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100+ Free BY Abitur Astrophysics Practice Questions

Bavaria Abitur Physics with Astrophysics — grundlegendes Anforderungsniveau (gA Astro) practice questions are available now; exam metadata is being verified.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: BY Abitur Astrophysics Exam

255 minutes / 90 BE

Working time and Bewertungseinheiten for the written Physik Abitur at gA, including gA Astro

ISB Erläuterungen, Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Physik ab 2026

4 offered → 3 completed

Task selection rule in each Aufgabenheft (gA, gA Astro, eA); examinee chooses

ISB Erläuterungen, Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Physik ab 2026

≥ 50%

Minimum share of presented tasks drawn from the cross-state (länderübergreifend) Abitur task pool

ISB Erläuterungen, Illustrierende Prüfungsaufgaben Physik ab 2026

Jgst. 13 alternative

Astrophysik is the Lehrplanalternative of the Fach Physik in Jahrgangsstufe 13 (LehrplanPLUS Gymnasium); gA Astro requires that Biophysik was not taken in Jgst. 12

LehrplanPLUS Gymnasium Physik Jgst. 13 (grundlegend-astro); ISB Erläuterungen

300 of 900 points

Minimum Gesamtqualifikation for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife (up to 600 coursework + up to 300 exam points)

KM Bayern, Abiturprüfung 2026 overview

First G9 Abitur 2026

2026 is the first Abitur cohort of the nine-year Gymnasium; written exams run April–June 2026, with remaining gA subjects on 11 May 2026

KM Bayern, Abiturprüfung 2026 overview

100

Original local English MCQ study items in this bank (not official format)

OpenExamPrep

Bavaria's written Abitur for Astrophysik students is the Physik 'gA Astro' booklet: 4 constructed-response tasks offered, 3 completed, 255 minutes for 90 BE, German-medium—not MCQ. Content follows the LehrplanPLUS Jgst. 13 blocks: sky orientation, solar system and Kepler mechanics, the Sun, stars and stellar evolution, galaxies and cosmology. This free English MCQ bank is a study adaptation only.

Sample BY Abitur Astrophysics Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your BY Abitur Astrophysics exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What does Kepler's first law state about the shape of planetary orbits and the position of the Sun?
A.Planets move on ellipses with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse
B.Planets move on perfect circles with the Sun at the center
C.Planets move on ellipses with the Sun at the center of the ellipse
D.Planets move on small epicycles whose centers circle the Sun
Explanation: Kepler's first law, derived from Tycho Brahe's precise observations of Mars, states that each planet moves on an ellipse with the Sun located at one of its two foci. This replaced the ancient assumption of perfect circular motion. The empty second focus has no physical object at it.
2According to Kepler's second law (the area law), when does a planet move fastest along its orbit?
A.At aphelion, when it is farthest from the Sun
B.At perihelion, when it is closest to the Sun
C.Its speed is constant everywhere on the orbit
D.When it crosses the line of the equinoxes
Explanation: Kepler's second law says the line connecting the planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times. To keep the swept area constant, the planet must travel faster when it is near the Sun (perihelion) and slower when it is far away (aphelion). This reflects conservation of angular momentum in Newtonian terms.
3Using Kepler's third law in the form T^2 = a^3 (with T in years and a in astronomical units): a newly discovered minor planet orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 4 AU. What is its orbital period?
A.2 years
B.4 years
C.8 years
D.16 years
Explanation: With T^2 = a^3, inserting a = 4 AU gives T^2 = 4^3 = 64, so T = 8 years. The trick is to cube the semimajor axis first and then take the square root, not the other way round. This form of Kepler's third law is normalized so that Earth (a = 1 AU, T = 1 yr) satisfies it exactly.
4Which proportionality correctly expresses Kepler's third law for bodies orbiting the same central mass?
A.The orbital period is proportional to the square of the semimajor axis
B.The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis
C.The orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis
D.The cube of the orbital period is proportional to the square of the semimajor axis
Explanation: Kepler's third law states T^2 ∝ a^3: the squares of the orbital periods are proportional to the cubes of the semimajor axes. Newton later showed that the constant of proportionality contains the total mass of the system, which makes the law a tool for weighing stars and planets. The powers are frequently swapped in wrong answers, so check the direction carefully.
5An asteroid orbits the Sun with a period of 27 years. Using T^2 = a^3 (T in years, a in AU), what is the semimajor axis of its orbit?
A.3 AU
B.9 AU
C.18 AU
D.81 AU
Explanation: From T^2 = a^3 we get a = T^(2/3). With T = 27 years, a = 27^(2/3) = (cube root of 27)^2 = 3^2 = 9 AU. Taking the cube root first keeps the numbers small and is the recommended order of operations.
6Two planets orbit the same star. Planet B has an orbital period 8 times longer than planet A. How do their semimajor axes compare?
A.Planet B's semimajor axis is 2 times larger
B.Planet B's semimajor axis is 4 times larger
C.Planet B's semimajor axis is 8 times larger
D.Planet B's semimajor axis is 64 times larger
Explanation: Kepler's third law gives a ∝ T^(2/3). For T_B = 8·T_A, the ratio of semimajor axes is 8^(2/3) = (cube root of 8)^2 = 2^2 = 4. So planet B orbits 4 times farther out. This kind of ratio reasoning, working without any absolute values, is a standard Abitur skill in the Astrophysik course.
7Astronomers determine the mass of Jupiter by observing the orbital period and orbital radius of one of its moons. Which physical insight makes this possible?
A.The moon's brightness depends on Jupiter's mass and can be measured photometrically
B.Newton's form of Kepler's third law links the central mass directly to a^3/T^2 of the orbiting moon
C.Jupiter's mass can be read off from the moon's surface composition via spectroscopy
D.The moon's parallax against Jupiter's cloud tops yields the mass geometrically
Explanation: Newton generalized Kepler's third law to M_total = 4π^2·a^3/(G·T^2). Measuring a moon's orbital radius a and period T therefore yields the mass of the central body. This is the standard method for 'weighing' planets, stars in binary systems, and even galaxy centers.
8Estimate Earth's orbital speed around the Sun, treating the orbit as circular with radius 1.5×10^11 m and period 3.16×10^7 s.
A.About 3 km/s
B.About 30 km/s
C.About 300 km/s
D.About 3,000 km/s
Explanation: For a circular orbit v = 2πr/T = 2π·(1.5×10^11 m)/(3.16×10^7 s) ≈ 3.0×10^4 m/s = 30 km/s. Order-of-magnitude estimates like this are typical of the Astrophysik course, which explicitly trains approximate reasoning with simplified assumptions.
9Two small bodies attract each other gravitationally. If the distance between their centers is doubled while their masses stay the same, what happens to the gravitational force between them?
A.It halves
B.It drops to one quarter
C.It stays the same
D.It doubles
Explanation: Newton's law of gravitation F = G·m1·m2/r^2 is an inverse-square law. Doubling r multiplies the denominator by 4, so the force falls to one quarter of its original value. The same inverse-square geometry also governs light flux, which is why it appears repeatedly in astrophysics.
10Why do astronauts on the International Space Station experience weightlessness?
A.Because Earth's gravity is essentially zero at the station's altitude
B.Because the station's engines permanently cancel Earth's gravitational pull
C.Because the station and the astronauts are in continuous free fall around Earth, falling together
D.Because the station is balanced exactly between the gravitational pulls of Earth and Moon
Explanation: Earth's gravity at the ISS's altitude is still about 90% of its surface value. The astronauts feel weightless because they and the station fall freely around Earth with the same acceleration; there is no support force pressing them against anything. Orbit is best pictured as perpetual falling while moving sideways fast enough to keep missing Earth.

About the BY Abitur Astrophysics Practice Questions

Verified exam format metadata for Bavaria Abitur Physics with Astrophysics — grundlegendes Anforderungsniveau (gA Astro) is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.