Space Physics | AQA GCSE Physics, Higher tier (8463)
Space Physics
- 60 questions
- 3 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Space Physics is examined in Physics Paper 2.
It covers our solar system, and the orbits of satellites, the life cycle of a star and red-shift.
Sample questions from Space Physics
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Our solar system, and the orbits of satellites
Describe how the Sun was formed.
Show the answer
A cloud of dust and gas was pulled together by gravitational attraction. -
Our solar system, and the orbits of satellites
For an object moving in a circular orbit, in which direction does the gravitational force on it act?
Show the answer
Towards the centre of the orbit. -
The life cycle of a star
Name the stage that follows the main sequence for a star about the size of the Sun.
Show the answer
It becomes a red giant. -
The life cycle of a star
Which elements are not produced by fusion during a star's ordinary life?
Show the answer
Elements heavier than iron. -
Red-shift
Red-shift is seen in whichever direction we look. Explain why this suggests the universe is expanding rather than that we sit at its centre.
Show the answer
Space is stretching everywhere, so an observer in any galaxy would see the other galaxies moving away. -
Red-shift
Why is the fact that more distant galaxies move faster taken as evidence for an expanding universe?
Show the answer
If space is stretching everywhere, galaxies that are further apart separate more quickly, which is what is observed.
The 3 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Our solar system, and the orbits of satellites | The Sun, planets, dwarf planets and moons of our solar system and its place in the galaxy, how the Sun formed from a nebula, why fusion begins and what balances a stable star, gravity keeping planets, moons and artificial satellites in circular orbits, changing velocity at constant speed, and how orbital speed and radius are linked. | 20 |
| The life cycle of a star | The life cycle of a star and what decides it, the nebula and protostar stages every star passes through, the main sequence, the red giant, white dwarf and black dwarf of a Sun-sized star, the red super giant, supernova, neutron star or black hole of a massive star, and how fusion and supernovae make and spread the elements. | 20 |
| Red-shift | What red-shift is, how a galaxy's speed relates to its distance, why this is evidence for an expanding universe and the Big Bang, what supernova observations since 1998 suggest, and dark mass and dark energy. | 20 |
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
AQA GCSE Physics, Higher tier Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,495 questions with their answers.