Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
Orbital speeds of planets and satellites
16 practice questions
Practice questions
1–8 of 8 · Normal
Question 1
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →State two factors that determine the gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet.
Question 2
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.
Question 3
1 mark · Normal
Answer and check →Which planet has a lower gravitational field strength than Earth?
Planet Gravitational field strength (N/kg) Earth 10 Mars 4 Neptune 11 Jupiter 23 - A.Earth
- B.Mars
- C.Neptune
- D.Jupiter
Question 4
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student says "If a satellite is closer to Earth, it must travel faster in its orbit."
(a)[2 marks]Explain in terms of gravitational field strength why this statement is true.
(b)[1 mark]State the equation used to calculate the orbital speed of a satellite.
(c)[1 mark]Describe one use for low Earth orbit satellites.
Question 5
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain why your weight on Jupiter would be different from your weight on the Moon.
Question 6
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Geostationary satellites have a much larger orbital radius than low orbit satellites. State and explain how the orbital speed of a geostationary satellite compares to that of a low orbit satellite.
Question 7
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The Moon has an orbital radius of 384,000 km and takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth once. Calculate the average orbital speed of the Moon in km/s. (1 day = 86,400 s).
Question 8
1 mark · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe what would happen to a satellite if it slowed down in its orbit.