Earth and Space

Question 1

What is a gravitational field?

Answer 1

The region around an object with mass where other objects experience weight

Question 2

What is weight?

Answer 2

A force experienced by an object with mass that is inside a gravitational field

Question 3

Give the formula for weight

Answer 3

weight = mass x gravitational field strength

Question 4

What is the gravitational field strength of the earth?

Answer 4

10 N/kg (or 9.8)

Question 5

What are the units of mass?

Answer 5

kg (kilograms)

Question 6

What are the units of force?

Answer 6

N (newtons)

Question 7

Name the planets

Answer 7

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Question 8

Name the five largest dwarf planets

Answer 8

Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea

Question 9

Why is Venus considered a “terrestrial” planet?

Answer 9

It is made of rock

Question 10

Which planets are the ice giants?

Answer 10

Uranus and Neptune

Question 11

What is meant by a “Jovian planet”

Answer 11

A planet that is similar to Jupiter (a gas giant)

Question 12

What is the speed of light?

Answer 12

300,000,000 m/s

Question 13

How long does it take for light to travel from the Moon to the Earth?

Answer 13

1.25 seconds

Question 14

How long does it take for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth?

Answer 14

500 seconds (approximately 8 minutes)

Question 15

What do stars form from?

Answer 15

Nebulae

Question 16

What is the name for most stars in the stable portion of their life cycle?

Answer 16

Main sequence star

Question 17

What is the name for the hot ball of gas that begins to form a star?

Answer 17

Protostar

Question 18

Which colour of star is the hottest?

Answer 18

Blue

Question 19

Which colour of star is the coolest?

Answer 19

Red

Question 20

Name the closest star to the solar system other than the sun

Answer 20

Proxima Centauri

Question 21

Give the name for the whole of space

Answer 21

Universe

Question 22

What is a group of billions of stars called?

Answer 22

Galaxy

Question 23

What is the name of the galaxy that the solar system is in?

Answer 23

Milky Way

Question 24

What is a year?

Answer 24

The time taken for a planet to orbit its star

Question 25

What is a day?

Answer 25

The time taken for a planet to rotate fully on its axis

Question 26

How long does it take for the Earth to orbit the Sun?

Answer 26

365.25 days

Question 27

What is the main factor controlling the length of a year for a planet?

Answer 27

The distance the planet is from the sun.

Question 28

Why does the Earth experience seasons?

Answer 28

The axis of rotation is tilted around 23 degrees from the plane of its orbit

Question 29

Mercury does not have a tilted axis of rotation. Will it experience seasons?

Answer 29

No

Question 30

Why is winter cooler than summer?

Answer 30

Away from the equator, sunlight is spread over a larger area of ground so warms it less. The days are also shorter, so there is less time for the ground to warm up.

Question 31

If something is moving in a circle e.g. a planet orbiting the sun, in which direction is the force?

Answer 31

Towards the centre of the circle

Question 32

Which force causes a moon to orbit a planet

Answer 32

gravitational force (directed towards the centre of a circle)

Question 33

Draw the magnetic field around a bar magnet

Answer 33

Question 34

Draw the magnetic field around the Earth

Answer 34

Remember - the Earth’s geographic north pole is a magnetic south pole (we still call it magnetic north when referring to where our compass needle points!)

Question 35

Draw the gravitational field around the Earth

Answer 35

It will be the same shape for other planets and stars