CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL PHYSICS: COURSEBOOK

Exam-style questions and sample answers have been written by the authors. In examinations, the way marks are awarded
may be different.

Coursebook answers
Chapter 17
Self-assessment questions ii
m1 m2 10 −1
× 10 −1 gravitational field strength at Sun’s surface
1 a F = −G 2 = −6.67 × 10 −11 ×
r (1× 10 −2 )2 GM 6.67 × 10 −11 × 2.0 × 1030
= 2 =
= − 6.67 × 10 −9 N r (7.0 × 108 )2
mm 5 × 10 × 5 × 10
10 10
= 270 N kg −1
b F = −G 1 2 2 = −6.67 × 10 −11 ×
r 6( 4 × 10 ) 9 2
b Gravitational field strength is very weak
= −1.04 × 10 N
−8
on the Moon, so gas molecules will
m1 m2 1.4 × 10 4
× 6.0 × 10 24 have enough energy to escape from the
c  F = −G 2 = −6.67 × 10 −11 × Moon, whereas the Sun has a very high
r (6.8 × 106 )2
field strength and, therefore, pulls gas
= 1.2 × 10 5
molecules very close together.
2 Estimate that each person has mass 70 kg and
that they are seated 0.5 m apart. 5 a Earth’s field strength near the Moon
m1 m2 70 × 70 GM 6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.0 × 1024
F = −G = −6.67 × 10 −11 × = =
r2 0.52 r2 (3.8 × 108 )2
= 1.3 × 10 −6 N = 2.8 × 10 −3 N kg −1
b force = mg = 7.4 × 1022 × (2.8 × 10−3) = 2.1
≈ 10−6 N
× 1020 N
 human with mass 70 kg weighs about 700
A F 2.1× 1020
acceleration = = = 2.8 × 10 −3 m s −2
N on Earth. Their weight is greater than their m 7.4 × 1022
mutual attraction by a factor of approximately
320
109. 6 gJupiter = 9.81× = 25 N kg −1
11.22
3 At sea level:
7 gravitational field of the Sun at the Earth
6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.0 × 1024 × 100
W= = 9.77 N 6.67 × 10 −11 × 2.0 × 1030
(6.4 × 106 )2 gs = = 5.9 × 10 −3 N kg −1
At top of Mount Everest: (1.5 × 1011 )2
gravitational field of the Moon at the Earth
6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.0 × 1024 × 100
W= = 9.74 N 6.67 × 10 −11 × 7.4 × 1022
(6.409 × 106 )2 = = 3.4 × 10 −5 N kg −1
This is only just detectable and other (3.8 × 108 )2
factors would probably mask it.
s o, the Sun has a greater pull on each kilogram
4 a i of the seawater
gravitational field strength at Moon’s surface 8 a
GM 6.67 × 10 × 7.4 × 10
−11 22
6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.4 × 1023 × 4.0
= = force of Mars on baby =
r2 (1.74 × 106 )2 (1.0 × 1011 )2
= 1.6 N kg −1 = 1.8 × 10 N
−8

b
6.67 × 10 −11 × 50 × 4.0
force of Mother on baby =
0.402
= 8.3 × 10 N
−8

Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics – Sang, Jones, Chadha & Woodside
1 © Cambridge University Press 2020
 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL PHYSICS: COURSEBOOK

GM 6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.0 × 1024 11 orbital radius = radius of Earth + altitude of

9 a ϕEarth = − =− satellite above surface = 6.4 × 106 + 2.0 × 105 =
r 6.4 × 106
6.6 × 106 m
= −6.3 × 10 J kg
7 −1

GM 6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.0 × 1024

GM 6.67 × 10 −11 × 7.4 × 1022 v= = = 7.8 ms −1
b ϕMoon =− =− r 6.6 × 106
r 1.74 × 106
12 Diagram showing the satellite spiralling in
= −2.8 × 10 J kg
6 −1
towards Earth
c ϕ ϕ  he satellite needs to fire small thruster
T
r r rockets to maintain its speed and orbit.

WMoon 13
GMT 2 6.67 × 10 −11 × 6.4 × 1023 × ( 24.6 × 3600 )2
WEarth r3 = =
4 π2 4 π2
= 8.48 × 1021

Potential well for Earth Potential well for Moon

r = 2.04 × 107 m = 20 400 km

14 d
 istance travelled by signal sent to and
d W
 Earth is the energy needed for each
returned by satellite = 2 × (42 300 000 − 6 400
kilogram, initially on the Earth’s surface,
000) = 7.18 × 107 m
to escape from the Earth’s field, which can
be seen to be much greater than WMoon,  he extra time taken by signal travelling via
T
the energy needed for each kilogram, satellite t:
initially on the Moon’s surface, to escape
from its field. So, the rocket does not need distance 2 × ( 4.23 × 107 − 6.4 × 106 )
t= =
to carry so much fuel. speed 3 × 108
10 a The radius of the command module orbit 7.18 × 10 7
= = 0.24 s
varies; the closer to the Moon the deeper 3 × 108
the module is in the potential and the
 he signals travel 30% slower in the cables but
T
smaller the potential.
the distance is very much less.
b
1 1 
∆ϕ = GM  − 
 r1 r2 
 1 1 
= 6.67 × 10 −11 × 7.4 × 1022  − 
 (1.74 × 10 ) ( 2.05 × 10 ) 
6 6

= 4.3 × 105 J kg −1

Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics – Sang, Jones, Chadha & Woodside
2 © Cambridge University Press 2020