Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
Satellites and moons
16 practice questions
Practice questions
1–10 of 16
Question 1
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →State the force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth.
Question 2
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A small stone is tied to a string and whirled in a horizontal circle above your head.
The Moon orbits Earth in a similar way, but with no string.
(a)[2 marks]Explain what provides the force that acts like the string for the Moon's orbit.
(b)[1 mark]State what happens to the Moon if the Earth's gravity suddenly disappeared.
Question 3
1 mark · Easy
Answer and check →Which of the following objects is an artificial satellite?
- A.The Moon orbiting Mars
- B.A GPS satellite orbiting Earth
- C.Jupiter's moon Europa
- D.The planet Venus orbiting the Sun
Question 4
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Explain why moons always orbit their planets rather than moving away into space.
Question 5
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →If the distance between a planet and its moon is doubled, by what factor does the gravitational force between them change?
Question 6
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A planet and an artificial satellite are shown below.
Planet and satellite orbit. (a)[1 mark]Draw an arrow on the diagram to show the direction of the force acting on the satellite.
(b)[2 marks]Explain why this force is always directed towards the planet.
Question 7
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Describe two differences between the orbit of a comet and the orbit of a planet.
Question 8
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →How long does it take the Moon to orbit the Earth once? Give your answer in days.
Question 9
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The planet Jupiter has many moons orbiting it. One of these moons, Europa, follows a nearly circular orbit due to the gravitational attraction from Jupiter.
(a)[1 mark]State what provides the force needed to keep Europa moving in its orbit around Jupiter.
(b)[2 marks]Explain why Europa does not fly off into space.
Question 10
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The table below shows the average distance of two moons from Saturn and the time each takes to orbit Saturn once:
Moons of Saturn Moon Average distance from Saturn (km) Orbital period (days) Mimas 186,000 0.94 Titan 1,221,900 15.95