Transcript Physics 5 – The Universe

Physics 5 – The Universe
Assessment Details
Scenario…… You have been employed by NASA to prepare a report into
how we can continue to investigate the universe, its galaxies and stars.
They would like you to talk about what has happened in the past, what we
are doing now, and how we can continue to investigate in the future.
340
194 340
Btec
AQA
Long
2
Internet
The majority of research for this assignment will require the use of
the internet
a. A basic description of how an optical telescope works
b. Explain how astronomers know that all stars are moving away
from us
c. A description of the Earth’s place in the universe, this is to include
solar system, galaxy and universe.
d. Describe the terms: Solar system, Galaxy, universe
e. Explain the difference between the Ptonomony and Kepler model of
the solar system.
f. Explain what the Hubble space telescope is and why it produces
clearer images of the universe.
g. Draw diagrams to show the light waves from a close star and a
distant star and explain how redshift can be used to approximate
the stars distance from us.
h. Compare and contrast an earth based and space based telescope.
Providing advantages and disadvantages of each.
i. Explain why redshift cannot be used to determine the distance of
very close stars.
Ideas of the Solar System…
• In 1539 it was thought
that the earth was at
the centre of the
universe [Ptonomony]
• By 1575 a Johannes
Kepler worked out that
the sun must be at the
centre of the solar
system
Orbits…
Demo: mass on string
• All planets orbit the sun, our closest star..
• Orbit means go around…
• The further a planet is from a star the slower it orbits. The time taken to
orbit will also increase.
• Gravity stops planets from flying off into space.
Gravity holds the moon in
orbit around the earth
Copy, but use diagrams
Gravity also holds
the earth in orbit
around the sun
At the centre of our galaxy, there
is a huge black hole. The black
holes’ gravity holds the galaxy
together