Q1
ORIGINAL
Explain how a cold cloud of gas and dust can develop into a main-sequence star.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
All AQA GCSE Physics topic questions
AQA GCSE Physics · Topic 4.8
Space physics (physics only) questions
Practice questions covering space physics (physics only) from this specification. Every question below is the real AQA question as it is printed on the paper, with its mark scheme.
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Questions to attempt
6 questions on Space physics (physics only), each with its mark scheme and worked method. Reveal the answer when you have had a go.
- Q2ORIGINALExplain how a cloud of gas and dust can become hot enough for fusion to begin in a protostar.
[2 marks]
Total for this question: 2
- Q3ORIGINALDescribe the stages followed by a star much more massive than the Sun after its main-sequence stage, including both possible remnants.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
- Q4ORIGINALState where elements up to iron are produced and where elements heavier than iron are produced.
[2 marks]
Total for this question: 2
- Q5ORIGINALCompare a planet, one of its moons and a weather satellite by stating one similarity and two distinctions.
[3 marks]
Total for this question: 3
- Q6ORIGINALGalaxy R is farther away than galaxy S and its spectral lines show a larger red-shift. Explain the conclusions astronomers draw from these observations.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
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Printable question pack — 4.8 Space physics (physics only)All 39 questions across 4 specification points — 33 more than the 6 above — with the full mark scheme. Guest accessible · browser print.Real past-paper questions
18 questions shown as printed, 3 reference-only · newest series first
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AQA 8463 · June 2025 · Paper 2F · Q3 · 8 marks
8 marks
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[03.1] Approximately 60% of the students scored both marks. Often students did not know the correct word for a natural satellite. However, many correctly identified ‘star’ for the second word.
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Telescopes are used to observe distant objects. The James Webb Space Telescope observes very distant galaxies.
AQA 8463 · June 2025 · Paper 2H · Q4 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[4.4] Only just over half of the students knew that when radiation is red-shifted there is an increase in wavelength. Incorrect answers such as 'frequency' and 'wave speed' were commonly seen.
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The James Webb Space Telescope detects electromagnetic radiation beyond the visible spectrum and orbits the Sun at constant speed.
AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 2F · Q1 · 8 marks
8 marks
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[01.1] 98% of students could name our galaxy correctly.
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A galaxy is a group of stars. The Sun is one of the stars in our galaxy and transfers visible and infrared radiation to Earth.
AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 2H · Q3 · 13 marks
13 marks
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[03.4] This is always a difficult topic for students. Many students recognised that galaxy A is travelling faster. A large number of students didn’t clearly state the light spectra were showing red-shift or that the galaxies were moving away from us, so were unable to achieve the first and / or the second mark points. Students who stated the light spectra were showing red-shift often went on to achieve all 3 marks (17%).
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The solar system contains the Sun and other objects. Star masses: Arcturus 2.2 × 10³⁰ kg; Betelgeuse 2.2 × 10³¹ kg; Cygni A 1.4 × 10³⁰ kg; Sun 2.0 × 10³⁰ kg.
AQA 8463 · June 2023 · Paper 2F · Q4 · 3 marks
3 marks
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[04.1] 90% of students recognised the reason why a new scientific model would need to be introduced.
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Scientific models of the solar system change with evidence. Planet data show: Mercury 58 million km/0.25 Earth years per orbit; Venus 108/0.60; Earth 150/1.00; Mars 228/1.90.
AQA 8463 · June 2023 · Paper 2F · Q7 · 2 marks
2 marks
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[07.6] 74% of students understood why it is important that scientific observations are peer reviewed.
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The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth and detects visible-light spectra from distant galaxies.
AQA 8463 · June 2023 · Paper 2H · Q6 · 9 marks
9 marks
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[06.4] 6% of students gained full marks for this explanation. students scored a mark for the 2nd or 3rd marking point, and it was unusual to have to consider the award of the compensation mark. A significant number of students thought that galaxies A and B were emitting radiation with a greater wavelength than that emitted by the Sun.
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The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth and uses microwaves to communicate.
AQA 8463 · June 2022 · Paper 2F · Q3 · 8 marks
8 marks
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[03.3] Whilst many of the students knew that a moon orbits a planet, less than 20% were able to correctly give the term ‘natural satellite’. The weakest answers simply described the moon in terms of a ‘round object’ or a ‘rock/planet’.
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The Sun is at the centre of the solar system. Moon radii are: Ganymede 2630 km, Titan 2570 km, Europa 1560 km and Charon 606 km. The largest dwarf planet has radius 1190 km and the smallest planet 2440 km.
AQA 8463 · June 2022 · Paper 2H · Q6 · 11 marks
11 marks
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[06.3] About half of the students scored zero - while they were often able to write about the Big Bang Theory they did not answer the question asked. Those scoring 1 mark often gave the second marking point but very few used the given diagram to score the first marking point.
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All observed galaxies in a diagram are moving away from the Milky Way; the most distant galaxies have the greatest recession velocities.
AQA 8463 · November 2021 · Paper 2F · Q6 · 6 marks
6 marks
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At the Sun's surface a 2.5 kg mass weighs 750 N. A life-cycle diagram for a Sun-like star has two missing stages between the main-sequence and black-dwarf stages.
AQA 8463 · November 2021 · Paper 2H · Q3 · 5 marks
5 marks
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This question was poorly answered. Few of the students knew which forces act during the main sequence stage or what happens to a star after the main sequence ends. To gain full marks it was not sufficient to simply state the names of the subsequent stages correctly. A significant number of the students gave answers that referred to both stars of the same size and mass of the Sun (the required answer) and to stars much larger than the Sun. These answers scored no marks as the students had produced a list without indicating which of the options presented was correct. In part 03.3 the correct choice (option A) needed to be accompanied by a comparative reason to score both marks. Simply stating something like ‘it has a low speed’ was insufficient.
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A distant main-sequence star has the same size and mass as the Sun.
AQA 8463 · November 2020 · Paper 2F · Q2 · 10 marks
10 marks
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The solar system is part of a galaxy. Planet data: Earth 150 million km,+22 °C; Mars 228,−48 °C; Jupiter 778,X; Saturn 1430,−178 °C; Uranus 2870,−200 °C.
AQA 8463 · November 2020 · Paper 2F · Q9 · 13 marks
13 marks
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The Sun is a stable main-sequence star. Light travels 1.5×10¹¹ m from Sun to Earth at 3.0×10⁸ m/s. Massive stars form heavy elements.
AQA 8463 · November 2020 · Paper 2H · Q2 · 13 marks
13 marks
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[02.3] This calculation was generally well done. There were errors made with the standard form and in the rearranging of the equation.
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The Sun is stable; light travels 1.5×10¹¹ m from Sun to Earth at 3.0×10⁸ m/s. Massive stars form heavy elements.
AQA 8463 · June 2019 · Paper 2F · Q2 · 7 marks
7 marks
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[02.6] Although 57% of the students scored both marks the idea that graph Z is the only one to show the universe expanding was often not well expressed.
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Light spectra from the Sun and galaxies A-D contain the same dark-line pattern at different horizontal positions; C's lines are displaced furthest towards the long-wavelength end. Three candidate graphs show universe size against time: X is a straight decreasing line from a large initial size; Y is horizontal at a fixed non-zero size; Z is a straight increasing line from zero at the start.
AQA 8463 · June 2019 · Paper 2H · Q5 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[05.2] Around 18% of the students scored this mark. The life cycle of stars was often confused with the Big Bang theory. Other incorrect answers gave one but not both of the required pieces of information, usually the ‘dense’ idea which was sometimes linked to small, but rarely the ‘hot’ idea.
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A graph plots galaxy distance (Tm × 10<sup>12</sup>) against recession speed (m/s × 10<sup>7</sup>). Approximate plotted points are (2.8,0.65), (4.2,1.05), (5.7,1.35), (7.2,1.70), (8.6,2.10), (10.0,2.30), and (12.8,3.00), with a straight best-fit line through (0,0).
AQA 8463 · June 2018 · Paper 2H · Q8 · 11 marks
11 marks
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[08.1] Just over half the students wrote answers that were worthy of some credit but often only gained a single mark, which was usually for a match to the third marking point. It was very unusual to see acceleration mentioned. Frequent incorrect answers were in terms of variations in the radius of the satellite's orbit, despite it being shown as circular in Figure 14. Other students commented on the physical geography of the Earth having an effect on the orbit or the velocity being affected by the Earth’s magnetic field. A few students stated that the satellite was falling on the right hand side and getting faster as a result.
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A satellite in circular orbit changes velocity direction. Orbit-length graph gives 42 100 km at altitude 300 km. Speed=7.73 km/s. Bode predicted vs actual radii (million km): Mercury 60/58, Venus105/108, Earth150/150, Mars240/228, Jupiter780/778, Saturn1500/1430.
AQA 8463 · sample1 · Paper 2F · Q11 · 6 marks
6 marks
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In 1929 Edwin Hubble observed that light from galaxies moving away from Earth had longer wavelengths. Hubble's scatter graph plots distance (10¹⁹ km) against recession speed (km/s), with approximate points (0,50), (0.6,80), (1.2,400), (1.2,450), (1.8,300), (2.6,400), (2.8,100), (2.8,200), (2.8,500), (3.0,580), (3.0,800), (3.6,600), (3.6,720), (4.5,600), (5.5,1050), (6.3,500), (6.3,800), (6.3,850), (6.3,1100). A balloon with dots represents an expanding Universe. Two historical theories are given: Theory 1, an eternally expanding Universe with new galaxies replacing old; Theory 2, a hot dense beginning followed by expansion.
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June 20181 question
- Paper 2F · Q1Foundation · 7 marks · Calculator · multi · easyView question in paper (p.2)Mark scheme (p.7)
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