Gravity and Orbital Mechanics - Physics 101 / AP Physics 1 Review with Dianna Cowern

What happens to a candle flame when it is in freefall?

• It flickers rapidly.

• It becomes elongated.

• It extinguishes.

• It becomes spherical.

Who first suggested that Earth orbits the Sun?

• Johannes Kepler

• Nicolaus Copernicus

• Galileo Galilei

• Isaac Newton

According to Newton's law, the gravitational force between two objects is proportional to:

• The sum of their masses

• The product of their masses

• The difference in their masses

• The square of their masses

What happens to the gravitational force if the distance between two objects is doubled?

• It quadruples.

• It halves.

• It reduces to a quarter.

• It doubles.

What is the orbital velocity of the International Space Station (ISS) around Earth?

• 7,660 meters per second

• 8,000 meters per second

• 6,500 meters per second

• 9,000 meters per second

What is the primary factor that determines the shape of an orbit?

• The gravitational constant

• The velocity of the orbiting object

• The distance from the center of mass

• The mass of the orbiting object

Kepler's Third Law relates the orbital period of a planet to:

• The gravitational force

• The radius of the orbit

• The mass of the planet

• The distance from the Sun

What percentage of the universe's mass is made up of dark matter?

• 75%

• 10%

• 23%

• 50%

According to Einstein's theory, what can gravity do to light?

• Accelerate it

• Bend it

• Stop it

• Reflect it

What is the equivalence principle in Einstein's theory?

• Light and sound travel at the same speed.

• The effects of gravity and acceleration are indistinguishable.

• Mass and energy are equivalent.

• Time and space are interchangeable.