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This is a lesson I used myself to teach the Orbits and satellites concept of the Fields Unit - A level Physics, AQA specification.

Learning objective: To describe and apply the physics of orbital motion and satellite energy, including the principles behind gravitational and centripetal forces, escape velocity, and types of satellite orbits.

By the end of the lesson learners should be able to:

Success criteria:

SC1: Identify the conditions for stable circular orbits and relate centripetal force to gravitational force.

SC2: Calculate and explain changes in energy and speed as orbital radius varies, including escape velocity.

SC3: Compare and evaluate different types of satellite orbits (geostationary, geosynchronous, polar) and their real-world applications.

Contains past paper questions that target this topic, some questions require knowledge from prior lessons. The mark scheme is also included to verify answers.

Powerpoint contains 7 slides and 6 past paper questions.