Physics 5054 · O Level
Circular motion
34 practice questions on Circular motion, with worked solutions and instant marking.
The Earth moves round the Sun in a circular path with constant speed. Which arrows indicate the direction of the Earth’s acceleration and the direction of the Earth’s velocity?
May/June 2015
A car is travelling round a circle at constant speed. In what direction does the resultant force on the car act?
May/June 2016
A car travels around a circle at constant speed. In which direction does the resultant force on the car act?
May/June 2016
A satellite moves around the Earth in a circular orbit. Which two quantities are always directed the same way as each other?
May/June 2017
A satellite moves in a circular orbit around a planet. Which statement is correct?
May/June 2017
A car moves round a horizontal circular track at constant speed. Which statement describes the forces acting on the car?
May/June 2017
The diagram represents a satellite $S$ moving at constant speed in a circular orbit about a planet $P$. Which statement is correct?
May/June 2018
The diagram shows an object $O$ travelling from $X$ to $Y$ along a circular path with constant speed. In the position illustrated, what is the direction of the resultant force on $O$?
May/June 2019
A satellite is shown orbiting the Earth along a circular path at a constant speed. Which arrow indicates the direction of the force acting on the satellite?
May/June 2021
The diagram illustrates a satellite moving around a planet at constant speed. In which direction does the resultant force on the satellite act?
May/June 2021
The diagram shows the Moon moving in its orbit around the Earth. Which arrow shows the direction of the resultant force acting on the Moon at the instant shown?
May/June 2022
The diagram shows the Moon moving in its orbit around the Earth. Which arrow shows the direction of the resultant force acting on the Moon at the instant shown?
May/June 2022
The Moon requires $27$ days to complete one orbit around the Earth. The mean radius of the Moon's orbit is $3.8 \times 10^8\,\text{m}$. What is the Moon's average orbital speed?
May/June 2023
A satellite moves round a planet along a circular path, as shown. Its speed remains constant. The planet exerts a force on the satellite. In which direction does the force on the satellite act when it is at the position shown?
May/June 2024
The diagram depicts one part of a roller coaster track that forms a vertical circle. At the point shown, the truck is travelling at constant speed. Which arrow indicates the direction of the resultant force acting on the truck?
May/June 2025
The diagram shows the Moon travelling in its orbit around the Earth. Which arrow shows the direction of the resultant force acting on the Moon at the moment shown?
Oct/Nov 2015
The diagram shows the Moon moving in orbit around the Earth. Which arrow shows the direction of the resultant force acting on the Moon at the moment illustrated?
Oct/Nov 2015
The diagram illustrates a car moving at constant speed around a circular track. Which arrow indicates the direction of the resultant force acting on the car?
Oct/Nov 2016
Which force performs no work?
Oct/Nov 2016
The diagram depicts a car moving at constant speed around a circular track. Which arrow indicates the direction of the resultant force acting on the car?
Oct/Nov 2016
A skateboarder with mass $45\,\text{kg}$ is positioned at the top of a ramp. Figure 2.1 illustrates the skateboarder and the ramp. The skateboarder moves vertically downward by $1.8\,\text{m}$. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$.
Oct/Nov 2016
Fig. 1.1 depicts a satellite moving at constant speed in a circular orbit around the Earth. The diagram labels a satellite going around the Earth. Fig. 1.1 (not to scale).
Oct/Nov 2018
The Earth moves with constant speed along a circular path around the Sun. Which arrows indicate the direction of the Earth’s acceleration and the direction of the Earth’s velocity?
Oct/Nov 2019
The Earth moves with constant speed along a circular path around the Sun. Which arrows indicate the direction of the Earth's acceleration and the direction of the Earth's velocity?
Oct/Nov 2019
A satellite moves around a planet along a circular orbit, as illustrated. Its speed remains constant. The satellite exerts a force on the planet. What is the direction of the force on the planet?
Oct/Nov 2020
Fig. 2.1 shows a satellite travelling at constant speed in a circular orbit around the Earth. Speed is a scalar quantity whereas velocity is a vector quantity.
Oct/Nov 2020
The diagram illustrates a car moving around a circular track at constant speed. Which arrow indicates the direction of the resultant force acting on the car?
Oct/Nov 2021
The diagram illustrates a car travelling around a circular track at constant speed. Which arrow indicates the direction of the resultant force acting on the car?
Oct/Nov 2021
A planet travels around the Sun in a circular orbit at constant speed, yet it is accelerating because its direction is changing. In what direction does the resultant force act to produce this acceleration?
Oct/Nov 2022
A car moves at constant speed along a horizontal road while rounding a bend. In which direction does the resultant force on the car act?
Oct/Nov 2022
The International Space Station travels in orbit around the Earth. At point X, which arrow indicates the direction of the force acting on the International Space Station?
Oct/Nov 2023
Venus moves around the Sun at a steady speed of $3.5 \times 10^4\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ and needs a time $T_v$ to finish one orbit.
Oct/Nov 2023
A satellite moves around the Earth in an orbit. In which direction does the force acting on the satellite that keeps this circular motion point?
Oct/Nov 2024
A car travels round a circle at constant speed. In which direction does the resultant force acting on the car act?
Oct/Nov 2025