Planetary Motion
Physics ⇒ Earth and Space Physics
Planetary Motion starts at 8 and continues till grade 12.
QuestionsToday has an evolving set of questions to continuously challenge students so that their knowledge grows in Planetary Motion.
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See sample questions for grade 8
A planet is twice as far from the Sun as Earth. According to Kepler’s Third Law, will its orbital period be more or less than twice as long as Earth’s?
A planet orbits the Sun at a distance of 1 AU. According to Kepler’s Third Law, what is its orbital period?
Describe the difference between rotation and revolution in planetary motion.
Describe what is meant by ‘orbital eccentricity’.
Describe what is meant by a ‘year’ on a planet.
Explain why planets do not fall into the Sun despite the Sun’s strong gravity.
A planet orbits the Sun at a distance of 1 AU. According to Kepler’s Third Law, what is its orbital period?
If a planet’s orbital period is 8 years and its average distance from the Sun is 4 astronomical units (AU), does this follow Kepler’s Third Law? (Hint: Kepler’s Third Law: T² = r³, where T is period in years, r is distance in AU)
If the distance between a planet and the Sun is doubled, what happens to the gravitational force between them? (1) It becomes four times stronger (2) It becomes four times weaker (3) It stays the same (4) It becomes twice as strong
If the mass of the Sun were to double, what would happen to the gravitational force between the Sun and a planet? (1) It would double (2) It would halve (3) It would stay the same (4) It would become four times as strong
Which law explains why planets move faster when they are closer to the Sun and slower when they are farther away? (1) Newton’s First Law (2) Kepler’s Second Law (3) Law of Universal Gravitation (4) Hubble’s Law
Which of the following best describes the shape of most planetary orbits? (1) Circular (2) Elliptical (3) Square (4) Triangular
According to Kepler’s Second Law, a planet sweeps out ________ areas in equal times.
Fill in the blank: The force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth is ________.
Fill in the blank: The imaginary line that a planet spins around is called its ________.
Fill in the blank: The point in a planet’s orbit farthest from the Sun is called ________.
True or False: All planets in our solar system orbit the Sun in the same direction.
True or False: All planets in the solar system have the same orbital speed.
True or False: The closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it moves in its orbit.
True or False: The gravitational force between two objects increases as the distance between them increases.
