7) Astronomy Flashcards
Astronomy:
How many planets are in the solar system?
8
Astronomy:
What is the circular motions of which plants go around the sun called?
Orbit
Astronomy:
As you go further from the sun do orbits get longer or shorter?
Longer
Astronomy:
Moons are natural __________ that orbit a planet.
Satellites
Astronomy:
For a planet to be classified as ‘dwarf’ it has to have a ____ _____________ _____.
Weak gravitational field
Astronomy:
On average how many dwarf planets are there in the solar system?
Hundreds
Astronomy:
Asteroids have to have what shaped orbit to be classified?
Egg shape/ oval (highly elliptical)
Astronomy:
What kind of materials are asteroids made up from?
Metals and rocky materials
Astronomy:
What planets is the asteroid belt between?
Mars and jupiter
Astronomy:
Where is the kuiper belt situated?
Past neptune
Astronomy:
What are comets made from?
Rocky material, dust and ice
Astronomy:
What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?
-Made from different materials.
Astronomy:
What do comets do while approaching the sun?
Vaporise
Astronomy:
What gives the comet its distinctive tail?
The materials it’s made from heating up and turning into a gas
Astronomy:
What is the definition of weight?
Weight is how heavy you are dependant on a gravitational field strength.
Astronomy:
How do you calculate weight?
Weight = Mass x gravitational field strength
Astronomy:
What is the gravitational field strength of earth?
9.8 N/Kg
Astronomy:
If an apple has a mass of 100g what is its weight on mars (3.7 N/Kg)?
Weight = 0.37N
Astronomy:
What is the weight of a 30kg dog on the Moon (g = 1.7 N/Kg)?
Weight = 51N
Astronomy:
What is gravitational field strength measured in?
Newtons per kilogram (N/Kg)
Astronomy:
What is weight measured in?
Newtons (N)
Astronomy:
What is mass measured in?
Kilogram (Kg)
Astronomy:
What did Ptolemy’s model of the solar system have?
The Earth at the centre of it
Astronomy:
Nicolas Copernicus changed what about ptolemy’s solar system model?
He put the sun as the centre of it
Astronomy:
What invention backed up Nicolas’s diagram of the solar system?
The telescope
Astronomy:
When was Pluto discovered?
1930
Astronomy:
When did Pluto get reclassified to a dwarf planet?
2006
Astronomy:
If an object in orbit it travelling too fast what happens?
It’s orbit is too weak and it’s sent off into space
Astronomy:
What happens if the orbit of an object it too weak?
The gravitational attraction is too strong and it will fall back to the planet
Astronomy:
What is a stable orbit?
Where the object orbiting travels a fixed path and spirals the earth
Astronomy:
When an object moves in an orbit at a constant speed what happens to its direction?
It’s constantly changing
Astronomy:
When an object in orbit changes direction, even if at a constant speed, what does this cause?
An acceleration
Astronomy:
An object in orbit will only accelerate if it has?
A centripetal force
Astronomy:
As the planets get further away from the sun what decreases between the 2?
The gravitational attraction
Astronomy:
If a planet is closer to the sun and has more of a gravitational attraction to it, what else is also increased?
The acceleration of the planet
Astronomy:
What are the 2 types of orbit for artificial satellites?
Polar orbits
Geostationary orbits
Astronomy:
Are polar orbits or geostationary orbits larger?
Geostationary orbits
Astronomy:
Do polar orbits or geostationary orbits travel slower?
Geostationary orbits
Astronomy:
How long to geostationary orbits take to orbit the earth?
24 Hours
