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Edexcel GCSE Physics > Topic 7 Astronomy > Flashcards

Topic 7 Astronomy Flashcards

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1
Q

1 What is the nearest star to the Earth?

A

the Sun

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2
Q

2 Name two types of body found in the Solar System.

A

two of: the Sun/star, planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, moons/satellites

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3
Q

3 What is the name for the path that a planet follows around the Sun?

A

orbit

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4
Q

4 How many planets are there in the Solar System?

A

eight

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5
Q

5 Apart from Earth, name two other planets in the Solar System.

A

any from Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

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6
Q

6 What is a moon?

A

a natural body that orbits a planet

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7
Q

7 Name one type of body, other than a planet, that orbits the Sun.

A

comet, asteroid or dwarf planet

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8
Q

8 Why can we see planets in the night sky?

A

They reflect light from the Sun.

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9
Q

9 What shape is the orbit of a planet around the Sun?

A

elliptical, but almost circular

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10
Q

10 Name an instrument that can be used to study the stars and planets from the Earth.

A

telescope

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11
Q

11 What is the geocentric model of the Solar System?

A

the idea that the Sun and all the planets are moving around the Earth

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12
Q

12 Who suggested the geocentric model?

A

Ptolemy

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13
Q

13 What is the heliocentric model?

A

the idea that everything in the Solar System orbits the Sun

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14
Q

14 Who is best known for suggesting the heliocentric model?

A

Copernicus

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15
Q

15 Name the planets in order, starting with the one nearest the Sun.

A

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

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16
Q

16 Put these in order of size, starting with the smallest: dwarf planet, planet, asteroid

A

asteroid, dwarf planet, planet

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17
Q

17 Why are some telescopes put onto satellites?

A

because the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs some wavelengths of EM radiation / to put them above the clouds or dust in atmosphere

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18
Q

18 Name one factor that the weight of an object depends on.

A

mass or gravitational field strength

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19
Q

19 What is an artificial satellite?

A

something made by humans in orbit around a planet or moon

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20
Q

20 What shape is the orbit of a comet?

A

highly elliptical

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21
Q

21 What does g stand for?

A

gravitational field strength

22
Q

22 What are the units for g?

A

N/kg

23
Q

23 Name two factors that affect the weight of an object.

A

mass and gravitational field strength

24
Q

24 Name two factors that affect the surface gravity of a planet.

A

mass and radius

25
Q

25 How does mass affect g?

A

greater mass, greater g

26
Q

26 What happens if a satellite speeds up in its orbit?

A

moves to a higher orbit

27
Q

27 Why is the velocity of a satellite always changing?

A

velocity is a vector

28
Q

28 Name a type of star

A

any from main sequence star, red giant, red supergiant, white/red/brown/black dwarf, black hole, neutron star, etc.

29
Q

29 What reactions happen inside the Sun?

A

nuclear / fusion reactions

30
Q

30 What is the main element that is used in the fusion reactions in the Sun?

A

hydrogen

31
Q

31 What is a nebula?

A

a cloud of dust and gas

32
Q

32 What is a protostar?

A

a contracting cloud of gas that is heating up

33
Q

33 At what stage in its life cycle is the Sun?

A

main sequence

34
Q

34 What is the next stage in the Sun’s life cycle?

A

red giant

35
Q

35 How will the Sun end its life cycle?

A

white dwarf

36
Q

36 What factor decides whether a star follows the same life cycle as the Sun?

A

its mass

37
Q

37 For a high-mass star, what is formed after a supernova?

A

black hole or neutron star

38
Q

38 What does the pitch of a sound describe?

A

how high or low the sound is

39
Q

39 What determines the pitch of a sound?

A

frequency/wavelength of the waves

40
Q

40 How does a sound change if the object is moving towards you?

A

higher pitch / shorter wavelength / higher frequency

41
Q

41 What happens to the pitch of a sound if the source is moving away from you?

A

gets lower

42
Q

42 What is the name for this effect?

A

Doppler effect

43
Q

43 What happens to the frequency of light waves from a star moving towards us?

A

gets higher

44
Q

44 What happens to the wavelength of light from a star moving away from us?

A

gets longer

45
Q

45 What is the name for the change in wavelength in the light from a star moving away from us?

A

red-shift

46
Q

46 How does the red-shift of a galaxy depend on its distance from us?

A

More distant galaxies have greater red-shifts.

47
Q

47 What does the red-shift of galaxies tell us?

A

The Universe is expanding.

48
Q

48 Name one theory about the origin of the Universe.

A

Big Bang or Steady State

49
Q

49 Which theory explains the expansion of the Universe?

A

both of them

50
Q

50 Which theory is the one accepted by scientists today?

A

Big Bang

Edexcel GCSE Physics (10 decks)

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