Topic 4 Ex. 2 Flashcard: Gravity & Motion of the Solar System

Front

What happens to the orbit of an object if the gravitational force acting on it increases?

Back

The orbit could become smaller.

Front

How does an increase in the mass of a planet affect the orbital speed of its moons?

Back

An increase in mass would increase the orbital speed of a planet’s moons.

Front

What is the effect on an asteroid's orbit when it moves away from the sun?

Back

The asteroid’s orbit would slow down and have a greater path.

Front

Define gravity.

Back

Gravity is the force that attracts two bodies towards each other, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Front

What is the relationship between mass and gravitational force?

Back

The gravitational force increases with the mass of the objects involved.

Front

What is an orbit?

Back

An orbit is the curved path of an object around a star, planet, or moon, due to the gravitational force.

Front

How does distance affect gravitational force?

Back

Gravitational force decreases as the distance between two objects increases.

Front

What is the role of inertia in motion?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

What is the difference between orbital speed and orbital period?

Back

Orbital speed is the speed at which an object travels along its orbit, while orbital period is the time it takes to complete one full orbit.

Front

What is the effect of a planet's mass on its gravitational pull?

Back

A planet with greater mass exerts a stronger gravitational pull.