DP Physics Questionbank

Explain what is meant by the gravitational potential at the surface of a planet.

An unpowered projectile is fired vertically upwards into deep space from the surface of planet Venus. Assume that the gravitational effects of the Sun and the other planets are negligible.

The following data are available.

(i) Determine the initial kinetic energy of the projectile.

(ii) Describe the subsequent motion of the projectile until it is effectively beyond the gravitational field of Venus.

The graph shows the variation of the gravitational potential V with distance r from the centre of a uniform spherical planet. The radius of the planet is R. The shaded area is S.

What is the work done by the gravitational force as a point mass m is moved from the surface of the planet to a distance 6R from the centre?

A. m (V2 – V1 )

B. m (V1 – V2 )

C. mS

D. S

A meteorite, very far from planet X begins to fall to the surface with a negligibly small initial speed. The mass of planet X is 3.1 × 10²¹ kg and its radius is 1.2 × 10⁶ m. The planet has no atmosphere. Calculate the speed at which the meteorite will hit the surface.

Calculate the gravitational potential energy of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

The gravitational potential due to the Sun at a distance r from its centre is V_S. Show that

rV_S = constant.

Calculate the total energy of the Earth in its orbit.

The graph shows the variation of electric field strength $E$ with distance $r$ from a point charge.

The shaded area X is the area under the graph between two separations $r_1$ and $r_2$ from the charge.

What is X?

A.  The electric field average between $r_1$ and $r_2$

B.  The electric potential difference between $r_1$ and $r_2$

C.  The work done in moving a charge from $r_1$ to $r_2$

D.  The work done in moving a charge from $r_2$ to $r_1$ 

Explain why the electric potential decreases from A to B.

Draw, on the axes, the variation of electric potential $V$ with distance $r$ from the centre of the sphere.

Determine the charge $Q$ of the sphere.

Satellite X orbits 6600 km from the centre of the Earth.

Mass of the Earth = 6.0 x 10²⁴ kg

Show that the orbital speed of satellite X is about 8 km s^–1.

A spacecraft moves towards the Earth under the influence of the gravitational field of the Earth.

The three quantities that depend on the distance r of the spacecraft from the centre of the Earth are the

I.   gravitational potential energy of the spacecraft
II   gravitational field strength acting on the spacecraft
III. gravitational force acting on the spacecraft.

Which of the quantities are proportional to $\frac{1}{r^2}$?

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II and III

Show that the gravitational potential due to the planet and the star at the surface of the planet is about −5 × 10⁹J kg⁻¹.

Estimate the escape speed of the spacecraft from the planet–star system.

An engineer needs to move a space probe of mass 3600 kg from Ganymede to Callisto. Calculate the energy required to move the probe from the orbital radius of Ganymede to the orbital radius of Callisto. Ignore the mass of the moons in your calculation. 

Outline, without calculation, whether or not the electric potential at P is zero.

Show that the $\frac{\mathrm{gravitational} \mathrm{potential} \mathrm{due} \mathrm{to} \mathrm{Jupiter} \mathrm{at} \mathrm{the} \mathrm{orbit} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{Io}}{ \mathrm{gravitational} \mathrm{potential} \mathrm{due} \mathrm{to} \mathrm{Io} \mathrm{at} \mathrm{the} \mathrm{surface} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{Io}}$ is about 80.

Outline, using (b)(i), why it is not correct to use the equation $\sqrt{\frac{2G\times \text{mass of Io}}{\text{radius of Io}}}$ to calculate the speed required for the spacecraft to reach infinity from the surface of $\text{Io}$.

The points X and Y are in a uniform electric field of strength $E$. The distance OX is $x$ and the distance OY is $y$.

What is the magnitude of the change in electric potential between X and Y?

A.  $Ex$

B.  $Ey$

C.  $E(x + y)$

D.  $E\sqrt{x^2 + y^2}$

An object of mass $m$ released from rest near the surface of a planet has an initial acceleration $z$. What is the gravitational field strength near the surface of the planet?

A.  $z$

B.  $\frac{z}{m}$

C.  $mz$

D.  $\frac{m}{z}$

A satellite orbits planet $\text{X}$ with a speed $v_{\text{X}}$ at a distance $\text{r}$ from the centre of planet $\text{X}$. Another satellite orbits planet $\text{Y}$ at a speed of $v_{\text{y}}$ at a distance $\text{r}$ from the centre of planet $\text{Y}$. The mass of planet $\text{X}$ is $M$ and the mass of planet $\text{Y}$ is $4M$. What is the ratio of $\frac{v_{\text{X}}}{v_{\text{y}}}$?

A.  0.25

B.  0.5

C.  2.0

D.  4.0

Four identical, positive, point charges of magnitude Q are placed at the vertices of a square of side 2d. What is the electric potential produced at the centre of the square by the four charges?

A.     0

B.     $\frac{4kQ}{d}$

C.     $\frac{\sqrt{2}kQ}{d}$

D.     $\frac{2\sqrt{2}kQ}{d}$

An electron of mass m_e orbits an alpha particle of mass m_α in a circular orbit of radius r. Which expression gives the speed of the electron?

A.     $\sqrt{\frac{2k{e}^2}{m_{e}r}}$

B.     $\sqrt{\frac{2k{e}^2}{m_{a}r}}$

C.     $\sqrt{\frac{4k{e}^2}{m_{e}r}}$

D.     $\sqrt{\frac{4k{e}^2}{m_{a}r}}$

On the diagram, draw and label the equipotential lines at –0.4 V and –0.8 V.

The mass of the asteroid is 6.2 × 10¹² kg. Calculate the gravitational force experienced by the planet when the asteroid is at point P.

A planet has a radius of 3.1 × 10⁶ m. At a point P a distance 2.4 × 10⁷ m above the surface of the planet the gravitational field strength is 2.2 N kg^–1. Calculate the gravitational potential at point P, include an appropriate unit for your answer.

The mass of the Earth is M_E and the mass of the Moon is M_M. Their respective radii are R_E and R_M.

Which is the ratio $\frac{\text{escape speed from the Earth}}{\text{escape speed from the Moon}}$?

A.     $\sqrt{\frac{M_{\text{M}}{R}_{\text{M}}}{M_{\text{E}}{R}_{\text{E}}}}$

B.     $\sqrt{\frac{M_{\text{E}}{R}_{\text{E}}}{M_{\text{M}}{R}_{\text{M}}}}$

C.     $\sqrt{\frac{M_{\text{E}}{R}_{\text{M}}}{M_{\text{M}}{R}_{\text{E}}}}$

D.     $\sqrt{\frac{M_{\text{M}}{R}_{\text{E}}}{M_{\text{E}}{R}_{\text{M}}}}$

Show that V = –g(R + h).

Draw a graph, on the axes, to show the variation of the gravitational potential V of the planet with height h above the surface of the planet.

The diagram shows the path of an asteroid as it moves past the planet.

When the asteroid was far away from the planet it had negligible speed. Estimate the speed of the asteroid at point P as defined in (b).

A satellite of mass $m$ orbits a planet of mass $M$ in a circular orbit of radius $r$. What is the work that must be done on the satellite to increase its orbital radius to $2r$?

A.  $\frac{GMm}{r}$

B.  $\frac{GMm}{2r}$

C.  $\frac{GMm}{4r}$

D.  $\frac{GMm}{8r}$

Discuss, by reference to the answer in (b), whether it is likely that Titan will lose its atmosphere of nitrogen.

The mass of Titan is 0.025 times the mass of the Earth and its radius is 0.404 times the radius of the Earth. The escape speed from Earth is 11.2 km s⁻¹. Show that the escape speed from Titan is 2.8 km s⁻¹.

Show that the charge on the surface of the sphere is +18 μC.

Predict the charge on each sphere.

The escape speed for the Earth is $v$_esc. Planet X has half the density of the Earth and twice the radius. What is the escape speed for planet X?

A.   $\frac{v_{\text{esc}}}{2}$

B.   $\frac{v_{\text{esc}}}{\sqrt{2}}$

C.  $v$_esc

D.   $\sqrt{2}$ $v$_esc

Two point charges Q₁ and Q₂ are one metre apart. The graph shows the variation of electric potential V with distance $x$ from Q₁.

What is $\frac{Q_1}{Q_2}$?

A.   $\frac{1}{16}$

B.   $\frac{1}{4}$

C.   4

D.   16

State the maximum distance between the centres of the nuclei for which the production of ${}_{15}^{32}\text{P}$ is likely to occur.

Determine, in J, the minimum initial kinetic energy that the deuterium nucleus must have in order to produce ${}_{15}^{32}\text{P}$. Assume that the phosphorus nucleus is stationary throughout the interaction and that only electrostatic forces act.

A charged sphere in a gravitational field is initially stationary between two parallel metal plates. There is a potential difference V between the plates.

Three changes can be made:

I.   Increase the separation of the metal plates
II.  Increase V
III. Apply a magnetic field into the plane of the paper

What changes made separately will cause the charged sphere to accelerate?

A.  I and II only

B.  I and III only

C.  II and III only

D.  I, II and III

An object of mass $m$ is launched from the surface of the Earth. The Earth has a mass $M$ and radius $r$. The acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Earth is $g$. What is the escape speed of the object from the surface of the Earth?

A.  $\sqrt{gr}$

B.  $\sqrt{2gr}$

C.  $\sqrt{2Mgr}$

D.  $\sqrt{2mgr}$

Calculate the electric potential at O.

The electric potential at a point a distance 2.8 m from the centre of the sphere is 7.71 kV. Determine the radius of the sphere.

Determine whether the object will reach the surface of the sphere.

Show that the total energy of the planet is given by the equation shown.

$E=\frac{1}{2}mV$

Suppose the star could contract to half its original radius without any loss of mass. Discuss the effect, if any, this has on the total energy of the planet.

The diagram shows some of the electric field lines for two fixed, charged particles X and Y.

The magnitude of the charge on X is $Q$ and that on Y is $q$. The distance between X and Y is 0.600 m. The distance between P and Y is 0.820 m.

At P the electric field is zero. Determine, to one significant figure, the ratio $\frac{Q}{q}$.

The escape speed from a planet of radius R is v_esc. A satellite orbits the planet at a distance R from the surface of the planet. What is the orbital speed of the satellite?

A. $\frac{1}{2}{v}_{\text{esc}}$

B. $\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}{v}_{\text{esc}}$

C. $\sqrt{2}{v}_{\text{esc}}$

D. $2v_{\text{esc}}$

The orbital period T of a moon orbiting a planet of mass M is given by

$$\frac{R^3}{T^2}=kM$$

where R is the average distance between the centre of the planet and the centre of the moon.

Show that $k=\frac{G}{4{\pi }^2}$

Satellite X is in orbit around the Earth. An identical satellite Y is in a higher orbit. What is correct for the total energy and the kinetic energy of the satellite Y compared with satellite X?

The following data for the Mars–Phobos system and the Earth–Moon system are available:

Mass of Earth = 5.97 × 10²⁴ kg

The Earth–Moon distance is 41 times the Mars–Phobos distance.

The orbital period of the Moon is 86 times the orbital period of Phobos.

Calculate, in kg, the mass of Mars.

A satellite in a circular orbit around the Earth needs to reduce its orbital radius.

What is the work done by the satellite rocket engine and the change in kinetic energy resulting from this shift in orbital height?

The escape velocity for an object at the surface of the Earth is v_esc. The diameter of the Moon is 4 times smaller than that of the Earth and the mass of the Moon is 81 times smaller than that of the Earth. What is the escape velocity of the object on the Moon?

A. $\frac{2}{81}$v_esc

B. $\frac{4}{81}$v_esc

C. $\frac{2}{9}$v_esc

D. $\frac{4}{9}$v_esc

The gravitational potential is $V$ at a distance $R$ above the surface of a spherical planet of radius $R$ and uniform density. What is the gravitational potential a distance $2R$ above the surface of the planet?

A. $\frac{V}{4}$

B. $\frac{4V}{9}$

C. $\frac{V}{2}$

D. $\frac{2V}{3}$

The force acting between two point charges is $F$ when the separation of the charges is $x$. What is the force between the charges when the separation is increased to $3x$?

A. $\frac{F}{3}$

B. $\frac{F}{3x^2}$

C. $\frac{F}{9}$

D. $\frac{F}{9x^2}$

In this model the electron loses energy by emitting electromagnetic waves. Describe the predicted effect of this emission on the orbital radius of the electron.

Hence, deduce that the total energy of the electron is given by $E_{\mathrm{TOT}}=-\frac{k{e}^2}{r}$.

Show that the speed $v$ of the electron with mass $m$, is given by $v=\sqrt{\frac{2k{e}^2}{mr}}$.