Out into Space | OCR A-Level Physics B (Advancing Physics) (H557)
Out into Space
- 135 questions
- 9 subtopics
- The physics content, examined on all three papers
- Component 01, Component 02 and Component 03
Out Into Space is examined in all three written papers — the specification states that Components 01, 02 and 03 each assess content from across all the teaching modules, so nothing is confined to one paper.
It covers gravitational and kinetic energy changes, motion in a uniform gravitational field, gravitational force and the radial field, gravitational field strength, gravitational potential energy in a radial field, gravitational potential and equipotentials, graphs and diagrams of gravitational fields, angular velocity and motion in a horizontal circle and circular gravitational orbits.
Sample questions from Out into Space
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Gravitational and kinetic energy changes
A ball of mass 0.20 kg is dropped from 1.8 m. What is its speed on landing, ignoring air resistance?
Show the answer
From mgh = ½mv², v = √(2 × 9.81 × 1.8) = 5.9 m s⁻¹. -
Motion in a uniform gravitational field
How are the horizontal and vertical motions of a projectile treated?
Show the answer
They are treated as independent, the horizontal velocity staying constant while the vertical motion accelerates downwards at g. -
Gravitational force and the radial field
A 1500 kg satellite orbits 4.2 × 10⁷ m from the centre of an Earth of mass 5.97 × 10²⁴ kg. What gravitational force acts on it?
Show the answer
F = GMm/r² = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ × 5.97 × 10²⁴ × 1500 / (4.2 × 10⁷)² = 3.4 × 10² N. -
Gravitational field strength
What is the field strength 6.37 × 10⁶ m above the surface of the Earth?
Show the answer
The distance from the centre has doubled, so the field strength is a quarter of 9.81, that is 2.45 N kg⁻¹. -
Gravitational potential energy in a radial field
A 1200 kg satellite is 4.22 × 10⁷ m from the Earth's centre, where GM is 3.98 × 10¹⁴ N m² kg⁻¹. What is its gravitational potential energy?
Show the answer
E = −GMm/r = −3.98 × 10¹⁴ × 1200 / 4.22 × 10⁷ = −1.13 × 10¹⁰ J. -
Gravitational potential and equipotentials
Calculate the gravitational potential at the surface of an Earth with GM = 3.98 × 10¹⁴ N m² kg⁻¹ and radius 6.37 × 10⁶ m.
Show the answer
V = −GM/r = −6.25 × 10⁷ J kg⁻¹. -
Graphs and diagrams of gravitational fields
Describe the shape of a graph of gravitational field strength against distance from the centre of a planet, outside its surface.
Show the answer
It falls as an inverse square from its surface value, dropping steeply at first and then approaching zero. -
Angular velocity and motion in a horizontal circle
What is the expression for centripetal acceleration in terms of speed and radius?
Show the answer
The acceleration is a = v²/r, directed towards the centre.
The 9 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Gravitational and kinetic energy changes | Recall questions on the near-surface potential energy equation, work done by a force, why mass cancels in a landing speed, path independence, and areas under force–distance graphs. | 15 |
| Motion in a uniform gravitational field | Recall questions on field lines and equipotentials, showing newtons per kilogram equals metres per second squared, treating projectile motion as two independent directions, and where this approximation fails. | 15 |
| Gravitational force and the radial field | Recall questions on F = −GMm/r² and its minus sign, the gravitational constant G, the inverse square law, treating planets as point masses, satellite and sphere force calculations, doubling separation, why everyday attraction is unnoticeable, Newton's third law pairs, radial field lines, a larger planet's surface force, and gravity against the strong nuclear force. | 15 |
| Gravitational field strength | Recall questions on the defining equation and unit, inverse-square variation around a planet, adding fields from two bodies and where they cancel, apparent weightlessness in orbit, and field-line spacing. | 15 |
| Gravitational potential energy in a radial field | Recall questions on E = −GMm/r and why it is negative, the zero at infinite separation, how potential energy changes with distance, satellite and spacecraft calculations, constant energy in a circular orbit, when mgh is enough, escape velocity v = √(2GM/r) and why it does not depend on mass, negative total energy in a bound orbit, and the energy–distance graph. | 15 |
| Gravitational potential and equipotentials | Recall questions on gravitational potential V = −GM/r and its unit, its link to potential energy, potential as a scalar, the potential at the Earth's surface, equipotential surfaces around a planet and why moving along one needs no work, their relation to field lines, escape energy per kilogram, the energy to move a probe, equipotential spacing, and which way a released mass moves. | 15 |
| Graphs and diagrams of gravitational fields | Recall questions on the areas under field– and force–distance graphs, finding force or field from a gradient, estimating an area under a curve, equipotential diagrams, and why potential stays below zero. | 14 |
| Angular velocity and motion in a horizontal circle | Recall questions on angular velocity and its unit, radians in a revolution, ω = 2π/T and v = ωr, centripetal acceleration a = v²/r and its direction, F = mv²/r and F = mrω², why uniform circular motion is accelerated, calculations for a stone, a car and a whirled mass, why centripetal force does no work, and what holds a satellite in orbit. | 15 |
| Circular gravitational orbits | Recall questions on gravity supplying the centripetal force, deriving orbital speed and the period–radius relation, why satellite mass drops out, geostationary and polar orbits, and decaying low orbits. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR A-Level Physics B (Advancing Physics) Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,455 questions with their answers.