60   Year 9 Science Learning Workbook

The voyage (page 232)

1. The Sun.
2. Earth.
3. The orbits of Earth and Mars.
4. Gravity.
5. Around in its orbit.
6. Because of its motion – it travels at a speed (107 000 kph) which exactly opposes the pull of gravity.
Bird’s-eye view of a discus thrower
1. a. b. Yes.
2. a. Because the Sun’s gravity is bending its path.
b. Not possible – within the Solar System the Sun’s gravity
will always bend a spacecraft’s path (unless it is heading
directly to, or from, the Sun). This path made clever use
of the Earth’s motion – at TCM-1, Phoenix was already
moving, with the Earth, at 107 000 kph, so a blast from
Phoenix’s rocket motor was able to push it away from
Earth’s orbit, rather like the discus leaving the athlete’s
hand.
c. (118 400 – 96 000) kph = 22 400 kph

The landing (page 233)

1. • By friction.
• By parachute.
• By rocket thrusters.
2. The Martian atmosphere.
3. a. Kinetic energy.
b. Heat energy.
4. Kinetic energy ➔ Heat energy.
5. Because of its great speed / huge kinetic energy.
6. Mistake 1: 2600 is the temperature on the Fahrenheit scale; it is the same as 1 430 °C.
Mistake 2: 1 430 °C is the temperature of the heat shield, not the atmosphere!
7. No. The thinner atmosphere would not provide as much ‘drag’.
8. Towards it. Thrust towards the surface results in a force which opposes Phoenix’s fall.

Transmissions (page 234)

1. Radio.
2. At the speed of light (300 000 km/s).
3. Speed = 300 000 km/s
Distance = 274 000 000 km
Time = (274 000 000 ÷ 300 000) s
= 913 seconds
= 15 minutes