Student Name: ...............................................
Student Number: .............................................
Teacher: .............................................
2013
HSC Examination Paper
Physics “Space”
Module test
Section 1
Total marks …….. /15
 Attempt questions 1 – 15
 Answer on the answer sheet provided
Section II
Total marks ……..../5
 Attempt questions 16
 Answer in the spaces provided on the
question paper
General Instructions


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
Reading time – 5 minutes
Section III
Working time – 115 minutes
Total marks ……..../45
Board approved calculators may be used.
 Attempt questions 17-20
Write using a blue or black pen
 Answer in the spaces provided on the
question paper
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
1/26
1
A satellite is in orbit around Earth with tangential velocity v as shown.
Which of the following describes the direction of the centripetal force acting on the
satellite?
A.
Opposite direction to the gravitational force
B.
Opposite direction to the tangential velocity
C.
Same direction as the gravitational force
D.
Same direction as the tangential velocity
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
2/26
2
A crazy witch was flying on a broomstick with a rest length of L. The witch
passes a farm at a speed of 0.99c, a stationary cow was watched her flying past.
Which pair of observations with regards to the length her broomstick is correct?
From the Witch's perspective
From the Cow's perspective
A.
Remains as L
Shorter than L
B.
Remains as L
Greater than L
C.
Shorter than L
Remains as L
D.
Greater than L
Remains as L
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
3/26
3.
A cannon ball was fired vertically upward from a stationary boat. Which pair
of graphs best describes the velocity, v, and acceleration, a, of the cannon ball as
functions of time, t? Ignore air resistance.
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
4/26
4. Given that G is the universal gravitational constant, and g is the magnitude of the
acceleration due to gravity, which statement is true?
A
G is the same everywhere in the universe, but g is not.
B
g is the same everywhere in the universe, but G is not.
C
The values of G and g depend on location.
D
The values of G and g are independent of location.
5. A 25,000kg rocket is accelerating upwards at 133m/s/s the moment it launches.
Assume air resistance is negligible, thrust is constant and 85% of the rocket mass is
fuel. What would be the maximum g force experienced by the pilot during launch?
A
90.48g
B
91.48g (Answer)
C
133.00g
D
None of the above
6.
What is the main reason why the Michelson-Morley experiment is considered
important?
A
It proves that aether does not exist.
B
It suggests that light is a wave and a particle.
C
It was an extraordinary accurate experiment.
D
It provides that speed of light is constant irrespective of frame of reference.
7.
Which of the following about Geostationary satellites is incorrect?
A
It has a period of exactly 24 hours
B
It requires more signal power to communicate with GEO stationary satellite
C
It has must be in an equatorial orbit
D
It has a slower orbital velocity compared to LEO satellite
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
5/26
8.
Two pieces of space junk, A and B, are in circular orbits around Earth. Their
masses are unknown and their orbital periods are T and 8T, respectively. What is the
ratio of their orbital radii, RA :RB?
A
1:2
B
1:4 (Answer)
C
1:8
D
1:16
9.
Which of the following describes the main reason why a satellite in low earth
orbit around Earth eventually de-orbit?
A
It is not in a geostationary orbit.
B
Gravitational acceleration is too stronger at low orbits.
C
The sun’s solar wind pushes it out of orbit.
D
The upper atmosphere gradually slows it down.
10. If Earth’s diameter is halved without change in mass, what should happen to
Earth’s proportionality constant around the Sun?
A
Reduce by a factor of 2
B
Reduce by a factor of 4
C
Reduce by a factor of 8
D
None of the above
11. While a planet is gradually spiralling into a black hole:
A
Its GPE decreases and its KE decreases
B
Its GPE decreases and its KE increases
C
Its GPE increases and its KE increases
D
Its GPE increases and its KE decreases
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
6/26
12. Which of the following is not an assumed property of aether, prior to the
Michelson and Morley’s experiment?
A
It does not permanently absorb any energy
B
It penetrates any solid at any given time
C
It can cause measurable in momentum
D
It moves constantly relative to the Sun
13. Consider Moon’s orbit illustrated below:
At which point would Moon’s orbital velocity around Earth at maximum?
A. Perigee (Answer)
B. Apogee
C. Position X
D. It’s orbital velocity is constant around Earth
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
7/26
14. Consider the data below:
Which planet has the greater gravitational acceleration on its surface?
A
Earth
B
Mars
C
Mercury
D
Neptune
15. The weight of a spacecraft is 14500N on Earth and 5622N on Mars.
What is the gravitational acceleration of Mars?
A
9.8ms-2
B
5.8ms-2
C
3.8 ms-2
D
1.8ms-2
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
8/26
Definition
5 Marks, 1 mark for each definition
16.
Give a clear and concise definition for the following terms
g force
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Inertial frame of reference
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Gravitation potential energy
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Ionisation black-out
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Ablative shielding
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
9/26
Section III
Short response question
17.
In a fancy TV commercial, the advertiser claimed that two identical
cars, one due west of a marked target on the ground; the other one 1km
vertically above the same target, carried by a helicopter, are located in a
perfectly flat desert. At the exact moment when the car on the ground was
1km from the target and driving towards the marked target at top constant
speed, they released the other car carried by the helicopter. In the
commercial, they shown than the car on the ground passed the marked target
before the other car released from the helicopter and hit the ground.
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
10/26
Assume if there is no wind on the day and air resistance is negligible. If the
car was tested by an independent scientist and found that it has a top speed
of 220km/h.
a)
If the assumptions and the information above are accurate, analyse
whether the commercial exaggerated the top speed of the car.
4
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
11/26
b)
A student claimed that a horizontal wind high up in the atmosphere
may not be detected on the ground and would have decreased the flight time.
Therefore making the commercial possible. Assume if the air resistance is
still negligible, evaluate whether student's suggestion is plausible.
4
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
12/26
c)
The term drag means a frictional force opposing the movement of an
object. If the commercial did shown the truth, determine the minimum drag
experienced by the falling car (in other words, consider drag on the fall car in
this calculation) in order for the advertised commercial to be true. The mass
the car is 2.2 tonnes and the drag experienced by the car was constant.
3
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
13/26
18
a)
Prove than escape velocity of Earth is 11.186km/s
2
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b)
Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea
platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit
3SL rockets.
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
14/26
“The sea launch system considerably increasing payload capacity and
reducing launch costs compared to land-based systems.”
Extracted from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_launch
According to your understanding on the movement of Earth, explain how Sea
Launch is superior compare to conventional launches on the ground.
3
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
15/26
c)
For interplanetary travel to planets furtherer than Mars. Describe two
other technique that we may employ to change the spacecraft's trajectory in
order to save fuel and increase payload (amount of things carried by the
spacecraft)
4
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19.
a) Determine the GPE of a 12 tonnes GEO satellite, orbiting at an
altitude of 35,786km
3
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
16/26
c) On a distant planet, a student investigated the period of a simple pendulum with
varies length using the set up below:
Length of
pendulum
(cm)
64
88
101
127
140
152
170
179
190
198
Period of two oscillations (s)
1.89
1.92
2.46
2.73
2.64
2.67
3.03
3.03
3.12
3.90
3.81
3.78
4.23
4.20
4.17
4.65
4.56
4.65
5.55
5.64
5.69
5.40
5.37
5.46
5.73
5.70
5.76
6.00
5.94
6.03
He/she recorded the period of two oscillations with a stop watch. Using the recorded
data and graphing method, determine the gravity on this distant planet.
Assuming
that
Where T is period in seconds, L is length of pendulum in meters and g is gravitation
acceleration in ms-2.
5
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
17/26
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
18/26
d)
The student’s partner complaint that the graphing method is too time
consuming, instead, he averaged the results and substitute the periods to
determine the gravitation acceleration. Evaluate which method is more
appropriate for this experiment.
2
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
19/26
e) On a watery planet with both substantial landmass and ocean, which
rotates around its own axis and around a star in a manner nearly identical to
Earth, scientists launched a number of probes to the planet to determine the
value of its gravitational acceleration. The returned measurements seem to
vary depends where the probe landed. Assume the equipment is highly
accurate, account for the variation of the measurements.
4
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
20/26
20. An alien spacecraft is passing by Earth. If the spacecraft is travel at a
constant speed of 0.8c, provide a labelled sketch of the shape and provide
essential details of Earth observed by the Alien’s from their spacecraft.
Assume Earth has a perfect spherical shape when view from a stationary
frame of reference.
2
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b)
The Alien spacecraft left Earth for a distant planet 15 light-years away,
determine time taken for the trip from i)The Alien’s perspective ii) An Earth’s
observer’s perspective.
4
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
21/26
c)
Interpret Einstein’s train and mirror experiment.
5
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Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
22/26
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
23/26
Mass of Earth = 5.97 X 1024 kg
Radius of Earth ~= 6400 km
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
24/26
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
25/26
Amity College
Physics year 12
Created by: David Lee
Space module test 2013
26/26