For families & teachers
Why can Nina jump higher on the Moon?
Gravity pulls Nina back toward the ground after a jump. The Moon has weaker surface gravity than Earth, so the same takeoff speed lets her rise higher and stay in the air longer.
Try the adventure
Gravity is an attraction between things that have mass. Earth pulls us toward its centre, which is why our feet return to the ground after a jump. The Moon and Mars pull too, but less strongly at their surfaces than Earth does. Moving to the Moon would not remove any of the matter in your body: your mass would stay the same, while your weight—the force of gravity on you—would change. Nina’s jump is a way to notice the effect before learning the numbers.
Explore together
- Open Jump with Nina and start a jump. Watch how high she rises on each world.
- Repeat the jump and compare how long she stays above the ground on Earth, the Moon and Mars.
- Before another jump, predict which world will bring Nina back to the ground first. Check the result together.
One thing to remember
There is gravity on the Moon and in space. This comparison uses the same starting jump speed to help isolate gravity’s effect. Real astronauts also have bulky suits and different ways of moving, so the model is an explanation of one effect, not a prediction of every real jump.
Science reference: NASA ↗
