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WorksheetsScience Fusion Gravity
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 42mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Two astronauts are floating in space far away from any planets or stars. What is the direction of the gravitational force that they experience, if any?
a)
Toward each other, because there is a gravitational force between them.
b)
Away from each other because they are pulled by distant planets and stars.
c)
They experience a gravitational force, but its direction cannot be determined.
d)
They do not experience a gravitational force because there is no large object nearby.
2.
Astronauts appear weightless in their Earth-orbiting spacecraft because…
a)
They have escaped Earth’s gravity.
b)
There is no air in the spacecraft.
c)
They are moving at the same rate as their spacecraft.
d)
The spacecraft’s rocket engines counteract gravity.
3.
The factor(s) that most affect the gravitational force between two objects are:
a)
size and distance
b)
mass and size
c)
density and distance
d)
mass and distance
4.
Planets A, B and C are identical. A and C have a giant moon orbiting them, while B has a lightweight artificial satellite orbiting it, as shown in the diagram. Which planet has the strongest gravitational interaction with its satellite?
a)
Planet A, because its moon is heavy and close to it.
b)
Planet B, because only a lightweight object can orbit without falling down.
c)
Planet C, because it can interact with a heavy object that is far away.
d)
All have the same gravitational attraction, because the planets are all the same mass.
5.
Why doesn’t the gravitational pull between the Sun and the planets cause the planets to fall into the Sun?
a)
The background stars pull back on the planets.
b)
The Sun’s magnetic fields are pushing out.
c)
The speed of the planets flings them out.
d)
The Sun’s rotation pushes the planets out.
6.
Satellite B is three times more massive than A, but orbiting the planet at three times the distance. Compare the force of gravity between each satellite and the planet. The diagram is not to scale.
a)
A experiences a stronger force than B, because differences in distance are more influential than differences in mass.
b)
B experiences a stronger force than A, because differences in mass are more influential than differences in distance.
c)
A and B experience the same force, because differences in distance are exactly compensated by differences in mass.
d)
A and B experience no force, because they are in space.
7.
Assuming the Earth is perfectly round and each person is the same mass, which person standing on Earth’s surface experiences a stronger force of gravity?
a)
Both A and D, they are near a stronger magnetic field.
b)
B, he is affected by both the magnetic field and the rotation.
c)
D, he is at the bottom of Earth and could fall off.
d)
All the same, they are the same distance from Earth’s center.
8.
Why does the Earth exert a gravitational force on objects on its surface?
a)
It has an atmosphere.
b)
It is very dense.
c)
It has a magnetic field.
d)
It has mass.
9.
Suppose the Sun shrank in size but its mass remained the same so that it was compacted much more densely. What would happen to the size of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun[i]?
[i] Adapted from a question by Philip Blanco.
[i] Adapted from a question by Philip Blanco.
a)
Earth's orbit would get smaller.
b)
Earth's orbit would get larger.
c)
Earth would fly out of the solar system.
d)
Earth's orbit would be unaffected.
10.
Each planet pictured has the same mass M and an identical rocket orbiting at a distance D. The darker the planet, the denser the material. Which rocket experiences a stronger force of gravity?
a)
A, higher density means stronger gravity when distance to center of the planet is the same.
b)
B, smaller distance to the surface of the planet means stronger gravity when mass of the planet is the same.
c)
Both the same, the stronger gravity from denser planets is compensated by the rocket’s smaller distance to the surface of the planet.
d)
Both the same, each planet has the same mass and the rocket is at the same distance from the center of the planet.
11.
This diagram shows two smaller planets of mass m and one larger planet of mass 4 m, 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)
It cannot be determined.
12.
This diagram shows two smaller planets of mass m and one larger planet of mass 4 m, aligned and separated by distance d between each planet. Which one of the following gravitational forces is strongest?
a)
The force by Planet A on Planet B.
b)
The force by Planet A on Planet C.
c)
The force by Planet B on Planet C.
d)
The force by Planet C on Planet A.
13.
Assume that planets X and Y have the same mass, but planet X is made of a denser material, yet planet Y is bigger. Where would a rocket that is launched from planet X begin to experience a gravitational force from planet X that is equal to that from planet Y? The black dot shows the halfway point for reference.
a)
At point A, because planet Y is bigger.
b)
At point B, because planets X and Y have the same mass.
c)
At point C, because planet X is more dense.
d)
The rocket does not experience a gravitational force with X or Y, because it is in space.
14.
Consider an irregular-shaped asteroid of constant density as shown. Which arrow best represents the direction of the gravitational force on the ball?
a)
A, because it points to the center of mass of the asteroid.
b)
B, because it points to the geometric center of the asteroid.
c)
C, because it points straight down to directly below the ball.
d)
D, because it points to the edge nearest the ball.
15.
An astronaut standing on the Moon’s surface has a pen in his hand and releases it. What happens to the pen?
a)
It falls to the surface of the Moon, but slower than on Earth.
b)
It falls to the surface of the Moon, but faster than on Earth.
c)
It doesn’t fall, but floats where it is.
d)
It doesn’t fall, but slowly drifts away.
16.
How far away from the Earth do you have to go to feel zero gravitational force from the Earth?
a)
Outside the atmosphere
b)
Past the orbit of the moon
c)
Outside of the solar system
d)
An infinite distance
17.
How would the gravitational force between the Earth and Moon differ if the Moon were twice as far as it is now?
a)
Would be the same
b)
Would decrease by less than two times
c)
Would decrease by exactly two times
d)
Would increase
18.
The force of gravity acting on an object at four Earth radii from Earth’s centre is 500 N. At a distance of two Earth radii, the force of gravity acting on the same object would be
a)
250 N
b)
500 N
c)
1000 N
d)
20000 N
19.
Dark matter is
a)
A hypothesis
b)
Made of elementary particles such as WIMPS or axions
c)
What black holes are made of
d)
A small fraction of all matter
20.
A satellite of mass m is in a circular orbit of radius R around Earth. The time required to complete one revolution is T. What would be the kinetic energy of the satellite?
a)
GMm/R
b)
GMm/2R
c)
mR/T
d)
2mR/T
21.
What is needed to calculate escape speed?
a)
masses of rocket and Earth
masses of rocket and Earth
b)
mass of the rocket and desired distance
c)
mass and radius of Earth
d)
all of the above
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