This exam focus covers Exam Focus — Our Solar System within Our Solar System for GCSE Physics. Revise Our Solar System in Space Physics for GCSE Physics with 14 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 6 of 8 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
🎯 Exam Focus — Our Solar System
Examined in Edexcel 1PH0/1 (Paper 1). Context-based questions use real mission data and telescope observations. Expect calculation questions on light-year distances and orbital speeds. Higher tier includes quantitative work on orbital periods and gravitational effects.
What examiners love to ask:
- Order the planets from the Sun and classify rocky vs gas giants
- State what a light year is (distance, not time)
- Describe the structure of the solar system: planets, moons, asteroids, comets
- Calculate orbital speed using v = 2πr / T (Higher tier)
- Compare circular and elliptical orbits
Practice questions for Our Solar System
Which of the following is NOT an inner rocky planet in our solar system?
Explain how gravity keeps a planet in a circular orbit around the Sun.