An orbit, for the purpose of a Class 4 worksheet, is the curved path that one object in space takes around another due to gravity.
Here's a more detailed explanation suitable for Class 4 students:
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What is it? An orbit is like a circular or oval road in space. It's the route that a smaller object takes as it goes around a much bigger object.
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Why does it happen? The main reason things orbit is because of gravity. Gravity is a force that pulls things together. Bigger objects have more gravity.
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Examples:
- The Moon orbits the Earth. This means the Moon travels in a path around our planet.
- The Earth orbits the Sun. This means our planet travels in a path around the star we call the Sun.
- Other planets in our solar system also orbit the Sun.
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Shape of an Orbit: Orbits aren't perfect circles. They are usually slightly oval-shaped, which we call an ellipse.
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Important Points:
- The closer an object is to what it's orbiting, the faster it has to travel to stay in orbit.
- Without gravity, the object would just fly off into space in a straight line!
Therefore, when a Class 4 worksheet asks about an orbit, it is referring to the curved path an object takes around another object in space because of gravity.
