SPACE PHYSICS

Q&A
Questions 1. The moon orbits the Earth in approximately 708 hours, with a radius
of orbit of 385 000 km. Using the formula given above, calculate the orbital
velocity of the Moon.
Answer
2𝜋𝑟 2𝜋 𝑥 385000
v= =
𝑇 708
Therefore v = 3 420 km/h (to 3 sig figs) or 0.949 km/s.
2. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) orbits the earth at a speed of 7.6 km/s and
has an orbital time period of 5700 seconds.
a) Using the formula given above, calculate the radius of the HST's orbit from the
center of the Earth.
b) The Earth has a radius of 6400 km. Calculate the distance from the HST to the
Earth's surface.
Answer
a) Both time period and speed include seconds, so we can substitute the numbers
directly into the formula
2𝜋𝑟
v=
𝑇
2𝜋𝑟
7.6 =
5700
Therefore r = 6900 km (to 3 sig figs) .
b) The Earth's radius is 6400 km, so the HST's height above the Earth's surface is
6900 - 6400; so the distance = 500 km
Question
State the equation that defines the average orbital speed v of a planet. State the meaning of any
symbols you use.
Answer
v = 2πr / T
r = (average) radius of the orbit AND T = (orbital) period
Question
Suggest why countries that are a significant distance from the Equator experience significant
temperature variation throughout the year.
Answer
rays from Sun strike the country at different angles through the year
Question
The time taken for Mars to orbit the Sun is 690 Earth days. The average orbital radius of
Mars is 2.28 × 108 km. An Earth day is 24 h. Calculate the average orbital speed of Mars in
km / s.

average speed = ......................................................... [3]

Answer
v = 2πr / T = 2π x 2.28 × 108 / (690 x 24 x 60 x 60) = 24 km / s
Questions 3. A rocket launched from the Earth's surface has to escape from the
Earth's gravitational pull. Explain why it might be easier to launch a rocket from
the surface of Mars.
Answer
Mars has a lower mass than the Earth, and therefore lower gravitational field
strength (g). This means it takes less energy to launch the rocket into space.

4. Explain the difference between the orbit of a comet and of a planet.

Answer
Both comets and planets orbit the Sun. However, planets have an approximately
circular orbit, whereas comets have a highly elliptical orbit.
Question
State the shape of the orbits of the planets.
..........................................................................................................................
................... [1]

Answer
elliptical / ellipse
Question
Pluto is a dwarf planet. Fig. shows the direction of motion of Pluto as it follows its elliptical orbit
around the Sun.
Answer
(i)
• (speed) decreases (from X to Y) and
then increases (from Y to X)
(ii)
• gravitational (potential) energy (GPE)
transfers to kinetic energy (KE) or
Point X is the point in the orbit closest to the Sun and point Y vice versa
is the point furthest away. The orbital speed of Pluto varies • KE transfers to GPE from X to Y AND
as it orbits the Sun. GPE transfers to KE from Y to X
(i) Describe how the speed of Pluto varies as it moves from • total (of GPE + KE) energy is constant
X to Y and then back to X.
(ii) Explain, in terms of energy transfers, why the speed of
Pluto varies in this way
Question
Pluto has a white surface, as shown in Fig. As Pluto rotates, the white surface alternately
faces towards and away from the Sun

Answer
• (white surface) is a poor
absorber / good reflector / poor emitter
of IR / radiation
• (the white surface) increases in
temperature less when facing the Sun

Explain how this affects the temperature of Pluto as

it rotates on its own axis.
Questions 1. The Sun is currently a main sequence star, in the middle of its
evolutionary path. Describe the next two stages in the evolution of stars like the Sun.
Answer
• The sun will eventually increase in size, and cool to become a red giant.
• After that, it will shrink to a much smaller size, and heat up to become a white
dwarf.
Questions 2. Very large main sequence stars will eventually run out of hydrogen in
the star's core. Describe the next stages in a life cycle of a star.
Answer
A very large main sequence star will
• Eventually increase in size to become a red supergiant.
• It then explodes. This is called a supernova.
• The star remnant then collapses to form a neutron star, or - if it is a huge remnant -
to form a black hole.
Question 3. Explain what is meant by a nebula.
Answer
A nebula is a large cloud containing gases (like hydrogen and helium) / dust.
Question 4. Describe and explain how a stable star is formed.
Answer
• hydrogen gas in stellar cloud / nebula pulled together by gravity
• temperature of hydrogen increases AND a protostar is formed
• nuclear fusion begins and outward force from this reaction balances inward force
of gravity
Question 1.Which stages in the life cycle of a star are listed in the order that
they occur?
A interstellar dust cloud -> stable star -> protostar
B protostar -> red giant -> stable star Answer
C red giant -> white dwarf -> protostar D
D stable star -> red giant -> white dwarf

Question
Fill in the gaps in the paragraph about a star much more massive than the Sun. The stage that
follows the stable state in the life cycle of the star is the ....................................... stage. It then
explodes as a supernova to form a ....................................... , this leaves behind a
....................................... or a ....................................... .
Answer
red supergiant
nebula
neutron star
black hole
Question
Describe and explain how a stable star is formed
Answer
• hydrogen gas in stellar cloud / nebula pulled together by gravity
• temperature of hydrogen increases AND a protostar is formed
• nuclear fusion begins and outward force from this reaction balances inward
force of gravity
Question
Which quantity can be determined using the brightness of a supernova in a distant
galaxy?
A the speed at which the galaxy is moving away from the Earth
B the distance of the galaxy from the Earth
C the Hubble constant
D the age of the Universe
Answer
B
Question
Light from a distant galaxy is redshifted.
(i) Explain what is meant by redshift. [2]
(ii) State the quantity that the redshift of a galaxy is used to calculate. [1]

Answer
(i)
• wavelength (of light from distant galaxies) increases
• occurs when galaxies are moving away (from Earth)
(ii) speed / velocity (that galaxy is moving away from Earth)
Question 3.
In 1964, CMB radiation was discovered.
a) State what is meant by CMB radiation.
b) Explain why CMB radiation supports the Big Bang theory for the origins of
the universe.
Answer
a) CMB radiation is cosmic (from space) microwave background (all around
us) radiation.
b) This radiation is predicted from the big bang theory: Any radiation
produced in the big bang should now be red-shifted to microwave
radiation, but should be observable in all directions.
Question 4.
Describe and explain what can be deduced from cosmic microwave background
radiation (CMBR).
Answer
• microwave radiation is observed at all points in space around the Earth
• radiation was produced when the Universe was formed
• this radiation has expanded into the microwave region of the electromagnetic
spectrum this is evidence that the Universe expanded
Question
A galaxy is found to be moving away with a speed of 2.1 × 107 m s-1. The galaxy is at a distance of
9.5 × 1024 m from Earth Assuming the speed has remained constant, what is the age of the universe
in years?
Answer
v =H0d
Rearrange for the Hubble constant H0, and calculate
𝑣 2.1 × 107
H0= = = 2.2 × 10−18 s-1
𝑑 9.5 × 10 24
Write the equation for the age of the universe T0, and calculate
1 1
T0 = = = 4.52 x 1017s
H0 2.2 × 10 −18
Convert from seconds into years
4.52 x 1017
T0 = = 1.43 x 10 10 years
365 𝑥 24 𝑥 60 𝑥60
Therefore, the age of the universe is estimated to be about 14.3 billion years
Question
What is the definition of the Hubble constant?
A the ratio of the speed at which a galaxy is receding from the Earth to its distance from the Earth
B the value of the change in wavelength of the galaxy’s starlight due to redshift
C the constant used to represent the rate of expansion of the Universe in all directions
D the estimated constant equal to the age of the Universe
Answer
A

Question: A galaxy is moving away from the Earth with a speed of 33 000 km / s. The value of the
Hubble constant is 2.2 × 10–18 per second. Calculate the distance from the galaxy to the Earth.
Give your answer in light-years.
Answer
H0 = v / d OR (d =) v / H0 OR (d =) [33 000 x 103] / [ 2.2 x 10–18 x 9.5 x 1015]
= 1.6 x 109 (light-years)
1 Earth to spin on its axis;
Moon to orbit the Earth; Earth to orbit the Sun; seasons.
2 Diagram similar to Figure 24.7, but with the northern hemisphere
tilted towards the Sun. In the diagram it is summer in the northern
hemisphere as it is tilted towards the Sun. The southern
hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and so it is winter there.
3 a waxing gibbous
b 27.5 days
4 1.3 seconds
5 a 200 seconds or 3.3 minutes
b 15 000 seconds, 250 minutes or 4.2 hours
6 774 million km
7 9.5 × 1012 km
8 a gravity
b elliptical
c more highly elliptical (allow more squashed)
d Approaching the Sun the comet speeds up , gaining kinetic energy and
losing gravitational potential energy. Nearest the Sun it has maximum kinetic
energy. This decreases at it moves away from the Sun. At its furthest point it
has maximum gravitational potential energy. The total energy remains the
same.
9 a 300 N b 120 N c 780 N
10 a 36 km/s b 9.5 km/s
11 a As orbital distance increases, so does orbital
duration.
b There is a trend that the planets with greater
gravitational field strength have more moons, but
there is not a clear pattern.
 1 D; [1]

2 B; [1]

3 D; [1]
4 a In this model the Earth is
central and there are six planets;
now we know that the Sun is
central and there are eight
planets; [1]
b The order of the planets other
than Earth is correct. The moon
orbits the Earth; [1]
c They are rocky planets/ they are
closest to the Sun; [1]
d They are gas planets / they are
furthest from the Sun; [1]
e 760 seconds or 12.7 minutes; [3]
5 a Point X is facing away
from the Sun; [1]
b X will be 180° round from
the position shown; [1]
c The Moon reflects light
from the Sun; [1]
d gravity; [1]
e The Moon orbits the
Earth, [1] taking 27.5 days
to do so; [1]
f The Moon’s gravitational
field strength is less than
Earth’s; [1]
6 a Pluto; [1]
b Venus; [1]
c This is generally true, [1] but
Earth is an anomaly, having
higher density than would be
expected; [1]
d Mars and Pluto have the
lowest gravitational field
strength; [2]
e 13 km/s; [3]
1 hydrogen (75%); helium (24%)
2 a 15 × 106 K
b 5800 K
c 2 × 1030 kg (mass of the Sun)
d infrared = 50%; visible = 40%;
ultraviolet = 10%
3 (thermo)nuclear fusion
5a 144 million km 5a s=vt= 3x108x8x60s= 144x109=144 million km
b 137 years b t=s/v=144x106 km/ 120 km/h =(1.2x106 h/ 24x365) yr
d 200 billion (2 x1011) stars in the Milky Way
8 about 20 times

10 4 × 1041 kg
13 They are cold and dense enough to collapse.

15 a Nuclear fusion is where light nuclei fuse (join) together to create a heavy
nucleus but some mass turns into energy.
b The nuclei all have the same positive charge so need to be moving fast enough
to overcome the electrostatic repulsion.
14 a When a molecular cloud is cold and dense enough, clumps of it can collapse
under the force of gravity. The clump collapses into a spinning sphere of superhot
gas, which pulls in more matter from the molecular cloud. It becomes a star once
nuclear fusion starts.
b In the process of collapsing the gravitational potential energy in the molecular
cloud is turned into kinetic energy. Collisions between particles causes kinetic energy
to be transferred to thermal energy.
a protostar: A very young star that is still gathering mass from its parent molecular
cloud.
b main sequence star: A stable part of a star’s life cycle when it is burning hydrogen in
its core before moving onto another stage of its life cycle once it has used up 12% of its
hydrogen.
c red giant: A star with a starting mass of less than eight solar masses that is burning
helium in its core. Its shell of hydrogen has expanded and cooled.
d white dwarf: The final stage of a star that started with less than eight solar masses
and has run out of fuel.
e supernova: An exploding star that began life with more than 8 solar masses and has
run out of fuel.
f neutron star: A collapsed star composed almost entirely of neutrons when a star with
more than 8 solar masses reaches the end of its life.
g black hole: This is the final stage in the life cycle of a star that started with more than 8
solar masses. It has enough mass left over after exploding as a supernova to collapse to
a point where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape.
a i Hubble constant = gradient of the graph = speed/ distance
= 20 000/ 1000 km/s per million light-years
= 20 km/s per million light years
20 km/s
ii = = 2.1 x 10 -18 per second
6
10 𝑥 9.5 𝑥1012 𝑘𝑚
 84 000 𝑘𝑚 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑
distance = speed/ Hubble constant = = 40 x 1018 km
2.1 x 10 −18 per second
40 x 1018
= l-yr
9.5 𝑥 1012
= 4210 x 106 light year
= 4210 million light year
 𝑑 1 1
the age of the universe = t = = =
𝑣 𝐻0 2.1 x 10 −18 per second
= 0.4762 x 1018 s
= 1.51 x 1010 yr
= 15.1 billion years

Question 11 Would you expect the orbital speed of Jupiter to be greater or less than that of
Saturn? Explain your answer.
Answer
Higher; Jupiter is nearer the Sun than Saturn
Question 1 The Earth is a planet of the Sun. Which one of the following
statements is not true?
A The Earth orbits the Sun once each year.
B The Earth spins once on its axis every 24 hours.
C Day and night are due to the Earth spinning on its axis.
D At places on the Earth’s hemisphere tilted towards the Sun, the day is shorter
than the night.
Answer
1D

Question 4 Taking the average distance of the Moon from the Earth to be 380
000 km and the orbital period of the Moon to be 27 days, calculate its average
orbital speed in km/s.
Answer
4 v = 2 π r / T = 2 π 380 000 km / (27 × 24 × 60 × 60) s = 1.02 km/s
Question 5 Name the planets in the Solar System in order of increasing distance from
the Sun.
Answer
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Question 6 The planets orbit the Sun. Which of the following statements is false?
A The Sun is a star which produces its own light.
B Planets are seen by reflected solar light.
C The planets revolve around the Earth in elliptical orbits.
D Venus is the planet closest to the Earth.
Answer
C
Question 8 A comet travels in an elliptical path around the Sun. Draw a sketch of the
path of a comet and mark the position of the Sun on your sketch.
Answer
Exam-style questions
Question 1 The motion of the Earth and Moon explain many natural events. State
which of the following statements is not true.
A The Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 days.
B The Moon orbits the Earth in approximately one month.
C Day and night are due to the Earth spinning on its axis.
D The Sun rises in the west and sets in the east in the Southern Hemisphere. [Total: 1]
Answer
1D
Question 3 Calculate how long it takes light to travel from the Sun to Mars. Take the
distance of Mars from the Sun to be 228 × 106 km and the speed of light to be 3 × 108
m/s. [Total: 3]
Answer
Time = distance / speed of light = 228 × 109 m / 3 × 108 m/s = 760 s [Total: 3]

Question: Venus is nearer to the Sun than the Earth. i Compare the orbital speed of
Venus with that of the Earth. Explain your answer. [2]
ii Explain why Venus takes less than one Earth year to orbit the Sun. [3]
Answer
i Greater as Venus is nearer the Sun [2]
ii Less, as circumference of orbit is less and it travels faster [3]
Question 6 a Jupiter is further away from the Sun than is the Earth.
i Compare the surface temperature of Jupiter with that of the Earth. Explain your answer. [2]
ii Compare the mass of Jupiter with that of the Earth. [1]
iii Compare the orbital speed of Jupiter with that of the Earth. [1]
b The orbital time of Mars round the Sun is 1.9 Earth years and the orbital path is 1.5 times
longer than that of the Earth.
i Calculate the ratio of the orbital speed of Mars to the orbital speed of the Earth. [3]
ii Compare the speed of Mars with that of the Earth. [1] [Total: 8]
Answer
a i Lower; Jupiter is further from the Sun so receives less radiation/m2 [2]
ii Larger [1]
iii Lower [1]
b i v = distance / time = 2 π r / T
so vM/vE = (2 π rM / TM) / (2 π rE / TE) = (rM × TE) / (rE × TM) = 1.5 / 1.9 = 0.78 [3]
ii Slower
Question 3 The Universe is composed of stars and galaxies. Which of the following
statements are not true?
A The Universe is a collection of galaxies.
B There are billions of stars in a galaxy.
C The Sun is a star.
D Our Solar System belongs to the Andromeda galaxy.
Answer
3D

Question 4 How long does it take light to reach the Earth from a galaxy 10 million light-
years distant from the Earth? Choose your answer from the following times.
A 10 years
B 30 years
C 300 thousand years
D 10 million years
Answer
4D
Question 5 When a low mass red giant has consumed most of the helium in its core it may
turn into a
A yellow dwarf
B white dwarf
C supernova
D neutron star.
Answer
5B

Question 6 When a high mass red giant has consumed most of the helium in its core it may
become a
A white dwarf
B yellow dwarf
C planetary nebula
D neutron star.
Answer
6D
Exam-style questions
Question 1 a Explain what is meant by the redshift of starlight. [3]
b Explain what the redshift of starlight tells us about the motion of distant galaxies. [2] [Total: 5]
Answer
1 a Light from glowing hydrogen and other gases in stars in distant galaxies has a longer
wavelength than it does on Earth – the light is ‘shifted’ towards the red end of the spectrum [3]
b Distant galaxies are moving away from us; the further away they are the faster the speed of
recession [2] [Total: 5]

Question 2 State which of the following provides evidence in support of the Big Bang theory. A
Gravitational attraction B Supernova explosions C Redshift of starlight from distant galaxies D
Fusion of hydrogen into helium [Total: 1]
Answer
2 C [Total: 1]
Question 3 a Describe how a stable star is formed and how it is powered. [5]
b When does a stable star turn into a red giant? [2] [Total: 7]
Answer
3a
• Clouds of hydrogen gas collapse due to gravitational attraction and form a protostar [1]
• As the protostar grows in size it becomes hotter and when the temperature is high
enough in the core, nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium starts; [2]
• large amounts of energy are released which sustain the fusion process. The protostar
has then become a star, powered by nuclear fusion [2]
b When most of the hydrogen in the core has been used up in the nuclear fusion of
hydrogen into helium
Question 4 a State the forces, and give their direction, which are balanced when a star is in
a stable state. [4]
b Write down the sequence of stages in the life cycle of a star like the Sun. [5] [Total: 9]
Answer
4 a Gravity acts inwards; thermal pressure, due to the high temperature of the star, acts
outwards [4]
b

[5] [Total: 9]
Question 31 The Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits the Sun.
a In December is the northern hemisphere tilted towards or away from the Sun? [1]
b State when the Sun is highest on the horizon in the northern hemisphere. [2]
c State when the longest hours of daylight occur in the southern hemisphere. [2]
d State the months in which the hours of day and night are equal. [2] [Total: 7]

Answer
a West
b At noon, around June 21
c On or near to Dec 22
d March and September
Question 32 The Moon is kept in a circular orbit around the Earth by the force of gravity
between it and the Earth. If the average radius of the orbit is 385000 km and the orbital
speed is approximately 1 km/s, calculate
a the distance travelled by the Moon in one orbit of the Earth [2]
b the orbital period of the Moon in days. [4] [Total: 6]

Answer
a distance = 2 π r = 2 × π × 385 000 km = 2.42 × 106 km
b average speed = distance / time
so, time = distance / speed
= 2.42 × 106 km / 1 km/s
= 2.42 × 106 s.
Time in days = 2.42 × 106 s / (60 × 60 × 24)
= 28 days.