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Gravity and Keplers Laws Test review

Total questions: 28

Worksheet time: 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The size of the gravitational force between two objects depends on their ____.

a)

Frictional Forces

b)

inertia

c)

masses and the distance between them

d)

speed and direction

2.

When calculating the gravitational force between two extended bodies, you should measure the distance

a)

from the closest points on each body.

b)

from the most distant points on each body.

c)

from the center of each body.

d)

From The center of one object and the edge of the other

3.

Why does an astronaut weigh less on the moon than on Earth?

a)

The astronaut has less mass on the moon.

b)

The astronaut is farther from Earth’s center when he or she is on the moon.

c)

The gravitational field strength is less on the moon’s surface than on Earth’s surface.

d)

The astronaut is continually in free fall because the moon orbits Earth.

4.

In the absence of air, a penny and a feather that are dropped from the same height at the same time will ____.

a)

fall at different rates

b)

fall at the same rate

c)

float

d)

have no momentum

5.

If gravity did NOT affect the path of a horizontally thrown ball, the ball would ____.

a)

go straight up

b)

fall straight down

c)

follow a curved path

d)

travel horizontally

6.

Which of the following statements applies to the motion of a ball rising and then falling in free fall?

I. The ball has constant acceleration as it moves upward.

II. The ball has zero acceleration at the very top of its path.

III. The ball has constant acceleration as it moves downward.

a)

I only

b)

III only

c)

I and III

d)

I, II, and III

7.

Objects that are falling toward Earth in free fall move

a)

faster and faster

b)

slower and slower

c)

at a constant velocity

d)

slower then faster

8.

An object in free fall seems to be ________

a)

not moving

b)

slowed by air resistance

c)

sped up by air resistance

d)

weightless

9.

In the free-body diagram shown, which of the following is the gravitational force acting on the balloon?

a)

5120 N

b)

1520 N

c)

950 N

d)

4050 N

10.

In the figure shown, according to Kepler’s laws of planetary motion,

a)

A1=A2

b)

Δt1 > Δt2.

c)

if Δt1 = Δt2, then the orbit is circular.

d)

if Δt1 = Δt2, then A1 = A2.

11.

Kepler’s second law states that a line connecting a planet to the sun

a)

is longest in the winter and shortest in the summer.

b)

is longest in the winter and shortest in the summer.

c)

sweeps out the same amount of area in any two equal periods of time.

d)

sweeps out the same amount of area regardless of the planet.

12.

Kepler’s first law states that

a)

the sun is the center of the solar system.

b)

planets orbit the sun in elliptical orbits, with the sun located at one focus.

c)

planets orbit the sun in circular orbits, with the sun located at the center.

d)

gravity provides the force that holds the planets in orbit about the sun.

13.

What two factors cause planets to move in elliptical orbits?

a)

centripetal force and rotational capacity

b)

inertia and gravity

c)

mass and distance

d)

mass and gravity

14.

Kepler’s third law states that the ratio of

a)

the orbital period to the orbital radius is the same for all planets.

b)

the orbital periods of any two planets equals the ratio of the orbital radii.

c)

all planets would orbit with the same orbital period.

d)

the period squared to the radius cubed is the same ratio for all planets.

15.

The following diagram shows two smaller planets of mass m and one larger planet of mass 4m, aligned and separated by distance d between each planet.

Planet A experiences a gravitational force by Planet C that is ______ that by Planet B.

a)

less than

b)

equal to

c)

greater than

d)

cannot be determined by the information given

16.

Satellite B is three times more massive than Satellite A. Which satellite experiences a stronger gravitational attraction with the earth?

a)

A due to its mass

b)

A due to its distance

c)

B due to its mass

d)

B due to its distance

17.

Which graph best represents the gravitational force F that a rocket experiences as it travels a distance D away from the surface of the earth? Note that RA represents the edge of the atmosphere.

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

18.

A person on Pluto’s surface would experience a(n)_______________gravitational force compared to being on Earth.

a)

weaker, because Pluto is further from the sun

b)

weaker, because Pluto has less mass

c)

equal, because both planets orbit the sun

d)

stronger, because Pluto has a more elliptical orbit

19.

Does an earth-orbiting satellite or the moon experience a greater force of gravity from the Earth?

a)

The satellite, because it is much closer to the earth.

b)

The moon, because it is much more massive.

c)

They experience the same force, because they both orbit the earth.

d)

Neither experiences a force, because they are in space.

20.

Which of the following statements is correct about weight and mass?

a)

Mass and weight both vary with location.

b)

Mass varies with location, but weight does not.

c)

Weight varies with location, but mass does not.

d)

Neither mass nor weight varies with location.

21.

Planets travel at _______________distances and speeds as they orbit the sun.

a)

the same

b)

different, faster when closer, slower when farther away

c)

different, slower when closer, faster when farther away

d)

the same distance but different speeds

22.

When the earth is closest to the sun, it is ____________ and when it is farthest from the sun it is____________.

a)

winter (January), summer (July)

b)

summer (July), winter (December)

c)

fall (September), spring (March)

d)

spring (April), summer (June)

23.

Which of the graphs shows how the force on an object changes if the mass increases and the gravitational acceleration stays constant?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

24.

Two balls are dropped at the same height. One ball is dropped from table height and the other initially moves horizontally across the table and then falls off the edge, as shown in the figure. If both balls are dropped at exactly the same time, which one will hit the ground first?

a)

Ball A because it has the shortest distance to travel.

b)

Ball B because it is already travelling downward.

c)

A and B hit at same time because gravity pulls all objects the same.

25.

In a heliocentric system, Earth revolves around

a)

Mars

b)

The moon

c)

Stars

d)

The sun

26.

The fact that each planet’s orbit is an ellipse was discovered by

a)

Copernicus

b)

Kepler

c)

Galileo

d)

Brahe

27.

What shape are the orbits of most comets?

a)

long narrow ellipses

b)

nearly circular ellipses

c)

circles

d)

spherical

28.

Copernicus explained that

a)

the sun is at the center of the system of planets.

b)

the sun and the planets revolve around Earth.

c)

the geocentric system is correct.

d)

there are only six planets.