Ch. 4 HW

Suppose you lived on the Moon. Which of the following would be true? a) Your weight would be less than your weight on Earth, but your mass would be the same as it is on Earth. b) Both your weight and your mass would be the same as they are on Earth. c) Your mass would be less than your mass on Earth, but your weight would be the same as it is on Earth. d) Both your weight and your mass would be less than they are on Earth.

a) Your weight would be less than your weight on Earth, but your mass would be the same as it is on Earth.

The following images show six objects in our solar system. Rank the objects from left to right based on their average distance from the Sun, from farthest to closest. (Not to scale.)

Farthest to Closest: Pluto Saturn Jupiter Mars Earth Mercury

Provided following are stages that occurred during the formation of our solar system. Rank these stages from left to right based on when they occurred, from first to last.

First stage to Last stage: -large cloud of gas and dust -contraction of solar nebula -condensation of solid particles -accretion of planetesimals -clearing the solar nebula Feedback: Once the solar wind helped clear away the remaining gas in the solar nebula, the era of planet formation was essentially over. Remember that all these stages occurred over a period of millions of years, ending about 4 1/2 billion years ago.

The following images show six objects in our solar system. Rank these objects from left to right based on their mass, from highest to lowest. (Not to scale.)

Highest mass to Lowest mass: Sun Jupiter Earth Mars Mercury Pluto Feedback: Be sure to notice that the masses of these objects are vastly different. For example, the Sun is more than 1,000 times as massive as all the planets combined, and Jupiter is more massive than all the rest of the planets combined.

The following images show four planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on the number of moons that orbit them, from highest to lowest. (Not to scale.)

Highest number to Lowest number: Jupiter Mars Earth Mercury Feedback: Jupiter has many moons as a consequence of its formation, in which moons formed in a disk of material surrounding it and its extended atmosphere at the time allowed it to capture numerous small bodies into orbit. Mars has two very small moons that it presumably captured at a time when it, too, had an extended atmosphere. Earth's single but surprisingly large moon is thought to have formed as a result of a giant impact. Mercury (and Venus) have no moons.

The following images show five planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on their average surface (or cloud-top) temperature, from highest to lowest. (Not to scale.)

Highest temperature to Lowest temperature: Mercury Earth Mars Jupiter Neptune Feedback: Notice that, for these five planets, temperature correlates with distance from the Sun: the closer to the Sun, the hotter the planet. Remember, however, that this is not always the case, because a planet's temperature also depends on its reflectivity and on the strength of its greenhouse effect (if any). For example, the greenhouse effect gives Venus a higher average temperature than Mercury, even though Venus is nearly twice as far from the Sun.

Which of the following factors determine how long it takes a planet to orbit the Sun?

distance from the Sun only

Which of the following factors determine a planet's average surface temperature?

distance from the Sun, reflectivity, and strength of greenhouse effect

Characteristics of Terrestrial planets.

-located within the inner solar system -solid, rocky surface -small size

The acceleration of gravity on Earth is approximately 10 m/s2 (more precisely, 9.8 m/s2). If you drop a rock from a tall building, about how fast will it be falling after 3 seconds?

30 m/s

The dwarf planet Eris was discovered in 2005, orbiting the Sun at an average distance about twice that of Pluto. In which of the following ways do Pluto and Eris differ from the terrestrial and jovian planets in our solar system?

-Both Pluto and Eris are smaller than any of the terrestrial planets. -Both Pluto and Eris travel in more elliptical orbits than any of the terrestrial or jovian planets. -Both Pluto and Eris are less massive than any of the terrestrial or jovian planets.

How many of the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction as Earth does?

all

The rock/metal condensation line marks the innermost boundary where __________.

rock or metal could condense into solid flakes

For terrestrial planets to form __________.

rocks and metals must be present as solid flakes

The jovian planets are thought to have formed as gravity drew hydrogen and helium gas around planetesimals made of __________.

rocks, metals, and ices

Within 0.3 AU of the young Sun, rocky material __________.

was present in gaseous form

Which list correctly ranks Earth, Jupiter, and Pluto from least massive to most massive?

Pluto, Earth, Jupiter

Characteristics of Jovian planets.

-extensive ring systems -numerous orbiting moons -primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds -low average density

According to the interactive figure, Pluto's average distance from the Sun is _____.

39.5 AU

The jovian planets of our solar system are __________.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

The images below show six objects in our solar system. Rank these objects by size (average equatorial radius), from largest to smallest. (Not to scale.)

Largest radius to Smallest radius: Sun Jupiter Earth Mars Mercury Pluto Feedback: Sizes (radii) do not vary nearly as much as the masses, but the differences are still substantial. For example, the Sun's radius is more than 100 times that of Earth, while Jupiter's radius is more than 10 times that of Earth.

The following images show five planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on the amount of time it takes them to orbit the Sun, from longest to shortest. (Not to scale.)

Longest time to Shortest time: Neptune Jupiter Mars Earth Mercury Feedback: Recall that the time it takes a planet to orbit the Sun is called its orbital period, and that Kepler's third law tells us that orbital period increases with distance from the Sun. That is why the ranking order for orbital period is the same as the ranking order for distance from the Sun.

The terrestrial planets of our solar system are __________.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

Which list correctly ranks Earth, Jupiter, and Pluto from smallest to largest in radius?

Pluto, Earth, Jupiter

Assuming that other planetary systems form in the same way as our solar system formed, where would you expect to find terrestrial planets?

Terrestrial planets will likely be located nearer the planetary system's star than any jovian planets.

Which planet is approximately halfway between Pluto's orbit and the Sun?

Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun

Which of the following examples describes a situation where a car is experiencing a net force? a) The car is floating on a stationary boat. b) The car is moving at constant speed. c) The car is making a gradual turn. d) The car is stopped on a hill.

c) The car is making a gradual turn.

Beyond the frost line, planetesimals were made __________.

mostly of ice, but mixed with rock and metal

In our solar system, terrestrial planets are __________.

located closer to the Sun than jovian planets

Compared to terrestrial planets, jovian planets are __________.

more massive and lower in average density Feedback: Note that while jovian planets are lower in average density than terrestrial planets, the densities in their deep interiors are quite high, in some cases higher than the densities found at the centers of the terrestrial worlds.