IGCSEPhysicsCambridge (CIE)Exam Questions6. Space PhysicsEarth & The Solar System

Earth & The Solar System (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Physics): Exam Questions

Exam code: 0625 & 0972

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Earth & The Solar System

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1
1 mark

Which of the planets listed is the gaseous planet which is closest to the Sun?

  • Jupiter

  • Mars

  • Saturn

  • Uranus

Choose your answer

2
1 mark

Which of the following objects are described as orbiting the Sun?

  1. Asteroids

  2. Comets

  3. Galaxies

  4. Moons

  • 1 and 2 only

  • 1, 2 and 3

  • 1, 2, and 4

  • 1, 2, 3 and 4

Choose your answer

3
1 mark

What creates the periodic nature of the seasons?

  • The tilting of the Earth's axis

  • The orbiting of the Earth around the Sun

  • The combination of the orbiting of the Earth around the Sun and the Earth's tilting axis 

  • The change in temperature of the Sun

Choose your answer

4
1 mark

Which of the following statements about the strength of a gravitational field is correct? 

 

 At the surface of a planet it depends on

 Around a planet it

A

 the diameter of the planet

decreases as the distance from the planet increases

B

 the diameter of the planet

increases as the distance from the planet decreases

C

 the mass of the planet

decreases as the distance from the planet increases

D

 the mass of the planet

increases as the distance from the planet increases

    Choose your answer

    5
    1 mark

    Extended tier only

    Which of the following statements about orbits is true?

    • All planets, minor planets and comets have elliptical orbits

    • The Sun is at the centre of an elliptical orbit

    • Only comets and minor planets have elliptical orbits

    • An object in an elliptical orbit has a constant orbital radius 

    Choose your answer

    6
    1 mark

     Which type of object orbits the Sun?

    •  an interstellar cloud of gas and dust

    •  a comet

    • a galaxy

    • another star

    Choose your answer

    1
    1 mark

    Which line in the table best describes the angle of the Earth’s axis from the vertical, and the effect of this tilt?

     

    Angle of tilt

    Effect of tilt

    A

    23.4° 

    Rising and setting of the Sun

    B

    23.4° 

    Changing of the seasons

    C

    66.6°

    Rising and setting of the Sun

    D

    66.6°

    Changing of the seasons

      Choose your answer

      2
      1 mark

      Which line in the table correctly identifies the length of one year, one day and daylight hours during an equinox, all as experienced on Earth?

       

      One Earth year / days

      One Earth day / hours

      Daylight hours during an equinox / hours

      A

      356

      8

      8

      B

      364

      12

      12

      C

      365

      12

      8

      D

      365

      24

      12

        Choose your answer

        3
        1 mark

        Extended tier only

        The orbit of the Earth around the Sun can be thought of as following a circular path with a circumference of 942 × 106 km.

        What is the approximate orbital speed of the Earth?

        • 10 000 km /h

        • 100 000 km /h

        • 2.5 × 106 km /h

        • 50 × 106 km /h

        Choose your answer

        4
        1 mark

        Extended tier only

        Comets travel faster within the Solar System than they do when they are outside it.

        Which of the following gives the correct reason for this?

        • A comet near to the Sun has more gravitational potential energy.

        • Comets closer to the Sun transfer gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy due to conservation of energy.

        • A comet which is outside the Solar System has less energy than one which is passing through it.

        • Comets closer to the Sun transfer kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy due to conservation of energy.

        Choose your answer

        5
        1 mark

        The radius of Jupiter's orbit is 778 × 106 km. What is the time taken for light from the Sun to reach the surface of Jupiter?

        The speed of light is 3 × 108 m/s.

        • 2600 ms

        • 2600 s

        • 0.39 s

        • 3.9 × 10–4 s

        Choose your answer

        6
        1 mark

        Extended Tier Only

        The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is modelled as a circular path of radius 3.8 cross times 10 to the power of 5km.

        The orbital period is 29.5 days (710 hours). 

        What is the orbital speed of the Moon?

        • 5.4cross times102 km/h

        • 1.1cross times103 km/h

        • 1.7cross times103 km/h

        • 3.4cross times103 km/h

        Choose your answer

        7
        Sme Calculator
        1 mark

        Which planet in our Solar System is nearest to the Sun and what is the nature of the planet?

         

        planet

        nature

        A

        Mercury

        rocky

        B

        Mercury

        gaseous

        C

        Venus

        rocky

        D

        Venus

        gaseous

          Choose your answer

          8
          1 mark

          The Earth is a planet in the Solar System.

          Which row relates the motion of the Earth to the cycle of day and night and the cycle of the seasons?

          cause of day and night

          cause of the seasons

          A

          Earth orbits the Sun

          Earth orbits the Sun

          B

          Earth orbits the Sun

          Earth rotates on its axis

          C

          Earth rotates on its axis

          Earth orbits the Sun

          D

          Earth rotates on its axis

          Earth rotates on its axis

            Choose your answer

            9
            1 mark

            Which time interval is the largest?

            • the time for light to travel from the Sun to a rocky planet in the Solar System

            • the time for light to travel from the Sun to a gaseous planet in the Solar System

            • the time for light to travel from the Sun to the centre of the Milky Way

            • the time for light to travel from the Sun to the next nearest star, Proxima Centauri

            Choose your answer

            10
            1 mark

            A comet is at the point in its orbit where it is furthest from the Sun.

            Which row is correct?

            orbital speed

            energy in gravitational potential store

            A

            at its maximum

            at its maximum

            B

            at its maximum

            at its minimum

            C

            at its minimum

            at its maximum

            D

            at its minimum

            at its minimum

              Choose your answer

              1
              1 mark

              Select the combination which best defines and describes an accretion disc. 

              1. Gases rotating around a star

              2. Ring of rocky material

              3. Leads to formation of orbiting planets

              4. Explains the range of elements in rocky planets

              5. Explains the range of elements in the parent star

              • 1, 3 and 5

              • 2, 3 and 5

              • 1, 3 and 4

              • 2, 3 and 4

              Choose your answer

              2
              1 mark

              The Earth and Moon are held together by a gravitational force acting between them.

              Which row describes possible changes to the mass of the Earth and the distance between the Earth and the Moon that would cause the gravitational force to increase?

               

              Mass of Earth

              Distance between the Earth and the Moon

              A

              Double

              Drop to one quarter

              B

              Stay the same

              Stay the same

              C

              Halve

              Stay the same

              D

              Drop to one quarter

              Double

                Choose your answer

                3
                1 mark

                Extended tier only

                The orbit of Venus around the Sun is treated as a circular path with an average radius of 108.2 million km. The orbital period of Venus is 225 days.

                What is the orbital speed of Venus?

                • 40 000 km / h

                • 62 900 km / h

                • 126 000 km / h

                • 810 000 km / h

                Choose your answer

                4
                1 mark

                The diagram shows a phase of the Moon.

                6-1-h-mcq-5-qun

                Which of the four options shows the Moon 7 days later?

                5d2W2EIZ_6-1-h-mcq-5-soln

                  Choose your answer

                  5
                  1 mark

                  Extended tier only

                  The table shows some planetary data for planets in our Solar System

                  Planet

                  Orbital distance / million km

                  Orbital duration / days or years

                  Density / kg/m3

                  Surface Temperature/ °C

                  Uniform Surface Gravitational Field Strength/ N/kg

                  Mercury

                  57.9

                  88 days

                  5427

                  350

                  3.7

                  Venus

                  108.2

                  225 days

                  5243

                  460

                  8.9

                  Earth

                  149.6

                  365 days

                  5514

                  20

                  9.8

                  Mars

                  227.9

                  687 days

                  3933

                  –23

                  3.7

                  Jupiter

                  778.6

                  11.9 years

                  1326

                  –120

                  23.1

                  Saturn

                  1433.5

                  29.5 years

                  687

                  –180

                  9.0

                  Uranus

                  2872.5

                   75 years

                  1271

                  –210

                  8.7

                  Neptune

                  4495.1

                  165 years

                  1638

                  –220

                  11.0

                   

                  What is the orbital speed of Mars?

                  • 8.68 × 104 m/hr

                  • 1.38 × 107 m/hr

                  • 8.68 × 107 m/hr

                  • 2.08 × 109 m/hr

                  Choose your answer

                  6
                  1 mark

                  A space station orbits the Earth at a distance of 7000 km from the Earth’s centre. It makes 15 orbits in every 24-hour period.

                  What is the speed of the space station in its orbit?

                  • 2900 km / h

                  • 4400 km / h

                  • 8800 km / h

                  • 27 000 km / h

                  Choose your answer