Question EXE.2.SL.TZ0.11
| Date | Example questions Example questions | Marks available | [Maximum mark: 5] | Reference code | EXE.2.SL.TZ0.11 |
| Level | SL | Paper | 2 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Calculate, Explain | Question number | 11 | Adapted from | N/A |
A comet orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit. A and B are two positions of the comet.
Explain, with reference to Kepler’s second law of planetary motion, the change in the kinetic energy of the comet as it moves from A to B.
[3]
The areas swept out in unit time by the Sun-comet line are the same at A and B ✓
At B, the distance is greater hence the orbital speed/distance moved in unit time is lower «so that the area remains the same» ✓
A decrease in speed means that the kinetic energy also decreases ✓
An asteroid (minor planet) orbits the Sun in a circular orbit of radius 4.5 × 108 km. The radius of Earth’s orbit is 1.5 × 108 km. Calculate, in years, the orbital period of the asteroid.
[2]
An attempt to use Kepler’s 3rd law, e.g., ✓
«» 5.2 «years» ✓