Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
Orbital speeds of planets and satellites
16 practice questions
Practice questions
1–10 of 16
Question 1
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →State the unit for gravitational field strength.
Question 2
1 mark · Easy
Answer and check →Which planet has the highest gravitational field strength among the following?
- A.Mars
- B.Venus
- C.Jupiter
- D.Mercury
Question 3
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →State the two factors that affect the gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet.
Question 4
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A satellite orbits a planet at a constant radius of 10,000 km and completes one orbit every 20,000 seconds. Calculate its average orbital speed in km/s. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.
Question 5
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Explain why satellites in low orbits travel at a higher speed than satellites in high orbits around Earth.
Question 6
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →The table shows some information about two planets:
Planet information Planet Mass (Earth=1) Radius (Earth=1) Planet A 1.5 1.0 Planet B 1.0 2.0 (a)[2 marks]Which planet has the higher gravitational field strength at its surface? Explain your answer.
(b)[1 mark]Which planet would an object weigh less on? Give a reason.
Question 7
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A moon orbits its planet at a radius of 450,000 km. It takes 40 days to complete one orbit.
(a)[1 mark]Convert the orbital period into seconds.
(b)[2 marks]Calculate the average orbital speed of the moon in km/s. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.
Question 8
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →The following table shows orbital radii and periods for two satellites orbiting the same planet.
Satellite data Satellite Orbital radius (1000 km) Period (h) X 15 7 Y 30 28 (a)[1 mark]Which satellite orbits closer to the planet? Support your answer using data from the table.
(b)[1 mark]Explain which satellite has the greater orbital speed.
Question 9
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →State two factors that determine the gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet.
Question 10
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A satellite orbits Earth at a radius of 7000 km. It completes one orbit every 5800 seconds. Calculate the orbital speed of the satellite. Give your answer to two significant figures.