Physics - Kerboodle Space

Question 1

What are some theories people had about the solar system?

Answer 1

Some poeple thought the Sun was eaten by monsters during a solar eclipse.
People thought the earth was flat and was supported by pillars surrounded by oceans.
The earth was supported on the back of a turtle.

Question 2

What is a model?

Answer 2

A model can be something physical, or it can use equations. Models help us to explain what we see and to predict what will happen.

Question 3

What is the geocentric model?

Answer 3

In this model the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars moved around the Earth.
They moved on crystal spheres that light could travel through.

Question 4

Who wrote books on the geocentric model?

Answer 4

Two Greek astronomers, Plato and Aristotle, wrote books explaining this model over 2000 years ago.

Question 5

What is gravity?

Answer 5

A force between all objects. Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center.

Question 6

What did the geocentric model explain?

Answer 6

The ground did not seem to move
The Sun and Moon did appear to move
The stars also appeared to move

Question 7

What was the problem with the geocentric model?

Answer 7

Sometimes the planets appeared to go backwards. This is called retrograde motion. You do not notice it during one night, but if you make observations over several months you can see that the paths of the planets change direction.

Question 8

What did scientists do after the problem of retrograde motion?

Answer 8

A scientist called Ptolemy changed the model so that the planets went in complicated orbits.

Question 9

What is the heliocentric model?

Answer 9

In this model the planets orbited the Sun.

Question 10

Who wrote a book on the heliocentric model?

Answer 10

In 1543 a book with this model was published.
The author was Nicolaus Copernicus.

Question 11

What did Gelileo use and what did he find?

Answer 11

He used a telescope and found objects in orbit around Jupiter, not in orbit around the Earth. This was evidence that not everything was in orbit around the Earth. This provided new evidence for the heliocentric model.

Question 12

What would you find if you observed other galaxies?

Answer 12

They are moving away from us.

Question 13

How do most scientists think the Universe began?

Answer 13

With the Big Bang. All of space and time expanded from something smaller than an atom. The Universe has been expanding ever since.

Question 14

What do galaxies futher away from us do?

Answer 14

They move faster.

Question 15

When do scientists believe the Big Bang happened?

Answer 15

About 14 billion years ago

Question 16

When do scientists believe that the first stars started to appear?

Answer 16

About 150 million years after the Big Bang.

Question 17

When did galaxies form?

Answer 17

Billions of years after the Big Bang.

Question 18

When did our solar system form?

Answer 18

9 billion years after the Big Bang. That was 5 billion years ago.

Question 19

When did life on Earth start?

Answer 19

About 4 billion years ago.

Question 20

When did the dinosaurs live?

Answer 20

Between 200 million years ago and 65 million years ago.

Question 21

How long have humans existed for?

Answer 21

Less than half a million years.

Question 22

If the Big Bang happened on the 1st of January, when would our solar system form and when would humans form?

Answer 22

In August.
11:30pm on 31st of December

Question 23

How are satellites launched?

Answer 23

They launch a satellite by attaching it to a rocket. Fuel burns inside the rocket and pushes the waste gases out of the bottom of it. There is the force of the gases on the rocket. There are also forces between the rocket and the Earth. When the force of the air on the rocket is bigger than the force of the Earth on the rocket, it will take off.

Question 24

What is the only natural satellite of Earth?

Answer 24

The moon

Question 25

What was the first artificial satellite?

Answer 25

Sputnik 1. Launched by the Russians in 1957. It was a metal sphere about 50 cm in diameter. To get it into orbit the engineers needed to launch it to the right height and fire it at the right speed. The force of gravity kept it in orbit.

Question 26

What are satellites used for?

Answer 26

Satellites are used for communication, monitoring the weather, studying the Earth and space, and much more.

Question 27

What is geostationary orbit?

Answer 27

They stay over the same position on the Earth all the time. It takes one day for a geostationary satellite to orbit the Earth. It is always above a spot on the Equator. A geostationary satellite is about 36000km from Earth.

Question 28

What can satellites in geostationary orbit do?

Answer 28

They can broadcast television signals.
A television company transmits a radio signal to the satellite. The satellite broadcasts it to lots of houses.

Question 29

What is low Earth orbit (LEO)?

Answer 29

This is an orbit below 1000km from Earth. The International Space Station is in low Earth orbit. To see the whole of the Earth’s surface you need a satellite in LEO.

Question 30

What is polar orbit?

Answer 30

Some LEO satellites go over the North Pole and the South Pole in a polar orbit. Polar orbit satellites are useful for mapping.

Question 31

What do you do when you do a risk assessment?

Answer 31

When you do a risk assessment you consider the probability that something will happen, and the consequences if it did. Then you do your best to reduce the probability or change the consequences.

Question 32

What are some risks when going to space?

Answer 32

The rocket exploding with the astronauts lying on top.
As they travelled back to Earth through the atmosphere the spacecraft got very, very very hot due to friction. The outside of the spacecraft was designed to withstand temperatures hotter than the surface of the Sun.
They used parachutes to slow their descent.

There was danger from the Sun while they were travelling there and back. The Sun produces lots of radiation. Occasionally the Sun emits a solar flare. A huge amount of extra radiation is thrown out into space. A solar flare could stop all the on-board computers working.

Question 33

What are some benefits of the Moon missions?

Answer 33

• The liquid-cooled suits used by racing-car drivers and fire-fighters are based on the Apollo astronauts’ spacesuits.
• The computer programs for swiping credit cards use software designed for the Apollo missions.
• Water filters use technology designed to recycle astronauts’ urine.
• Baby-milk formulas are based on protein-rich drinks developed for astronauts.
• The shock-absorbing materials
  used in sports shoes were developed for spacesuits.