Lesson T7.1.2

T7.1.2 Gravity between Earth, Moon and Sun Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T7.1.2, Gravity between Earth, Moon and Sun: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 7: Space physics, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What force keeps the Moon moving around Earth?

    • Friction
    • Electrostatic force
    • Gravity
    • Magnetism

  2. What does the strength of the gravitational force between two masses depend on?

    • The temperature of the masses and the speed at which they move
    • The colour of the masses and the distance travelled by them
    • The electric charge on the masses and the air between them
    • The size of the masses and the distance between them

  3. What happens to the gravitational force between two objects if the distance between them doubles?

    • It stays the same
    • It becomes stronger
    • It reverses direction
    • It becomes weaker

  4. Which force keeps Earth moving in orbit around the Sun?

    • Magnetism from the Sun
    • Gravity from the Sun
    • Static electricity from the Sun
    • Friction from the solar wind

  5. Why are the tides on Earth caused by the Moon?

    • The Moon pushes the water with a magnetic force that lifts the tides
    • The Moon's gravity pulls water into bulges on the near and far sides
    • The Moon blocks the Sun's light from reaching the oceans each evening
    • The Moon heats the oceans so that the water rises and then falls again

  6. Which of these is larger, the Sun's gravitational pull on Earth or the Moon's?

    • They are exactly equal
    • Neither exerts any gravitational pull
    • The Moon's pull on Earth is much larger
    • The Sun's pull on Earth is much larger

  7. Why does the Moon not fall straight down onto Earth?

    • It is held up by the pressure of the air in the space around it
    • Its mass is too small for Earth's gravity to act on it at that distance
    • It is moving sideways fast enough that its path curves around Earth
    • The Sun pushes it sideways and away from Earth at a steady rate

  8. What holds the planets in orbit around the Sun?

    • Upthrust from the planets' atmospheres
    • Magnetic attraction from Earth
    • Friction from the space dust
    • Gravitational attraction from the Sun

  9. What does it mean to say gravity is always attractive?

    • Gravity only works between magnets that have opposite poles facing each other
    • Gravity pushes large objects away from each other across empty space
    • Gravity only pulls masses together and never pushes them apart
    • Gravity only acts when objects are moving past each other in space

  10. Which statement about gravity between Earth and the Moon is correct?

    • The Earth pulls on the Moon, and the Moon pulls on the Earth
    • Neither body pulls on the other, because they are too far apart
    • Only the Earth pulls on the Moon, and the Moon does not pull back
    • Only the Moon pulls on the Earth, and the Earth does not pull back

  11. Why is the Moon's gravity weaker at its surface than Earth's gravity at its surface?

    • The Moon is closer to the Sun
    • The Moon is made of plastic
    • The Moon has less mass than Earth
    • The Moon has no atmosphere

  12. A satellite orbits Earth at a greater distance than before. What happens to the gravitational force on it?

    • It gets weaker
    • It is unchanged
    • It becomes zero
    • It gets stronger

  13. Which of these is a result of the Sun's gravity on the planets?

    • They shrink as they get closer to the Sun
    • They make their own light
    • They are carried away by the Moon
    • They travel around the Sun in orbits

  14. Why is the Moon's tidal effect on the oceans stronger than the Sun's tidal effect?

    • The Sun has no gravity at all, so it cannot pull on the oceans of Earth
    • The Moon is much more massive than the Sun and so pulls harder on the oceans
    • The Moon is much closer to Earth, so its pull varies more across Earth's surface
    • The Moon emits more light than the Sun, which moves the water around the globe

  15. Which of these is NOT a gravitational interaction?

    • The Sun keeping Earth in orbit
    • A magnet attracting a paper clip
    • The Earth pulling a falling ball
    • The Moon pulling on the oceans

  16. What is the approximate gravitational force between Earth and the Sun, compared with the force between Earth and the Moon?

    • Earth and the Sun exert no force on each other
    • They are exactly the same
    • The force between Earth and the Moon is much greater
    • The force between Earth and the Sun is much greater

  17. A student says gravity only acts when objects are touching. What is the correct response?

    • The student is correct, because gravity needs direct contact between objects to act
    • Gravity only acts through air, so it cannot work across empty space at all
    • Gravity acts only on planets and large moons, not on small everyday objects
    • Gravity acts across space between objects, even when they are not touching

  18. Why do astronauts on the International Space Station float?

    • Their mass disappears once they travel into orbit around the planet
    • The Moon's gravity holds them up inside the station as it passes overhead
    • Gravity is absent in space, so nothing in the station is pulled downwards
    • They and the station are falling together around Earth

  19. What happens to Earth's orbit if the Sun's gravitational pull suddenly became weaker?

    • Earth would move away from the Sun in a larger orbit or leave orbit
    • Earth's orbit would not be affected at all, because gravity has no role
    • Earth would stop rotating on its axis within a few days of the change
    • Earth would be pulled closer to the Sun and its orbit would shrink quickly

  20. Which best explains why the Moon's gravity affects tides more than most people expect?

    • Its gravity changes across Earth's width, so the pull on the oceans differs
    • Its gravity heats the water in the oceans, which makes the tides rise
    • Its gravity is always the same on every ocean, so the tides are equal
    • Its gravity is strongest on the Moon itself, so the tides form mainly there and not on Earth

All KS3 Physics quizzes