Lesson 12.1.1

12.1.1 Gravitational fields and Newton's law of universal gravitation Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 12.1.1, Gravitational fields and Newton's law of universal gravitation: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 12: Gravitational Fields, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What experiences an attractive force when placed inside a gravitational field?

    • Photon
    • Mass
    • Magnetic pole
    • Electric charge

  2. How is gravitational field strength defined mathematically?

    • Force per unit mass
    • Force per unit distance
    • Energy per unit mass
    • Mass per unit force

  3. What are the SI units of gravitational field strength?

    • kg m^-1
    • N kg^-1
    • J kg^-1 m
    • N m^-1

  4. What is the approximate value of the gravitational constant G?

    • 1.38 x 10^-23 J K^-1
    • 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2 kg^-2
    • 9.81 N kg^-1
    • 6.02 x 10^23 mol^-1

  5. What is the direction of the gravitational force acting between two point masses?

    • Tangential to orbit
    • Away from centres
    • Along joining line
    • Perpendicular to line

  6. Which equation gives the gravitational field strength due to a point mass M at distance r?

    • g = GM / r
    • g = G M^2 / r^2
    • g = GM / r^2
    • g = GM r^2

  7. If the separation between two point masses is doubled, what happens to the gravitational force?

    • Doubles
    • Decreases by factor 4
    • Increases by factor 4
    • Halves

  8. Earth has mass 6.0 x 10^24 kg and radius 6.4 x 10^6 m. Using G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2 kg^-2, what is g at its surface?

    • 2.5 N kg^-1
    • 0.98 N kg^-1
    • 98 N kg^-1
    • 9.8 N kg^-1

  9. Two masses of 1000 kg and 500 kg are 2.0 m apart. What is the gravitational force between them?

    • 3.3 x 10^-5 N
    • 8.3 x 10^-6 N
    • 1.7 x 10^-6 N
    • 8.3 x 10^-4 N

  10. A satellite is at a height above Earth equal to Earth's radius, so its distance from Earth's centre is 2R. What fraction of the surface value g0 is its field strength?

    • g0 / 2
    • g0
    • g0 / 8
    • g0 / 4

  11. The Moon has about 1/81 of Earth's mass and about 0.27 times its radius. Approximately what fraction of Earth's surface gravitational field strength is the Moon's surface field strength?

    • about 0.81
    • about 0.27
    • about 0.17
    • about 0.012

  12. A person of mass 70 kg stands on Earth where g = 9.8 N kg^-1. What is their weight?

    • 70 N
    • 7.1 N
    • 686 N
    • 9800 N

  13. At what distance from a point mass of 1.0 x 10^24 kg is the gravitational field strength 1.0 N kg^-1? Use G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2 kg^-2.

    • 8.2 x 10^6 m
    • 6.7 x 10^13 m
    • 2.6 x 10^6 m
    • 8.2 x 10^3 m

  14. Why are gravitational forces always attractive, unlike electrostatic forces?

    • Mass is always positive
    • Distance is always zero
    • Charges are always negative
    • Mass has two charges

  15. What is the net gravitational field strength at the exact midpoint between two equal point masses?

    • Half the field
    • Double the field
    • Infinite
    • Zero

  16. Which factor causes variations in gravitational field strength across the surface of the Earth?

    • Earth magnetic field
    • Atmospheric pressure
    • Earth orbital speed
    • Non-spherical Earth shape

  17. Why must a test mass used to measure gravitational field strength be small?

    • Increase measurement force
    • Maximise acceleration
    • Avoid altering field
    • Prevent gravitational collapse

  18. What quantity is needed alongside gravitational force to calculate gravitational field strength?

    • Density
    • Mass
    • Radius
    • Volume

  19. Which two factors determine the gravitational field strength outside a uniform spherical planet?

    • Mass and distance
    • Density and radius
    • Volume and distance
    • Mass and radius

  20. Two identical masses are placed at distances r and 3r from a point. What is the ratio of field strengths at the two points?

    • 3 : 1
    • 1 : 9
    • 9 : 1
    • 1 : 3

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