DP Physics (first assessment 2025)
Question EXE.2.SL.TZ0.a
| Date | Example questions Example questions | Marks available | [Maximum mark: 3] | Reference code | EXE.2.SL.TZ0.a |
| Level | SL | Paper | 2 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Explain | Question number | a | Adapted from | N/A |
a.
[Maximum mark: 3]
EXE.2.SL.TZ0.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]
Markscheme
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 ✓
