Paper 2 - Topic 9, Space Physics Flashcards

1
Q

what are artificial satellites

A

man-made satellites that have been sent into space for purposes like satellite imaging and communications

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2
Q

what are artificial satellites

A

man-made satellites that have been sent into space for purposes like satellite imaging and communications

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3
Q

what is the big bang theory

A

currently accepted model for the origin of the universe, suggests universe has expanded from an initially very small hot and dense point

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4
Q

what is dark energy

A

hypothesised form of energy that is believed to be responsible for the universe’s increasing rate of expansion

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5
Q

what is dark mass

A

hypothesised type of mass that cannot be observed by current methods, used to explain why some galaxies rotate faster than they should

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6
Q

what is a main sequence star

A

the stable state of all stars, gravitational forces pulling the star together and the pressure pushing outwards is balanced

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7
Q

what are natural satellites

A

the moons that orbit planets

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8
Q

what is a nebula

A

a cloud of dust and gas

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9
Q

what is a protostar

A

the first stage all stars go through after forming from a nebula, this stage the star becomes hot enough for hydrogen nuclei to fuse

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10
Q

what is a red giant star

A

when their hydrogen is used up and larger nuclei are produced by fusion, stars of a similar magnitude to the Sun will expand to form a red giant

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11
Q

what is red-shift

A

the observed increase in the wavelength of the light emitted by distant galaxies, the more distant the galaxy, the faster it is moving and so the bigger the observed increase in wavelength

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12
Q

what is a sun

A

a star formed from a cloud of dust and gas being pulled together by gravitational attraction, fusion reactions occur in the sun

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13
Q

what is a supernova

A

the explosion of a massive star that distributes the elements created by the fusion reactions in the star, throughout the universe

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14
Q

what is a white dwarf

A

when the fusion reactions in stars of a similar magnitude to the Sun come to an end, the star will contract under gravity and cool down to form a white dwarf

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15
Q

what are the inner planets mainly made of

A

rock

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16
Q

what are the outer planets mainly made out of

A

gas

17
Q

what is the order of planets

A

My - Mercury
Very - Venus
Easy - Earth
Method - Mars
Just - Jupiter
Speeds - Saturn
Up - Uranus
Naming - Neptune
(Planets) - (Pluto)

18
Q

why do objects orbit each other

A

due to gravity

19
Q

if the orbital radius decreases what happens?

A

the gravitational attraction increases

20
Q

what is needed for a stable orbit

A

for the orbital speed to increase

21
Q

what happens if a circular object orbits

A

the objects move at the same speed, but velocity is changing so the object is accelerating

22
Q

what is the doppler effect

A

when a distant object moves away from the Earth, the light appears more red (the more distant the objects the greater the red shift and the faster they are moving away)

23
Q

what is the life cycle of a star

A

nebula -> protostar -> main sequence star -> either a red supergiant (supernova -> black hole or neutron star) or red giant (white dwarf -> black dwarf)

24
Q

where are elements heavier than iron made

A

in a supernova

25
Q

what is cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)

A

radiation from all directions in space

26
Q

what does red-shift provide evidence for

A

the expansion of the universe

27
Q

how are naturally occurring elements formed

A

from nuclear fusion during the life cycle of stars

28
Q

how does the force of gravity make objects in orbit change their velocity but not their speed

A

gravity provides a centripetal force which keeps orbiting objects moving in a circle, they are constantly changing direction