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Space physics
infoWhy this? Space physics explains Earth's place in the solar system and Milky Way, as well as the causes of day, night, seasons, and planetary orbits. It also enables us to distinguish mass from weight, reason about gravity on different worlds, and comprehend astronomical distances.
scheduleWhy now? This unit applies the earlier study of non-contact forces, especially gravity, on planetary and astronomical scales. It extends primary knowledge of Earth and space through quantitative work with weight, daylight data, and light years, while consolidating modelling and data-interpretation skills.
neurologyYou need to know
- The names of the planets in our solar system in order of increasing distance from the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are terrestrial planets, Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, and Uranus and Neptune are ice giants; the planets also differ in atmosphere, number of moons, and relative size.
- A galaxy is a massive system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity.
- The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with a central bulge, spiral arms, and our solar system located in one of the spiral arms.
- A planet's rotational day is the time taken for the planet to complete one full rotation on its axis; unlike the duration of daylight, Earth's rotational day does not vary by country, latitude, or season.
- Day and night occur due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis, causing different parts of the planet to face towards or away from the Sun.
- Seasons occur because the Earth's axis remains tilted in the same direction in space as the Earth orbits the Sun, causing each hemisphere to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.
- The northern and southern hemispheres experience opposite seasons: a hemisphere tilted towards the Sun has a longer duration of daylight and receives more direct sunlight, producing summer, while the other hemisphere has a shorter duration of daylight and receives less direct sunlight, producing winter.
- The duration of daylight in a country can be determined from data and varies depending on the time of year and latitude.
- Distance from the equator affects the duration of daylight: countries closer to the poles experience greater variation in the duration of daylight throughout the year, while those near the equator have relatively consistent durations of daylight.
- Gravity is a force of attraction between masses.
- Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms (kg).
- Weight is the force exerted on a mass by gravity, measured in newtons (N).
- The strength of gravity varies on different planets due to differences in mass and radius.
- The size of a crater formed by an asteroid impact depends on the material properties of the asteroid, such as density and composition.
- Orbiting astronauts appear to float because they and their spacecraft are in continuous free fall around Earth, not because there is no gravity in space.
- Gravity decreases as the distance from the centre of an object increases.
- A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometres.
- Light years are used to measure vast distances in space because astronomical objects are extremely far apart.
rocket_launchYou must be able to
- List the planets of the solar system in order of increasing distance from the Sun.
- Compare and contrast the main features of the planets, such as size, composition, atmosphere, and number of moons.
- Identify and describe the main structural features of the Milky Way galaxy.
- Use a physical or diagrammatic model to explain the occurrence of day and night on Earth.
- Use a model or diagram to explain that the Earth's axis remains tilted in the same direction in space as the Earth orbits the Sun, causing the northern and southern hemispheres to experience opposite seasons.
- Interpret data tables to determine the duration of daylight in different countries.
- Analyse data to describe and explain how latitude, or distance from the equator, affects the duration of daylight.
- Define and use the terms gravity, mass, and weight accurately.
- Calculate the weight of an object on Earth and on other planets using the formula `weight (N) = mass (kg) \times gravitational field strength (N/kg)`.
- Explain, using evidence, why gravity differs between planets.
- Predict and explain how the size of a crater changes with different asteroid materials.
- Explain, using the concept of continuous free fall around Earth, why orbiting astronauts appear to float even though gravity is acting on them.
- Describe, using diagrams or calculations, how gravity changes with increasing distance from an object.
- Use the concept of a light year to compare distances between astronomical objects.