Gravitational Fields
Question paper 2
Level International A Level
Subject Physics
Exam Board CIE
Topic Gravitational Fields
Sub Topic
Paper Type Theory
Booklet Question paper 2
Time Allowed: 78 minutes
Score: /65
Percentage: /100
A* A B C D E U
>85% 777.5% 70% 62.5% 57.5% 45% <45%
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
1 (a) State what is meant by a gravitational field.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [2]
(b) In the Solar System, the planets may be assumed to be in circular orbits about the Sun.
Data for the radii of the orbits of the Earth and Jupiter about the Sun are given in
Fig. 1.1.
radius of orbit
/ km
Earth 1.50 × 108
Jupiter 7.78 × 108
Fig. 1.1
(i) State Newton’s law of gravitation.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [3]
(ii) Use Newton’s law to determine the ratio
gravitational field strength due to the Sun at orbit of Earth
.
gravitational field strength due to the Sun at orbit of Jupiter
ratio = ................................................. [3]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
(c) The orbital period of the Earth about the Sun is T.
(i) Use ideas about circular motion to show that the mass M of the Sun is given by
4π2R 3
M=
GT 2
where R is the radius of the Earth’s orbit about the Sun and G is the gravitational
constant.
Explain your working.
[3]
(ii) The orbital period T of the Earth about the Sun is 3.16 × 107 s.
The radius of the Earth’s orbit is given in Fig. 1.1.
Use the expression in (i) to determine the mass of the Sun.
mass = ............................................ kg [2]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
2 (a) Explain what is meant by a geostationary orbit.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [3]
(b) A satellite of mass m is in a circular orbit about a planet.
The mass M of the planet may be considered to be concentrated at its centre.
Show that the radius R of the orbit of the satellite is given by the expression
R3 =
冢 GMT 2
4π2 冣
where T is the period of the orbit of the satellite and G is the gravitational constant.
Explain your working.
[4]
(c) The Earth has mass 6.0 × 1024 kg. Use the expression given in (b) to determine the
radius of the geostationary orbit about the Earth.
radius = ............................................. m [3]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
3 (a) State Newton’s law of gravitation.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [2]
(b) A satellite of mass m is in a circular orbit of radius r about a planet of mass M.
For this planet, the product GM is 4.00 × 1014 N m2 kg–1, where G is the gravitational
constant.
The planet may be assumed to be isolated in space.
(i) By considering the gravitational force on the satellite and the centripetal force,
show that the kinetic energy EK of the satellite is given by the expression
GMm
EK = .
2r
[2]
(ii) The satellite has mass 620 kg and is initially in a circular orbit of radius 7.34 × 106 m,
as illustrated in Fig. 1.1.
initial
orbit
7.34 × 106 m
7.30 × 106 m
new orbit
Fig. 1.1 (not to scale)
© UCLES 2012 9702/41/O/N/12
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
Resistive forces cause the satellite to move into a new orbit of radius 7.30 × 106 m.
Determine, for the satellite, the change in
1. kinetic energy,
change in kinetic energy = ............................................. J [2]
2. gravitational potential energy.
change in potential energy = ............................................. J [2]
(iii) Use your answers in (ii) to explain whether the linear speed of the satellite increases,
decreases or remains unchanged when the radius of the orbit decreases.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [2]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
4 (a) Define gravitational potential at a point.
..........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) The gravitational potential φ at distance r from point mass M is given by the expression
GM
φ = –
r
where G is the gravitational constant.
Explain the significance of the negative sign in this expression.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(c) A spherical planet may be assumed to be an isolated point mass with its mass
concentrated at its centre. A small mass m is moving near to, and normal to, the surface
of the planet. The mass moves away from the planet through a short distance h.
State and explain why the change in gravitational potential energy ΔEP of the mass is
given by the expression
ΔEP = mgh
where g is the acceleration of free fall.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [4]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
(d) The planet in (c) has mass M and diameter 6.8 × 103 km. The product GM for this planet
is 4.3 × 1013 N m2 kg–1.
A rock, initially at rest a long distance from the planet, accelerates towards the planet.
Assuming that the planet has negligible atmosphere, calculate the speed of the rock as
it hits the surface of the planet.
speed = ....................................... m s–1 [3]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
5 (a) State Newton’s law of gravitation.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [2]
(b) The Earth and the Moon may be considered to be isolated in space with their masses
concentrated at their centres.
The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is circular with a radius of 3.84 × 105 km. The
period of the orbit is 27.3 days.
Show that
(i) the angular speed of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth is 2.66 × 10–6 rad s–1,
[1]
(ii) the mass of the Earth is 6.0 × 1024 kg.
[2]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
(c) The mass of the Moon is 7.4 × 1022 kg.
(i) Using data from (b), determine the gravitational force between the Earth and the
Moon.
force = .............................................. N [2]
(ii) Tidal action on the Earth’s surface causes the radius of the orbit of the Moon to
increase by 4.0 cm each year.
Use your answer in (i) to determine the change, in one year, of the gravitational
potential energy of the Moon. Explain your working.
energy change = ............................................... J [3]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
6 The planet Mars may be considered to be an isolated sphere of diameter 6.79 × 106 m with
its mass of 6.42 × 1023 kg concentrated at its centre.
A rock of mass 1.40 kg rests on the surface of Mars.
For this rock,
(a) (i) determine its weight,
weight = ............................................ N [3]
(ii) show that its gravitational potential energy is –1.77 × 107 J.
[2]
(b) Use the information in (a)(ii) to determine the speed at which the rock must leave the
surface of Mars so that it will escape the gravitational attraction of the planet.
speed = ....................................... m s–1 [3]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
(c) The mean translational kinetic energy <EK> of a molecule of an ideal gas is given by the
expression
<EK> = 32 kT
where T is the thermodynamic temperature of the gas and k is the Boltzmann constant.
(i) Determine the temperature at which the root-mean-square (r.m.s.) speed of
hydrogen molecules is equal to the speed calculated in (b).
Hydrogen may be assumed to be an ideal gas.
A molecule of hydrogen has a mass of 2 u.
temperature = ............................................. K [2]
(ii) State and explain one reason why hydrogen molecules may escape from Mars at
temperatures below that calculated in (i).
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................. [2]
Dr. Asher Rana www.chemistryonlinetuition.com [email protected]
