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A LevelPhysicsOCRExam Questions5. Newtonian World & AstrophysicsPlanetary Motion

Planetary Motion (OCR A Level Physics): Exam Questions

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1
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A student has collected some data on the Solar System.

The student plots a graph, but only two data points are shown below.

q11-h556-01-qp-june-2019-ocr-a-level-physics

The distance from the centre of the Sun is r.

Which quantity y is represented on the vertical axis?

  • Speed of a planet.

  • Period of a planet.

  • Gravitational potential of the Sun.

  • Gravitational field strength of the Sun.

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2
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The Star Orbiter satellite was launched in February 2019. This satellite moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit with a period of 188 days.

The closest distance of the satellite to the Sun is 6.20 × 1010 m and its furthest distance from the Sun is 2.37 × 1011 m. The mass of the Sun is 4.0 × 1030 kg and the mass of the satellite is 409 kg.

The Earth has a mean orbital distance of 1.50 × 1011 m around the Sun and an orbital period of 365 days.

What is the mean orbital distance (m) of the satellite from the Sun?

  • 9.6 × 1010

  • 9.0 × 1032

  • 9.6 × 1040

  • 9.6 × 1050

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3
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Alnitak-80 is a star with several planets orbiting it.The two outermost planets are Alnitak-80g and Alnitak-80h. Alnitak-80g has an orbital period of 220 days and is 0.81AU from the centre of Alnitak-80. Alnitak-80h is 1.20AU from the centre of Alnitak-80.

One of Kepler’s laws of planetary motion can be applied to the planets of Alnitak-80.

What is the orbital period of Alnitak-80h?

  • 200 days

  • 300 days

  • 350 days

  • 397 days

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4
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A student wants to explain Kepler’s second law of planetary motion.

Which statement accurately describes Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion?

  • Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the foci

  • As a planet orbits the Sun, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times

  • The force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres.

  • The time it takes for a planet to orbit the Sun is directly proportional to its average distance from the Sun

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11 mark

Kepler−90 is a star with several planets orbiting it.

The two outermost planets are Kepler−90g and Kepler−90h. Kepler−90g has an orbital period of 210 days and is 0.71 AU from the centre of Kepler−90. Kepler−90h is 1.01AU from the centre of Kepler−90.

Kepler’s third law of planetary motion can be applied to the planets of Kepler−90. What is the orbital period of Kepler−90h?

  • 50 days

  • 299 days

  • 356 days

  • 4350 days

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