Gravity, Solar System and Satellites

An object's weight:

• is caused because it is pulled towards the Earth.

• is caused by the Earth's magnetic field.

• is caused by the air pushing down on it.

• stays the same, even if its mass changes.

The direction 'down' is:

• the same everywhere.

• at right angles to the ground.

• towards the centre of the Earth.

• different under water.

Which statement is FALSE?

• The Earth attracts objects because it has a large mass.

• You are attracting this laptop with a small force of gravity.

• Only large objects like the Earth produce a force of gravity.

• Your body is attracting the Earth.

Gravity is less on the Moon than on the Earth because:

• the Moon is smaller than the Earth.

• the Moon has a bigger mass than the Earth.

• the Moon is bigger than the Earth.

• the Moon has less mass than the Earth.

Gravity:

• gets less if two objects get closer together.

• gets bigger if two objects get further apart.

• gets less if two objects get further apart.

• does not depend on distance.

Which statement is TRUE?

• Gravity always pulls spacecraft towards the nearest planet?

• There is no gravity in space.

• Gravity is the same at all times during a space journey.

• Gravity depends on how close a spacecraft is to a planet.

Which statement best describes our current ideas about the Solar System?

• The planets all move in circular orbits around the Earth.

• The planets all move in circular orbits around the Sun.

• The planets all move in elliptical orbits around the Sun.

• The planets all move in elliptical orbits around the Earth.

There have been different ideas about the Solar System in the past. Which one of these was not suggested?

• The Moon is at the centre with the planets orbiting around it.

• The planets are fixed to solid spheres that move around the Earth.

• The planets move in circles around the Earth.

• The planets move in circles around the Sun.

The planets stay in their orbits around the Sun because of:

• the gravity pull from the Moon.

• the gravity pull from the Sun.

• magnetism.

• the gravity pull from the Earth.

A satellite is:

• anything that orbits a planet.

• anything that orbits the Sun.

• something man-made that orbits the Earth.

• a machine that sends TV programmes.