Learning objective

Know that galaxies consist of billions of stars, with the Sun being one of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun.

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Cambridge IGCSE Combined ScienceSpace physicsCore content

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Know that galaxies consist of billions of stars, with the Sun being one of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun

This point belongs to Stars and the Universe, especially Stars and the Universe outcomes.
You need to be able to know that galaxies consist of billions of stars, with the Sun being one of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun.
The key ideas to know are State and Identify.
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Key concepts

StateIdentify

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Paper 3 structured question: Stars and the Universe

Paper 3Theory (Core)2 marks

Description

The Milky Way Galaxy

The Milky Way galaxy contains billions of stars, including the Sun. Other stars are located at varying distances from Earth, with some being significantly farther away than the Sun.

a
Describe the composition of the Milky Way galaxy.
Your answer
Aim for approximately 2 distinct marking points.
[2]

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Understand that the Sun is the nearest star to Earth and that astronomical distances are measured in light-years, defined as the distance light travels in one year in a vacuum.
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Calculate the duration it takes for light to cover significant distances, such as between celestial bodies in the Solar System.
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Recognize that the Sun holds the majority of the Solar System's mass, which accounts for the planets' orbits around it.
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Define orbital speed using the formula 2 r π v = T, where r represents the orbit's radius and T is the orbital period, and be able to recall and apply this equation.
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Understand that the gravitational pull of the Sun is the force that keeps objects in orbit around it.
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