Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Physics GCSE > space physics > Flashcards

space physics Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
GCSE Geography - AQA flashcards Physics 101 flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route B flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route B flashcards AP® Physics flashcards
1
Q

mass

A

the amount of matter an object has

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

weight

A

a force exerted by an object

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

weight

A

mass x gravity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

gravity

A

The force of attraction between any two objects which have a mass.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is in the centre of the solar system?

A

The sun as it has the greatest mass therefore the strongest force of gravity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Satellite

A

It is an object that orbits (goes around in a circular motion) around another object. The moon is a natural satellite for the earth, the moon orbits around the earth as the earth is heavier and has a higher gravitational field strength.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Nuclear fusion

A

-It is the process which power up stars and allows them to release energy. Nuclear fusion is the joining of two small nuclei to produce a large nucleus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Sun

A

The sun has a great mass, therefore a strong force of gravity. The sun is in the centre of the solar system as it takes up 99% of the mass of the solar system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

The birth of a star (any size star)

A

1, Nebula- dust and gas (hydrogen) in the universe are brought together due to gravity and produce the core of the star.
2, Protostar- the core of the star produced during the nebula starts to heat up and this is due to the particles having high kinetic energy
3, Main sequence star- hydrogen gas in the star will fuse together (nuclear fusion) as the core is hot and gravity is proving high pressure for the reaction to occur. Gravity applies a force on the star inwards, and with the fusion reaction force is applied outwards. Our sun is at this process currently and releases energy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

The death of a star (small-like the sun)

A

1, Red giant- Eventually the hydrogen in the star will run out, this means the star will only contain helium. The helium will now undergo nuclear fusion, but as helium is a heavier element more energy will be released, more outwards force thus the size of the star will increase.
2, White dwarf- Nuclear fusion will continue to occur with heavier elements and the size of the star will constantly increase until we reach iron. Iron is the heaviest element that can undergo nuclear fusion. This will mean there is no longer an outwards force acting on the star (but gravity still acts inwards), causing the star to shrink in size.
3, Black dwarf- starts losing energy- light goes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Death of a star (medium and large)

A

1, Red supergiant- Eventually the hydrogen in the star will run out, this means the star will only contain helium. The helium will now undergo nuclear fusion, but as helium is a heavier element more energy will be released, more outwards force thus the size of the star will increase. As the star has more mass and is larger in size, the red super giant will be greater in size and lot more energy compared to the red giant.
2, Supernova- As the star has a high outwards force due to nuclear fusion, the star will get warmer and eventually explode with high pressure. Elements heavier than iron are produced.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Medium star- end of life cycle

A

Neutron star- It is produced as the final product in a medium star. This star consists of neutrons tightly packed together (in the milky way there are over 2000 neutron stars laying around)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Large star- end of life cycle

A

Black hole- are produced at the end of the life cycle of a large star when the neutron will further compress into a black hole. As the star originally was so big in mass, the black hole has an extremely strong force of gravity. The strength of pull of gravity is so strong that not even light (3 x 10^8 m/s) can escape the pull. 21 billion times bigger than the sun.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Big bang theory

A

The universe initially started off as all the mass was located in a dense region, and there was a colossal explosion between the mass which created the universe. The universe is ever expanding.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Evidence for the Big Bang theory

A

1, Cosmic microwave background radiation–> this is the natural radiation which is found in the atmosphere, and it is the remaining radiation from the big bang collison.
2, Red shift- this is the evidence that supports that the universe is ever expanding, this is as the light shifts towards the red end of the spectrum. As red light has a higher wavelength when light shifts towards the red end of the spectrum it suggests that the planets are moving away.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

The gravitational field around planets is strong enough to have pulled in all nearby objects with the exception of

A

natural satellites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

The gravitational field around a dwarf planet is

A

not strong enough to have pulled in nearby objects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the 4 rocky planets?

A

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the 4 gas planets?

A

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are moons examples of?

A

natural satellites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Artificial satellites

A
  • man-made and can orbit any object in space

- The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the Earth and is an example of an artificial satellite

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

A single orbit is called the planet’s

A

year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What also orbits the sun?

A

asteroids and comets

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is an asteroid?

A

A small rocky object which orbits the sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Where does the asteroid belt lie?

A

Between mars and Jupiter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Comets

A
  • Comets are made of dust and ice and orbit the Sun in a different orbit to those of planets
  • The ice melts when the comet approaches the Sun and forms the comet’s tail
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Our solar system is one part of the

A

milky way galaxy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

How many stars are in the Milky Way galaxy?

A

Billions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Some of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy

A

have planets which orbit them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

The universe is made up of

A

many different galaxies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

How many galaxies are there estimated to be in the entire universe?

A

More than 100 billion galaxies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What does a planet orbit?

A

The sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What does a moon orbit?

A

A planet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What does a comet orbit?

A

Sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What does an asteroid orbit?

A

Sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What does an artificial satellite orbit?

A

An object or body in the solar system

37
Q

What determines what will orbit another body?

A

The size- A smaller body or object will orbit a larger body

38
Q

What does there have to be in order to orbit a body?

A
  • there has to be a force pulling things towards that body

- Gravity provides this force

39
Q

The gravitational force exerted by the larger body on the orbiting object

A

-is always attractive

40
Q

Gravitational force

A
  • Therefore, the gravitational force always acts towards the centre of the larger body
  • The gravitational force is the centripetal force as it will cause the body to move and maintain in a circular path
41
Q

Circular motion in an orbit

A
  • Planets travel around the Sun in orbits that are (approximately) circular
  • Objects in circular orbit are travelling at a constant speed
  • The orbit is a circular path, therefore the direction in which the object is travelling will be constantly changing direction
  • A change in direction causes a change in velocity
  • Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, therefore if the object is constantly changing direction then its velocity is constantly changing and so the object in orbit is accelerating
  • A resultant force is needed to cause an acceleration
  • This resultant force is gravity and it must act at right angles to the instantaneous velocity of the object to create a circular orbit
  • This is always towards the centre of the orbit
  • The instantaneous velocity of the object is the velocity at a given time
42
Q

There are several similarities in the way different planets orbit the Sun

A
  • Their orbits are all slightly elliptical (stretched circles) with the Sun at one focus (approximately the centre of the orbit)
  • They all orbit in the same plane
  • They all travel the same direction around the Sun
43
Q

There are also a few differences:

A
  • They orbit at different distances from the Sun
  • They orbit at different speeds
  • They all take different amounts of time to orbit the Sun
44
Q

asteroids are

A

pieces of rock which orbit the sun

45
Q

Moons

A
  • They are natural satellites which orbit planets
  • Moons will orbit planets in a circular path
  • Some planets will have more than one moon
  • The closer the moon is to the planet:
  • The shorter the time it will take to orbit
  • The greater the speed in the orbit
46
Q

Artificial satellites

A
  • A satellite needs to travel at a specific speed to maintain a circular orbit at a particular distance from the object
  • If the speed of the satellite is too big:
  • The radius of the orbit will increase and the satellite will spiral into space
  • This is because the gravitational attraction cannot provide enough force to keep it in orbit
  • If the speed of the satellite is too small:
  • The radius of the orbit will decrease and the satellite will move towards the object it should be orbiting
  • This is because the gravitational attraction is too strong to maintain a constant orbital radius
  • If an artificial satellite is to change the radius at which it is orbiting then the speed at which it is travelling must change
  • To maintain a stable orbit:
  • If the speed increases the radius must increase
  • If the speed decreases the radius must decrease
47
Q

galaxy

A

constellation of stars

48
Q

Gravity

A

The force of attraction between any two objects that have a mass

49
Q

Dwarf planets are

A

extremely small

50
Q

The solar system also includes (apart from planets)

A

moons, asteroids and comets

51
Q

How many moons do most of the planets in the solar system have?

A

At least one

52
Q

What is the solar system a part of?

A

The Milky Way galaxy

53
Q

What is a galaxy?

A

It is a massive group of stars

54
Q

How many stars does the Milky Way contain?

A

Hundreds of billions

55
Q

How many galaxies does the Universe contain?

A

Hundreds of billions

56
Q

What is a nebula?

A

A cloud of dust and gas

57
Q

What is the main gas in a nebula?

A

Hydrogen

58
Q

What is a protostar?

A

A collapsing cloud of hot dust and gas

59
Q

What does the force of gravity tend to do to a star?

A

It tends to make it collapse

60
Q

What force does the energy from nuclear fusion tend to do?

A

It tends to make the star expand

61
Q

The main sequence star is in

A

equilibrium

62
Q

When are elements heavier than iron produced?

A

In a supernova

63
Q

In what paths do planets orbit the sun?

A

In eliptical paths

64
Q

What do comets orbit?

A

The sun

65
Q

What do moons orbit?

A

Planets

66
Q

How does the gravitational force vary close to the sun?

A

It increases

67
Q

What are asteroids?

A

They are pieces of rock that orbit the sun

68
Q

What is a galaxy?

A

It is a consellation of stars

69
Q

Features of eliptical orbits

A
  • speed is constant
  • velocity changes at every point on the path
  • accelerate
  • centripetal
70
Q

When is a star in equilibrium?

A

When the inward pull of gravity and the outward pressure acting on the star are equal.

71
Q

If the temperature drops, what will happen to the outward pressure?

A

It will decrease, causing the star to contract.

72
Q

Where are elements heavier than iron produced?

A

in a supernovae explosion

73
Q

A smaller orbit/body will

A

orbit a larger body

74
Q

The gravitational force exerted by the larger body on the orbitting object is

A

always attractive

75
Q

What is the gravitational force?

A

It is the centripetal force as it will cause the body to move and maintain a circular path.

76
Q

What are several similarities in the way different planets orbit the sun?

A
  • their orbits are all slightly elliptical (stretched circles) with the Sun at one focus (approximately the centre of the orbit)
  • they all orbit in the same plane
  • they all travel the same direction around the sun
77
Q

What are a few differences in the way planets orbit the sun?

A
  • they orbit at different distances from the sun
  • they orbit at different speeds
  • they all take different amounts of time to orbit the sun
78
Q

Planets furthest from the sun take

A

the longest amount of time to orbit the sun- they travel at the slowest speeds

79
Q

How long to planets closest to the sun take to orbit the sun?

A

the shortest amount of time to orbit the sun- they travel at the fastest speeds

80
Q

In what path do moons orbit planets?

A

circular paths

81
Q

The closer the moon is to the planet:

A
  • the shorter the time it will take to orbit

- the greater the speed in the orbit

82
Q

Why does a satellite need to travel at a specific speed?

A

To maintain a circular orbit at a particular distance from the object

83
Q

What happens if the speed of the satellite is too big?

A

The radius of the orbit will increase and the satellite will spiral into space because the gravitational attraction cannot provide enough force to keep it in orbit

84
Q

What happens if the speed of the satellite is too small?

A

The radius of the orbit will decrease and the satellite will move towards the object it should be orbitting. This is because the gravitational attraction is too strong to maintain a constant orbital radius.

85
Q

If an artificial satellite is to change the radius at which it is orbitting, what must change?

A

The speed at which it is travelling

86
Q

If the speed increases, what must happen to the radius?

A

it must increase

87
Q

if the speed decreases what must happen to the radius?

A

It should decrease

88
Q

How do comits orbit?

A
  • their orbits ar highly eliptical or hyperbolic
  • This causes the speed of the comets to change significantly as the distance from the Sun changes
  • Not all comets orbit in the same plane as the planets and some don’t even orbit in the same direction.
89
Q

How is a stable orbit of a comet achieved?

A
  • as the comet it loses gravitational potential energy and gains kinetic energy
  • This causes the comet to speed up
  • This increase in speed causes a slingshot effect, and the body will be flung back out into space again, having passed around the Sun
  • As it moves away from the Sun the body will slow down, eventually finishing its orbit and falling back into towards the Sun once more
  • In this way, a stable orbit is formed

Physics GCSE (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions