Our solar system consists of the Sun and the objects that orbit it.
Which galaxy is our solar system located in?
A high-frequency radio signal sent from a spacecraft near Saturn takes 450045004500 seconds to reach a receiver on Earth. Radio waves travel at a speed of 300 000 km/s300\,000\text{ km/s}300000 km/s.
Calculate the distance between the spacecraft and Earth. Use the equation:
distance=speed×time \text{distance} = \text{speed} \times \text{time} distance=speed×timeTable 1 gives information about some of the planets in our solar system, listed in order of increasing distance from the Sun.
| Planet | Time to orbit the Sun in years |
|---|---|
| Mercury | 0.240.240.24 |
| Earth | 1.01.01.0 |
| Mars | 1.91.91.9 |
| Jupiter | 11.911.911.9 |
| Uranus | |
| Neptune | 164.8164.8164.8 |
There are some planets in our solar system missing from Table 1. How many planets are missing?
Estimate how many years it takes Uranus to orbit the Sun.
Calculate how many times Mercury will orbit the Sun in 121212 years.
19 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 8.1 Solar system; stability of orbital motions; satellites, covering 8.1.1 Our solar system, 8.1.2 The life cycle of a star, and 8.1.3 Orbital motion, natural and artificial satellites. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.