Lesson 3.7.2.1

3.7.2.1 Newton's law of gravitation Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.7.2.1, Newton's law of gravitation: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Physics (7408), Unit 7: Fields and their consequences (A-level only), written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Newton's law of gravitation states that the force between two point masses is:

    • F = G m1 m2 r^2
    • F = G m1 m2 / r^2
    • F = G (m1 + m2) / r^2
    • F = G m1 m2 / r

  2. The gravitational constant G is:

    • the attractive force between two 1 kg point masses 1 m apart, in units that give about 6.67 x 10^-11 N
    • the force between two 1 kg masses 1 m apart equal to 1 N
    • the gravitational field strength at Earth's surface
    • the acceleration of a 1 kg mass due to Earth

  3. The SI unit of G is:

    • N m^2 kg^-2
    • N kg^-2 m^-2
    • N m kg^-1
    • N kg^2 m^-2

  4. Gravitational force between two masses is always:

    • attractive
    • repulsive when the masses are large
    • zero when the masses are equal
    • attractive only between a planet and a star

  5. If the distance between two point masses is doubled, the gravitational force between them becomes:

    • one quarter as great
    • twice as great
    • unchanged
    • half as great

  6. Gravity acts between:

    • only objects that are moving
    • only objects with electric charge
    • all masses
    • only planets and stars

  7. Estimate the gravitational force between two 60 kg people 1.0 m apart (G = 6.67 x 10^-11).

    • about 2.4 x 10^-3 N
    • about 6.7 x 10^-9 N
    • about 2.4 x 10^-7 N
    • about 2.4 x 10^-11 N

  8. Two point masses of 5.0 kg and 2.0 kg are 0.50 m apart. What is the gravitational force between them?

    • 1.3 x 10^-9 N
    • 6.7 x 10^-10 N
    • 2.7 x 10^-8 N
    • 2.7 x 10^-9 N

  9. The Earth has mass 6.0 x 10^24 kg and the Moon 7.3 x 10^22 kg, with separation 3.8 x 10^8 m. Estimate the gravitational force between them.

    • about 2.0 x 10^15 N
    • about 2.0 x 10^22 N
    • about 2.0 x 10^20 N
    • about 5.5 x 10^17 N

  10. Two masses experience a gravitational force of 12 N. If both masses are doubled and the separation is unchanged, the force becomes:

    • 6.0 N
    • 48 N
    • 24 N
    • 12 N

  11. If one mass is tripled and the separation is halved, the gravitational force becomes:

    • 12 times greater
    • 4 times greater
    • 6 times greater
    • 3 times greater

  12. The gravitational force between two 1000 kg masses is 6.67 x 10^-7 N. What is their separation? (G = 6.67 x 10^-11)

    • 100 m
    • 10 m
    • 0.1 m
    • 1.0 m

  13. A student states that a uniform spherical mass may be treated as a point mass at its centre. Why is this valid?

    • The mass is concentrated at the surface only.
    • The spheres attract only at their surfaces.
    • For spherically symmetric mass distributions, the force acts as if all the mass is at the centre.
    • The force depends only on the surface area.

  14. Why is gravitational attraction negligible between atomic particles compared with electrostatic forces?

    • electrostatic forces are weaker than gravity at atomic scale
    • gravity acts only between charged particles
    • the gravitational constant is very small, so the gravitational attraction is extremely weak
    • particles have no mass

  15. The gravitational force between two masses is proportional to:

    • the product of the two masses
    • the square of one mass
    • the sum of the two masses
    • the difference of the two masses

  16. A satellite is at distance 2R from the centre of a planet, where R is the planet's radius. Compared with the force at R, the force at 2R is:

    • one quarter
    • the same
    • one half
    • twice as great

  17. Masses of 10 kg and 30 kg are 2.0 m apart. At what distance from the 10 kg mass is the net gravitational force zero?

    • 0.73 m
    • 1.5 m
    • 1.0 m
    • 0.27 m

  18. Two masses attract with force F. Both masses are halved, G is doubled and the separation is tripled. What is the new force?

    • F/2
    • 2F/9
    • F/9
    • F/18

  19. A student says two bodies on Earth's surface do not attract each other because they are not moving. Which response is best?

    • Correct: gravity acts only between moving bodies.
    • Incorrect: bodies attract only when they touch.
    • Correct: attraction requires electric charge.
    • Incorrect: gravity acts between all masses whether or not they move, though the attraction is very small for everyday masses.

  20. Estimate the gravitational force on a 2.0 kg mass at Earth's surface (M = 6.0 x 10^24 kg, R = 6.4 x 10^6 m, G = 6.67 x 10^-11).

    • about 9.8 N
    • about 2.0 N
    • about 39 N
    • about 19.5 N

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