Handouts are available below

Big Idea

Are you looking for a bellringer that works across multiple classes and is easy to set up? 

I came up with this one as a brain break activity, but then realized it worked well as a bellringer too. The purpose is to get students to think about the relative size of objects to each other. I think this is often a skill that is lost because, often, we see images on a page with realizing just how big one is relative to the other. This activity is a good way to get students thinking about relative sizing in a fun, relevant way.

Episode Notes

On a flat table, lay out the marble, super bouncy ball, golf ball, tennis ball, and basketball in ascending order according to size. Then ask,

1. If the earth is a tennis ball, which object would be the moon (in relative size)?
   Answer: The earth’s diameter is 4 times larger than that of the moon. A tennis ball has a diameter of approximately 6cm. A marble has a diameter of approximately 1.5 cm. Thus, the marble would be the moon in this comparison.
2. If Jupiter is the basketball, which object would be the earth (in relative size)
   Answer: Jupiter’s diameter is 11 times larger than that of the earth. A basketball has a diameter of approximately 24.5cm. A super bouncy ball has a diameter of approximately 2 cm. Thus, the super bouncy ball would be the earth in this comparison.
3. If an electron is the marble, which object would be a proton?
   Answer: An electron’s radius is not well defined. However, a protons mass is 1800 times larger than an electronic mass. A marble has a mass of 6.5g. In this comparison, a proton would be a ball that has a mass of approximately 12kg (like a heavy bowling ball).

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Resources

Handout(s): Ep71 Handouts – My Fun Bellringer that Teaches Relative Size

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