Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Chapter
Motion in the Universe
55 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
41–50 of 55
Question 41
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 42
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 43
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 44
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain why your weight on Jupiter would be different from your weight on the Moon.
Question 45
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 46
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 47
1 mark · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe what would happen to a satellite if it slowed down in its orbit.
Question 48
4 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →The planet Venus and a space probe orbiting Earth both move in nearly circular orbits because of gravity.
(a)[1 mark]Name the force responsible for keeping Venus and the space probe in orbit.
(b)[2 marks]Explain why Venus moves faster in its orbit than Neptune does.
(c)[1 mark]State one difference between the orbit of the space probe and the orbit of a comet around the Sun.
Question 49
4 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A satellite is placed in orbit at a height where the gravitational field strength is much smaller than on Earth’s surface.
(a)[2 marks]Explain why the satellite stays in orbit instead of falling straight towards the Earth.
(b)[2 marks]Calculate the orbital speed of the satellite if it travels along a circular path of radius m and completes one orbit in 24 hours. Give your answer in to two significant figures.
Question 50
4 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →The table below shows the gravitational field strength on the surface of different planets:
Planet Gravitational field strength (N/kg) Earth 10 Mars 4 Jupiter 23 Venus 9 (a)[1 mark]Which planet has the strongest gravitational field strength?
(b)[2 marks]A 60 kg object is placed on Mars. Calculate its weight on the surface of Mars.
(c)[1 mark]Explain why the weight of an object on Jupiter is more than that on Earth.