A LevelPhysicsAQAExam QuestionsFields & Their ConsequencesGravitational Potential

Gravitational Potential (AQA A Level Physics): Exam Questions

Exam code: 7408

3 hours32 questions

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Gravitational Potential

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1
1 mark

Which of the following is the correct value for the value of the gravitational potential at a point infinitely far away from every massive body in the universe ?

  • infinity

  • negative infinity

  • 0

  • π

Choose your answer

2
1 mark

What are the standard units of gravitational potential ?

  • J

  • V

  • N kg–1

  • J kg–1

Choose your answer

3
1 mark

Which of the following statements regarding the gravitational potential is false ?

  • It is analogous to the electric potential at a point in an electric field

  • It is a vector quantity

  • It is defined as negative because work must be done on a mass to move the mass to infinity

  • It is inversely proportional to the distance between masses

Choose your answer

4
1 mark

A planet has a mass 5.0 × 1026 kg. 

Which of the following gives the correct value of the planet’s gravitational potential at a distance of 300 km from its centre?

  • 1.1 × 1011 J kg–1

  • –1.1 × 1014 J kg–1

  • –3.7 × 105 J kg–1

  • –1.1 × 1011 J kg–1

Choose your answer

5
1 mark

A satellite of mass 200 kg moves between two lines of equipotential above the Earth. 

It begins at point A which has a gravitational potential of –50 MJ kg–1 to a point further away, B, which has a gravitational potential of –40 MJ kg–1. This is shown in the diagram below:

7-2-mcq--q5-easy-aqa-a-level-physics

Which of the following gives the correct value of the energy required for the satellite to move from A to B?

  • 2 MJ

  • 20 MJ

  • 2000 MJ

  • 200 MJ

Choose your answer

1
1 mark

A test mass moves from the surface of the Earth to a point P in deep space, very far away from any other massive body. 

Which line, A to D, in the table shows correctly what happens to the value of the gravitational field strength and to the gravitational potential experienced by the test mass as it moves to point P? 

 

Gravitational field strength

Gravitational potential

A

B

C

D

decreases

decreases

increases

increases

decreases

increases

increases

decreases

    Choose your answer

    2
    1 mark

    When a mass moves between two points in a gravitational field, energy may be transferred. 

    Which one of the following statements is correct?

    • No work is done by the gravitational force when a mass moves parallel to the direction of the field 

    • The energy transferred is independent of the start and finish points

    • Work is done by the gravitational force when a mass moves perpendicular to the field

    • The energy transferred is independent of the path followed

    Choose your answer

    3
    1 mark

    At the surface of a faraway planet, the gravitational field strength is g and the gravitational potential is V. The radius of the planet is r. 

    An object weighs W on the surface of this planet and lifts off to a height 4r above the surface. 

    Which line, A to D, in the table gives the weight of the object and gravitational potential at this height?

     

    Weight

    Gravitational potential

    A

    W over 25

    V over 5

    B

    W over 5

    V over 3

    C

    W over 5

    V over 5

    D

    W over 25

    V over 4

     

      Choose your answer

      4
      1 mark

      The figure below shows the variation of the gravitational potential ϕ between the Earth and the Moon. 

      7-2-mcq--q4-medium-aqa-a-level-physics

      What is the minimum energy required to launch an object of mass 5.0 kg from the Earth’s surface to the Moon’s surface?

      • 305 MJ

      • 61.0 MJ

      • 58.4 MJ

      • 300 MJ 

      Choose your answer

      5
      1 mark

      P and Q are two points near one of Jupiter’s moons, Io. The gravitational potential at P is –800 J kg–1and that at Q is –700 J kg–1. 

      Which of the following statements is incorrect?

      • P is nearer to Io than Q

      • The magnitude of the gravitational field strength at P is greater than it is at Q

      • A body speeds up when it moves freely from P to Q

      • Work is done by an external force to move a body from P to Q

      Choose your answer

      6
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      A satellite of mass 200 space kg is in a circular orbit at a distance r from the centre of a planet. The gravitational potential at this orbit is negative 40 cross times 10 to the power of 6 space straight J space kg to the power of negative 1 end exponent.

      The satellite is moved to a new circular orbit at a distance 2 r from the centre of the planet.

      What is the energy required to move the satellite to the new orbit?

      • 2.0 cross times 10 to the power of 9 space straight J

      • 4.0 cross times 10 to the power of 9 space straight J

      • 6.0 cross times 10 to the power of 9 space straight J

      • 8.0 cross times 10 to the power of 9 space straight J

      Choose your answer

      1
      1 mark

      Planet Z, with centre O, is shown in the figure below.

      7-2-mcq--q1-hard-aqa-a-level-physics

      The radial distances OP is equal to the OX, and OQ is equal to OY, such that PX and QY are loci of Planet Z. 

      Which of the following statements is incorrect?

      • The work done by the gravitational field on a test mass moving from P to Q is negative

      • The gravitational field does zero work on a test mass moving along the locus PX

      • V subscript X over V subscript Q equals fraction numerator O Y over denominator O X end fraction

      • The work done by an external force to move a test mass from Y to X is positive

      Choose your answer

      2
      1 mark

      The variation of the gravitational potential ϕ near a certain planet is shown in the table below: 

      Distance from the planet’s surface / km

      Potential ϕ / MJ kg–1

      1700

      –17.1

      1900

      –16.3

      2100

      –15.7

      2300

      –15.1

      2500

      –14.6

       Which value gives the best approximation for the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at a point 2000 km above the planet’s surface?

      • 3 N kg–1

      • 160 N kg–1

      • –160 N kg–1

      • 3000 N kg–1

      Choose your answer

      3
      1 mark

      Which of the following statements about gravitational fields is correct? 

      • The gravitational potential is zero whenever the gravitational field strength is zero

      • The gravitational potential is negative because the gravitational field is repulsive  

      • The gradient of the gravitational potential at a point is inversely proportional to the radial distance from some massive body

      • The area under a field strength–distance curve represents the change in gravitational potential between two points

      Choose your answer

      4
      1 mark

      The relative positions of a binary star system is shown below:

      7-2-mcq--q4-fig-1-hard-aqa-a-level-physics

      The line XY joins the surface of the star of mass m to the surface of the star of mass M > m. 

      Which graph correctly represents the variation of the gravitational potential ϕ along the line XY?  

      Assume the stars have the same diameter.

      7-2-mcq--q4-fig-2-hard-aqa-a-level-physics

        Choose your answer

        5
        1 mark

        The shape of equipotential surfaces in the gravitational field depends on perspective. 

        The image below shows equipotential surfaces (represented by dotted lines) due to the Earth’s gravitational field in a ‘local’ frame of reference (close to the Earth’s surface) and in a ‘non–local’ frame of reference (far from the Earth’s surface):

        7-2-mcq--q5-fig-1-hard-aqa-a-level-physics

        Which line, A to D, in the table shows the variation of gravitational potential V with radial distance r from the Earth’s surface? 

        You may assume each dotted line represents equal changes in potential ΔV and that r subscript E represents the radius of the Earth.

        • 7-2-mcq--q5-fig-2-hard-aqa-a-level-physics
        • 7-2-mcq--q5-fig-b-hard-aqa-a-level-physics
        • 7-2-mcq--q5-fig-c-hard-aqa-a-level-physics
        • 7-2-mcq--q5-fig-d-hard-aqa-a-level-physics

        Choose your answer

        6
        Sme Calculator
        1 mark

        The graph shows how the gravitational potential V varies with distance r from the centre of a planet.

        Gravitational potential against distance graph with distance r in 10 exponent 7 metres on the horizontal axis, ranging from 0.6 to 4.0, and potential V on the vertical axis in megajoules per kilogram, ranging from −100 to 0. The curve follows a standard negative 1 over r shape, starting steeply negative at small r and approaching zero at large r.

        What is the best estimate of the gravitational field strength at a distance of 1.1 × 107 m from the centre of the planet?

        • 0.5 text  N kg end text to the power of negative 1 end exponent

        • 5.0 text  N kg end text to the power of negative 1 end exponent

        • 6.0 text  N kg end text to the power of negative 1 end exponent

        • 50 text  N kg end text to the power of negative 1 end exponent

        Choose your answer