Matched to A level Physics Gravitational fields and Circular motion. Orbit details (T squared proportional to r cubed, geostationary orbits, the energy of an orbiting satellite) come from exam board specifications, so check yours.
Curriculum links last reviewed November 2026.
Orbit details for thousands of satellites: height, period and inclination.
test Kepler's third law (T squared is proportional to r cubed) on real satellites.
Take five satellites at different heights. Plot period squared against orbit radius cubed (add 6,371 km to each height). Is it a straight line?
Every satellite in geostationary orbit, parked over one spot on the equator.
show why a geostationary orbit is about 36,000 km above the Earth.
Use a 24-hour period and Newton's law of gravitation to find the orbit radius, then compare it with the satellites listed.
Satellites and rocket stages due to come back down, and when.
use the total energy of an orbiting satellite to explain why drag makes a low orbit decay, and where that energy goes on re-entry.
Pick an object due to re-enter this week. Estimate its kinetic energy at 7.8 km/s if it has a mass of 1,000 kg.
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Orbital Radar. (2026, November 4). A level Physics: gravitational fields. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel
“A level Physics: gravitational fields.” Orbital Radar, 4 Nov. 2026, orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.
Orbital Radar (2026) A level Physics: gravitational fields. Available at: https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel (Accessed: 4 November 2026).
Orbital Radar. “A level Physics: gravitational fields.” Last modified November 4, 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel.
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author = {{Orbital Radar}},
title = {A level Physics: gravitational fields},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
howpublished = {\url{https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel}},
url = {https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel},
urldate = {2026-11-04},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04}
}TY - ELEC AU - Orbital Radar, TI - A level Physics: gravitational fields PY - 2026 DA - 2026/11/04 PB - Orbital Radar UR - https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/alevel Y2 - 2026/11/04 LA - en-GB ER -
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