Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Unit
Astrophysics
156 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
51–60 of 156
Question 51
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 52
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 53
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 54
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 55
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 56
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →State two factors that determine the gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet.
Question 57
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 58
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 59
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 60
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain why your weight on Jupiter would be different from your weight on the Moon.