The Solar System (CIE IGCSE Physics: Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award))

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The graph in Fig. 2.1 gives data for four bodies in the outer solar system.

Uranus orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2900 million km.

Fig. 2.1

Use the graph to determine the orbital speed of Uranus.

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Use data from the graph to calculate

Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the solar system.

For each position (i - iii) state the name of the body indicated.

There are more than 200 moons in our solar system.

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Astronomers launched the Hubble telescope in 1990, placing it in orbit around the Earth.

The table in Fig. 2 shows information about the orbits around the Earth of both the Hubble Telescope and the Moon.

Fig. 2

For the Hubble telescope and the Moon:

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Using the data in the table in part (c) calculate the orbital speed of the Hubble telescope.

The radius of the Earth is 6400 km.

Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the solar system.

For each position (i - iii) state the name of the body indicated.

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The asteroid belt can be considered as the dividing line between the inner and outer planets.

Compare the differences between these two groups of planets.

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Fig. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between orbital speed in km/s and mean distance from the Sun measured in astronomical units, AU.

The positions of Saturn and Pluto have been plotted and labelled.

Fig. 2

For the planet Uranus

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State how the strength of the Sun's gravitational field changes as the distance from the Sun decreases. 

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Mercury is nearer to the Sun than Saturn.

A student states that the nearest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri.

Explain what is wrong with this statement.

Light from Proxima Centauri takes 2 200 000 minutes to reach the Earth. Light from the Sun takes 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth.

The distance from the Sun to the Earth is defined as being 1 astronomical unit (AU).

For the distance to Proxima Centauri

A light year is the distance that light travels in one year.

Astronomers usually give the distance from stars in terms of light years rather than using metres and kilometres.

Suggest a reason for this.

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Fig. 1 shows Jupiter and the orbits of two of its moons, Ganymede and Europa.

The positions of the two moons are marked for various dates.

The radius of Europa’s orbit is 671 000 km. The radius of Ganymede’s orbit is 1 070 000 km

Fig.1.

Determine the time for Ganymede to complete one orbit of Jupiter.

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Calculate the distance from Europa to Ganymede on 8 June.

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Describe and explain how the distance between Europa and Ganymede changes during three orbits of Europa.