P16 - Space

Question 1

What is in our solar system?

Answer 1

• Sun
• 8 Planets
• Dwarf planets
• Moons, asteroids and comet

Question 2

How are stars formed?

Answer 2

A cloud of dust and gas (nebula) is pulled together by gravity

Question 3

What is a protostar?

Answer 3

What is formed by a nebula coming together

Question 4

How does a protostar become a main sequence star?

Answer 4

• Becomes denser so particles collide more often
• More energy from GPE is transferred to the thermal store - heats up
• Fusion happens

Question 5

How are stars stable?

Answer 5

The force outwards from fusion are in equilibrium with the gravitational force inwards

Question 6

What happens to a star the same size or smaller than the sun?

Answer 6

• Red giant
• White dwarf
• Black dwarf

Question 7

What happens to a star larger than the sun?

Answer 7

• Red supergiant
• Supernova
• Neutron star or black hole (if really really big)

Question 8

How are naturally occurring elements formed?

Answer 8

• Nuclear fusion in stars
• When a star becomes a giant helium, lithium and other small nuclei fuse
• Anything heavier than iron is formed in a supernova

Question 9

How does a satellite remain in orbit?

Answer 9

• Centripetal force acting inward
• Acceleration forwards

Question 10

What is red-shift?

Answer 10

• The effect that makes wavelengths of light longer if they’re moving away from us
• Light from other galaxies is red-shifted so they’re moving away from us

Question 11

What evidence is there for the Big Bang Theory?

Answer 11

• Red-shift shows that the universe is expanding
• Rewinding time shows that it originated from a single point
• CMBR - Radiation from the Big Bang

Question 12

What is the Big Bang Theory?

Answer 12

The theory that the universe began as one tiny, hot, dense point then exploded