Course: Separate Physics only | 20 questions | ← All quizzes
Write A, B, C or D for each question, then tap Show answer to mark it.
Q1 (F, recall) What did our Sun form from?
A. A comet
B. A cloud of dust and gas pulled together by gravity
C. A supernova
D. A black hole
Show answer
✅ B
The cloud (a nebula) is pulled together by gravity to form a protostar. When the temperature and pressure are high enough, fusion begins.
Q2 (F, application) Why is a main sequence star stable?
A. It has run out of fuel
B. It is not moving
C. There is no gravity inside it
D. The outward pressure from fusion balances the inward force of gravity
Show answer
✅ D
Examiner tip: name both forces and say they are balanced (in equilibrium).
Q3 (F, recall) What will a star the size of our Sun become after its red giant stage?
A. A white dwarf
B. A black hole
C. A neutron star
D. A supernova
Show answer
✅ A. A white dwarf
This eventually cools to become a black dwarf.
Q4 (F, recall) What happens at the end of the life of a star much bigger than the Sun?
A. It becomes a white dwarf
B. It turns into a planet
C. It explodes as a supernova, leaving a neutron star or a black hole
D. It becomes a main sequence star again
Show answer
✅ C
Main sequence → red supergiant → supernova → neutron star or black hole.
Q5 (F, recall) Where are elements heavier than iron made?
A. In main sequence stars like the Sun
B. In a supernova
C. In white dwarfs
D. On planets
Show answer
✅ B. In a supernova
Fusion in stars makes elements up to iron. The explosion of a supernova also spreads the elements throughout the universe.
Q6 (F, recall) Which of these is a natural satellite?
A. The International Space Station
B. The Sun
C. Mars
D. The Moon
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✅ D. The Moon
The ISS is an artificial satellite. Mars is a planet, which orbits the Sun.
Q7 (F, recall) What is the name of the galaxy our solar system is in?
A. The Milky Way
B. Andromeda
C. The Big Bang
D. The Solar Nebula
Show answer
✅ A. The Milky Way
Q8 (F/H, recall) Which of these is a dwarf planet in our solar system?
A. Jupiter
B. The Moon
C. Pluto
D. Mercury
Show answer
✅ C. Pluto
Our solar system has one star (the Sun), eight planets, dwarf planets such as Pluto, and natural satellites such as moons.
Q9 (F/H, definition) What is red-shift?
A. Stars turning red as they cool
B. An increase in the observed wavelength of light from galaxies moving away from us
C. A decrease in the observed wavelength of light
D. Light from the Sun at sunset
Show answer
✅ B
The light is shifted towards the red end of the spectrum.
Examiner tip: red-shift is about the wavelength of light increasing, not the galaxy being red.
Q10 (F/H, application) The further away a galaxy is, the greater its red-shift. What does this show?
A. The universe is shrinking
B. Nearer galaxies are moving faster
C. Galaxies are moving towards us
D. More distant galaxies are moving away faster, so the universe is expanding
Show answer
✅ D
Q11 (F/H, application) Which theory does the observed red-shift of distant galaxies support?
A. The Big Bang theory
B. The plum pudding model
C. The Steady State theory only
D. The nuclear model of the atom
Show answer
✅ A. The Big Bang theory
If the universe is expanding, it must once have been much smaller.
Q12 (F/H, recall) What have observations of supernovae since 1998 suggested?
A. The universe is getting smaller
B. All galaxies are moving at the same speed
C. Distant galaxies are receding ever faster
D. The Big Bang never happened
Show answer
✅ C
Scientists don’t fully understand this yet. Ideas such as dark mass and dark energy have been suggested to explain it.
Q13 (H, application) A satellite moves in a circular orbit at a constant speed. Which statement is true?
A. Its velocity is constant
B. Its velocity is changing because its direction is changing, so it is accelerating
C. No forces act on it
D. It is not accelerating
Show answer
✅ B
Velocity is a vector, so a change in direction is a change in velocity. The resultant force (gravity) acts towards the centre of the orbit.
Q14 (H, application) For a satellite to stay in a stable orbit closer to the Earth, what must happen?
A. It must move more slowly
B. It must stop moving
C. Its mass must increase
D. It must move faster
Show answer
✅ D. It must move faster
If the speed of an orbiting object changes, the radius of its orbit must change too. Smaller orbits need higher speeds.
Q15 (F/H, recall) What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
A. Gravity
B. Friction
C. Magnetism
D. Air resistance
Show answer
✅ A. Gravity
Q16 (F/H, recall) What nuclear reaction happens in the core of a main sequence star?
A. Fission of uranium
B. Alpha decay
C. Fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium
D. Burning of carbon
Show answer
✅ C
Examiner tip: stars don’t “burn” – it is nuclear fusion, not combustion.
Q17 (F/H, recall) What does a star like the Sun become when it starts to run out of hydrogen?
A. A white dwarf
B. A red giant
C. A black dwarf
D. A protostar
Show answer
✅ B. A red giant
Life cycle of a Sun-sized star: nebula → protostar → main sequence → red giant → white dwarf → black dwarf.
Q18 (F/H, recall) Which list is in order of size, smallest first?
A. Galaxy, solar system, planet, universe
B. Universe, galaxy, solar system, planet
C. Solar system, planet, galaxy, universe
D. Planet, solar system, galaxy, universe
Show answer
✅ D
Q19 (F/H, recall) Which of these is a use of artificial satellites?
A. Communications and weather monitoring
B. Producing energy for the Sun
C. Keeping the Moon in orbit
D. Causing the tides
Show answer
✅ A
Q20 (F/H, recall) What does the Big Bang theory say about how the universe began?
A. It has always existed in the same state
B. It formed from the explosion of a single star
C. It began from a very small region that was extremely hot and dense
D. It formed when the Milky Way split apart
Show answer
✅ C
The universe has been expanding ever since.
Your score
Add up your marks out of 20 and multiply by 5 to get a percentage. Rough guide (not an official grade): 18–20 excellent, grade 8–9 standard | 14–17 grade 6–7 | 10–13 grade 4–5 | under 10 revise the notes and try again.
Answer key (for teachers and printing)
1 B 2 D 3 A 4 C 5 B 6 D 7 A 8 C 9 B 10 D 11 A 12 C 13 B 14 D 15 A 16 C 17 B 18 D 19 A 20 C
Revise: Space physics notes | Fill the gaps: Space physics | Lesson: You Are Stardust
