Question 1

Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space shuttle experience so-called weightlessness in space because

Accepted Answer

Astronauts experience weightlessness because they are in a state of continuous free fall towards Earth, but their forward motion keeps them in orbit, creating the sensation of weightlessness.

Question 2

Which of the following is an unbound orbit?

Accepted Answer

A hyperbolic orbit is an unbound orbit, meaning the object will escape the gravitational pull of the body it is orbiting.

Question 3

What is the escape velocity from Mars if its mass is 6 *10²³ kg and its radius is 3,400 km?

Accepted Answer

The escape velocity can be calculated using the formula $ v_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{R}} $. Substituting the given values for Mars' mass and radius, the escape velocity is approximately 4,900 m/s.

Question 4

You find a moon orbiting a planet.The moon has a period of 10 days, and the average distance between the moon and planet is 10⁶ km.What is the planet's mass? Note that the mass of Jupiter is 1.9 * 10²⁷ kg.

Accepted Answer

Using Kepler's third law, the mass of the planet can be calculated. The formula is M = (4π²a³)/(G*T²), where a is the semi-major axis (distance), T is the period, and G is the gravitational constant. Plugging in the values, the mass is approximately 0.4 times the mass of Jupiter.

Question 5

If we wanted to increase the Hubble Space Telescope's altitude above Earth and keep it in a stable orbit, we also would need to

Accepted Answer

The answer of If we wanted to increase the Hubble...

Question 6

Which of the following is true considering Newton's laws of motion and Newton's law of gravitation?

Accepted Answer

Newton's laws of motion and his law of gravitation can be used to derive Kepler's three laws of planetary motion, which describe the motion of planets around the Sun.

Question 7

If you found an exoplanet whose mass was the same as Jupiter's, but the planet orbited its star with a period of 2 years and a semimajor axis of 1 AU, what would be the mass of its star? For reference, Jupiter has a semimajor axis of 5.4 AU and an orbital period of 12 years.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you found an exoplanet whose mass...

Question 8

Mercury orbits the Sun with an average distance of 0.4 AU, and its mass is 0.06 times that of Earth.The gravitational force that the Sun exerts on Mercury is approximately ________ times the force of gravity that the Sun exerts on Earth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mercury orbits the Sun with an average...

Question 9

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of 600 km above Earth's surface.Assuming it is in a stable circular orbit, what is its velocity? For reference, Earth's radius is 6,400 km and Earth's mass is 6* 10²⁴ kg.

Accepted Answer

The velocity of an object in a stable circular orbit is determined by the gravitational force and does not depend on the mass of the object. The formula for orbital velocity is v = √(GM/R), where G is the gravitational constant, M is Earth's mass, and R is the distance from Earth's center to the object. Plugging in the values, the velocity is approximately 7,500 m/s.

Question 10

What is the escape velocity from Ceres if its mass is 9 * 10²⁰ kg and its radius is 470 km?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the escape velocity from Ceres...

Question 11

If you have two moons that have the same radius, but Moon A is denser and has 2 times the mass of Moon B, how do their escape velocities from their respective surfaces compare?

Accepted Answer

Escape velocity is proportional to the square root of the mass. Since Moon A has twice the mass of Moon B, its escape velocity is √2 times that of Moon B, which is approximately 1.4 times larger.

Question 12

If you measured the orbital period of the Moon and the distance between Earth and the Moon, then you could calculate

Accepted Answer

Using Kepler's third law and Newton's law of gravitation, the orbital period and distance can be used to calculate the sum of the masses of the two bodies involved, in this case, Earth and the Moon.

Question 13

In a circular orbit, the force of gravity provides a/an

Accepted Answer

In a circular orbit, the force of gravity acts as a centripetal force, which is necessary to keep an object moving in a circular path.

Question 14

The definition of the term satellite in astronomy refers to

Accepted Answer

In astronomy, a satellite is defined as any low-mass object that orbits a more massive object, which can include natural satellites like moons or artificial satellites.

Question 15

Uniform circular motion applies to which of the following orbits?

Accepted Answer

Uniform circular motion applies to circular orbits.

Question 16

If an object is in orbit with an orbital speed less than the escape speed but greater than the circular orbit speed, what type of orbit is it?

Accepted Answer

An object with an orbital speed less than the escape speed but greater than the circular orbit speed will follow an elliptical orbit.

Question 17

For which of the following orbital velocities, V, is the orbit unbound?

Accepted Answer

An orbit is unbound when the velocity is greater than the escape velocity, allowing the object to leave the gravitational influence of the body it is orbiting.

Question 18

If a robotic probe sent to Mars is designed to return a rock sample to Earth, how fast must the probe be launched from the surface of Mars in order to escape the gravity of Mars? For reference, Mars has a mass of 6 *10²³ kg and a radius of 3,400 km.

Accepted Answer

The escape velocity from a planet is determined by the formula $ v = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{R}} $, where $ G $ is the gravitational constant, $ M $ is the mass of the planet, and $ R $ is the radius of the planet. For Mars, this calculation gives approximately 4,900 m/s. The mass of the satellite is not needed to determine escape velocity.

Question 19

How fast is the Moon moving as it orbits Earth? For reference, the Moon's orbit is approximately circular with a radius equal to 400,000 km, and the Moon's orbital period is 27 days.

Accepted Answer

The Moon's orbital speed can be calculated using the formula for the circumference of a circle (2πr) and dividing by the orbital period. The circumference is approximately 2,512,000 km (2 * π * 400,000 km), and dividing by the period (27 days or 2,332,800 seconds) gives a speed of about 1 km/s.

Question 20

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has an orbital period of 16 days and a semimajor axis of 1.2 *10⁹ m.Based on this information, what is Saturn's mass? For reference, Earth's mass is 6 * 10²⁴ kg.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has...

Quiz 4: Gravity and Orbits

Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space shuttle experience so-called weightlessness in space because

Which of the following is an unbound orbit?

What is the escape velocity from Mars if its mass is 6 *10²³ kg and its radius is 3,400 km?

You find a moon orbiting a planet.The moon has a period of 10 days, and the average distance between the moon and planet is 10⁶ km.What is the planet's mass? Note that the mass of Jupiter is 1.9 * 10²⁷ kg.

If we wanted to increase the Hubble Space Telescope's altitude above Earth and keep it in a stable orbit, we also would need to

Which of the following is true considering Newton's laws of motion and Newton's law of gravitation?

If you found an exoplanet whose mass was the same as Jupiter's, but the planet orbited its star with a period of 2 years and a semimajor axis of 1 AU, what would be the mass of its star? For reference, Jupiter has a semimajor axis of 5.4 AU and an orbital period of 12 years.

Mercury orbits the Sun with an average distance of 0.4 AU, and its mass is 0.06 times that of Earth.The gravitational force that the Sun exerts on Mercury is approximately ________ times the force of gravity that the Sun exerts on Earth.

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of 600 km above Earth's surface.Assuming it is in a stable circular orbit, what is its velocity? For reference, Earth's radius is 6,400 km and Earth's mass is 6* 10²⁴ kg.

What is the escape velocity from Ceres if its mass is 9 * 10²⁰ kg and its radius is 470 km?

If you have two moons that have the same radius, but Moon A is denser and has 2 times the mass of Moon B, how do their escape velocities from their respective surfaces compare?

If you measured the orbital period of the Moon and the distance between Earth and the Moon, then you could calculate

In a circular orbit, the force of gravity provides a/an

The definition of the term satellite in astronomy refers to

Uniform circular motion applies to which of the following orbits?

If an object is in orbit with an orbital speed less than the escape speed but greater than the circular orbit speed, what type of orbit is it?

For which of the following orbital velocities, V, is the orbit unbound?

If a robotic probe sent to Mars is designed to return a rock sample to Earth, how fast must the probe be launched from the surface of Mars in order to escape the gravity of Mars? For reference, Mars has a mass of 6 *10²³ kg and a radius of 3,400 km.

How fast is the Moon moving as it orbits Earth? For reference, the Moon's orbit is approximately circular with a radius equal to 400,000 km, and the Moon's orbital period is 27 days.

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has an orbital period of 16 days and a semimajor axis of 1.2 10⁹ m.Based on this information, what is Saturn's mass? For reference, Earth's mass is 6 10²⁴ kg.

Quiz 4: Gravity and Orbits

Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space shuttle experience so-called weightlessness in space because

Which of the following is an unbound orbit?

What is the escape velocity from Mars if its mass is 6 *1023 kg and its radius is 3,400 km?

You find a moon orbiting a planet.The moon has a period of 10 days, and the average distance between the moon and planet is 106 km.What is the planet's mass? Note that the mass of Jupiter is 1.9 * 1027 kg.

If we wanted to increase the Hubble Space Telescope's altitude above Earth and keep it in a stable orbit, we also would need to

Which of the following is true considering Newton's laws of motion and Newton's law of gravitation?

If you found an exoplanet whose mass was the same as Jupiter's, but the planet orbited its star with a period of 2 years and a semimajor axis of 1 AU, what would be the mass of its star? For reference, Jupiter has a semimajor axis of 5.4 AU and an orbital period of 12 years.

Mercury orbits the Sun with an average distance of 0.4 AU, and its mass is 0.06 times that of Earth.The gravitational force that the Sun exerts on Mercury is approximately ________ times the force of gravity that the Sun exerts on Earth.

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of 600 km above Earth's surface.Assuming it is in a stable circular orbit, what is its velocity? For reference, Earth's radius is 6,400 km and Earth's mass is 6* 1024 kg.

What is the escape velocity from Ceres if its mass is 9 * 1020 kg and its radius is 470 km?

If you have two moons that have the same radius, but Moon A is denser and has 2 times the mass of Moon B, how do their escape velocities from their respective surfaces compare?

If you measured the orbital period of the Moon and the distance between Earth and the Moon, then you could calculate

In a circular orbit, the force of gravity provides a/an

The definition of the term satellite in astronomy refers to

Uniform circular motion applies to which of the following orbits?

If an object is in orbit with an orbital speed less than the escape speed but greater than the circular orbit speed, what type of orbit is it?

For which of the following orbital velocities, V, is the orbit unbound?

If a robotic probe sent to Mars is designed to return a rock sample to Earth, how fast must the probe be launched from the surface of Mars in order to escape the gravity of Mars? For reference, Mars has a mass of 6 *1023 kg and a radius of 3,400 km.

How fast is the Moon moving as it orbits Earth? For reference, the Moon's orbit is approximately circular with a radius equal to 400,000 km, and the Moon's orbital period is 27 days.

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has an orbital period of 16 days and a semimajor axis of 1.2 *109 m.Based on this information, what is Saturn's mass? For reference, Earth's mass is 6 * 1024 kg.

What is the escape velocity from Mars if its mass is 6 *10²³ kg and its radius is 3,400 km?

You find a moon orbiting a planet.The moon has a period of 10 days, and the average distance between the moon and planet is 10⁶ km.What is the planet's mass? Note that the mass of Jupiter is 1.9 * 10²⁷ kg.

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of 600 km above Earth's surface.Assuming it is in a stable circular orbit, what is its velocity? For reference, Earth's radius is 6,400 km and Earth's mass is 6* 10²⁴ kg.

What is the escape velocity from Ceres if its mass is 9 * 10²⁰ kg and its radius is 470 km?

If a robotic probe sent to Mars is designed to return a rock sample to Earth, how fast must the probe be launched from the surface of Mars in order to escape the gravity of Mars? For reference, Mars has a mass of 6 *10²³ kg and a radius of 3,400 km.

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has an orbital period of 16 days and a semimajor axis of 1.2 10⁹ m.Based on this information, what is Saturn's mass? For reference, Earth's mass is 6 10²⁴ kg.