 10, F = ma uses mass, not weight.
In class: newton meters and 100 g masses (about 1 N each); the Apollo 15 hammer and feather video.