Space Physics questions

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Space Physics question collection

Review Space Physics questions for Physics, with correct answers shown and coverage across Solar System objects; orbits and gravity; life cycles of stars.

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Question 1

Which way does gravity accelerate an orbiting satellite?
  1. Towards the centre of the orbit
  2. Away from the centre of the orbit
  3. In the direction of motion
  4. Opposite to the direction of motion

Question 2

Which equation links orbital speed \(v\), radius \(r\), and orbital period \(T\)?
  1. \(v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}\)
  2. \(v = 2\pi r T\)
  3. \(v = \frac{T}{2\pi r}\)
  4. \(v = \frac{r}{2\pi T}\)

Question 3

What keeps a satellite in orbit?
  1. Gravity
  2. Air resistance
  3. Earth's magnetism
  4. Electrostatic attraction

Question 4

Why does a satellite follow a curved orbit instead of falling straight down?
  1. Forward velocity combines with gravitational acceleration
  2. Outward velocity combines with air resistance
  3. Forward acceleration combines with magnetic attraction
  4. Upward velocity combines with electrostatic repulsion

Question 5

Which body orbits a planet rather than the Sun?
  1. A natural satellite
  2. A dwarf planet
  3. An asteroid
  4. A comet

Question 6

For a stable orbit around the same body, a change in orbital speed requires a change in what?
  1. The radius of the orbit
  2. The mass of the satellite
  3. The surface area of the satellite
  4. The direction of the orbit

Question 7

Light from a galaxy is red-shifted. What happened to its wavelength?
  1. Increased
  2. Decreased
  3. Unchanged
  4. Halved

Question 8

What is the force keeping an object moving in a circle called?
  1. Centripetal force
  2. Centrifugal force
  3. Resistance force
  4. Reaction force

Question 9

Which statement describes a star?
  1. A massive ball of hot plasma that releases energy by fusion
  2. A rocky object orbiting a planet
  3. A planet made mostly of gas
  4. A cloud of ice and dust orbiting the Sun

Question 10

Which main-sequence star is most likely to end in a supernova?
  1. Much more massive than the Sun
  2. The same mass as the Sun
  3. Much less massive than the Sun
  4. Not yet undergoing hydrogen fusion

Question 11

Why is a main-sequence star stable?
  1. Fusion's outward effect balances gravity
  2. Gravity has stopped acting
  3. The star has used all its hydrogen
  4. Its temperature has fallen to absolute zero

Question 12

Which term describes how fast stars move away from Earth (redshift)?
  1. Recessional velocity
  2. Orbital speed
  3. Escape velocity
  4. Spin velocity

Question 13

What does cosmic microwave background radiation support?
  1. A hot, dense beginning to the universe
  2. A cold, static beginning to the universe
  3. A universe formed around the Milky Way
  4. A universe whose expansion has stopped

Question 14

Where are elements heavier than iron formed?
  1. In supernovae
  2. In stable main-sequence stars
  3. In planets before stars form
  4. In cooling white dwarfs

Question 15

Why do astronauts feel weightless while orbiting Earth?
  1. They and their spacecraft are in free fall
  2. They are beyond Earth's gravitational field
  3. Their mass is converted into orbital energy
  4. Their spacecraft produces an upward force

Question 16

A satellite moves to a larger orbit at the same speed. What happens to its orbital period?
  1. It increases
  2. It decreases
  3. It stays the same
  4. It halves

Question 17

What pulls gas and dust together to form a protostar?
  1. Gravity
  2. Magnetic repulsion
  3. Radiation pressure
  4. Nuclear fission

Question 18

What happens to velocity during a circular orbit at constant speed?
  1. Its direction continually changes
  2. Its direction stays constant
  3. Its magnitude continually increases
  4. It becomes zero once per orbit

Question 19

Which object is a dwarf planet?
  1. Pluto
  2. Earth
  3. Sun
  4. Venus

Question 20

Which stage will the Sun enter after its main-sequence stage?
  1. Red giant
  2. Neutron star
  3. Supernova
  4. Black hole

Question 21

What does redshift in a distant galaxy's spectrum indicate?
  1. Moving away
  2. Moving toward us
  3. Remaining stationary
  4. Orbiting the Sun

Question 22

Which observation supports an expanding universe?
  1. More distant galaxies have greater redshifts
  2. More distant galaxies have smaller redshifts
  3. All galaxies have the same redshift
  4. Nearby galaxies have no spectral lines

Question 23

Which process involving hydrogen powers a main-sequence star?
  1. Nuclear fusion
  2. Nuclear fission
  3. Chemical combustion
  4. Radioactive decay

Question 24

What can a massive enough core form after a supernova?
  1. A black hole
  2. A white dwarf
  3. A main-sequence star
  4. A rocky planet

Question 25

Why are some telescopes placed in orbit rather than on the ground?
  1. The atmosphere blurs images
  2. They are closer to the stars
  3. Their mass is reduced
  4. Earth’s gravity is absent

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Review Space Physics questions for Physics, with correct answers shown and coverage across Solar System objects; orbits and gravity; life cycles of stars.

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