Physics 9702 · AS & A Level
Gravitational force between point masses
35 practice questions on Gravitational force between point masses, with worked solutions and instant marking.
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
Feb/March 2016
Newton’s law of gravitation is valid for point masses.
May/June 2011
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
May/June 2012
Explain the meaning of a geostationary orbit.
May/June 2013
The mass $M$ of a spherical planet may be treated as a point mass located at the planet’s centre.
May/June 2014
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
May/June 2015
Treat the Earth as a sphere with uniform density, radius $6.37 \times 10^3\,\text{km}$, and mass $5.98 \times 10^{24}\,\text{kg}$ all concentrated at the centre. The Earth rotates about its axis in a period of $24.0\,\text{hours}$.
May/June 2015
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
May/June 2015
A binary star is made up of two stars A and B that move round each other, as shown in Fig. 1.1. The stars follow circular orbits whose centres are at point P, which is a distance $d$ from the centre of star A.
May/June 2016
Explain how a satellite can move in a circular orbit around a planet.
May/June 2017
State Newton’s law of gravitation.
May/June 2018
State Newton’s law of gravitation as the force law between masses.
May/June 2018
Consider two point masses that are isolated in space and separated by a distance $x$. Give an expression that connects the gravitational force $F$ between them with the masses $M$ and $m$. State the name of any other symbol used.
May/June 2019
Two point masses are a distance $x$ apart in a vacuum. State an expression for the force $F$ between masses $M$ and $m$. State the name of any other symbol used.
May/June 2019
Two point masses are isolated in space and are separated by a distance $x$. State an equation that links the gravitational force $F$ between the two masses with the masses $M$ and $m$. State the name of any other symbol used.
May/June 2019
State what is meant by gravitational force.
May/June 2020
State the meaning of gravitational force.
May/June 2020
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
May/June 2023
A planet with mass $m$ moves in a circular orbit of radius $r$ around the Sun, which has mass $M$, as shown in Fig. 1.1. The planet’s angular velocity magnitude and its orbital period are $\omega$ and $T$ respectively.
Oct/Nov 2010
Section A. Write your answers to all the questions in the spaces provided.
Oct/Nov 2011
A moon travels in a circular path of radius $r$ around a planet. The moon’s angular speed in this orbit is $\omega$. The planet and its moon can be treated as isolated point masses in space.
Oct/Nov 2011
State the law of gravitation proposed by Newton.
Oct/Nov 2012
State Newton’s law of gravitation.
Oct/Nov 2012
State Newton’s law of gravitation, in full.
Oct/Nov 2013
State Newton’s law of gravitation.
Oct/Nov 2015
A satellite moves in a circular path of radius $r$ around the Earth, whose mass is $M$, as shown in Fig. 1.1. The Earth’s mass may be treated as though it were concentrated at the centre.
Oct/Nov 2016
State Newton’s law of gravitation for point masses.
Oct/Nov 2017
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
Oct/Nov 2019
State Newton’s law of gravitation for point masses.
Oct/Nov 2019
State Newton’s law of gravitation for two point masses.
Oct/Nov 2019
State the formula for the gravitational force $F$ acting between two point masses $m_1$ and $m_2$ when they are separated by a distance $r$. State what any other symbols mean.
Oct/Nov 2022
Write down the equation for the gravitational force $F$ acting between two point masses $m_1$ and $m_2$ when they are separated by a distance $r$. State the meaning of any other symbols you choose to use.
Oct/Nov 2022
State Newton’s law of gravitation in words.
Oct/Nov 2024
State Newton’s law of gravitation for two point masses.
Oct/Nov 2024
A binary star is formed by star A, with mass $4.0 \times 10^{30}\,\text{kg}$, and star B, with mass $2.0 \times 10^{30}\,\text{kg}$; the two stars are separated by a distance of $3.3 \times 10^{12}\,\text{m}$. As shown in Fig. 1.1, both stars travel in circular orbits about their shared centre of gravity X. The orbital radius $R_B$ of star B is twice the orbital radius $R_A$ of star A.
Oct/Nov 2025