Moons and Rings Chapter 11 (HW 12) 10 Q's

Volcanoes on Enceladus affect the E Ring of Saturn by Choose one: A. supplying ring particles. B. dissipating the ring. C. stirring the ring particles. D. pushing the ring around.

A

Select the ways in which Titan resembles early Earth. Choose one or more: A. It is rich in organic compounds. B. Its atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. C. It has terrain similar to Earth's. D. It has a thick atmosphere. E. It has liquid water on the surface.

A, B, C, D

Which of the following are true for most of the medium and large regular moons? Choose ALL that apply. a. They have synchronous rotation with their planet. b. They orbit in the same direction that their planet rotates. c. Most contain ice in addition to rock. d. Their orbits are highly elliptical and inclined. e. Their rotation and orbit periods are roughly equal (the same as our Moon).

A, B, C, E

If a moon revolves opposite to a planet's rotation, it probably Choose one: A. has a different composition than other moons. B. was captured after the planet formed. C. had its orbit altered by a collision. D. formed very recently in the Solar System's history.

B

Which would you find closer to a planet? a. Moons b. Rings

B

Of the four large Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter, Io is the closest to the planet. Considering Io's size and location in the Solar System, what is the most likely reason for Io's high level of geological activity? Choose one: A. Io must have more radioactive elements inside of it that provide a current source of internal heat. B. Io's proximity to Jupiter provides a current source of internal heat. C. Io's proximity to the Sun provides a current source of internal heat. D. Io must be made of a substance that traps heat better, so it has still retained all of its initial internal heat from its formation.

B Gravitational tidal heating is stronger on Io than any other moon in the Solar System, providing a source of heat that causes its high level of geological activity.

Considering what you know of the formation of objects in the inner versus outer Solar System, and given the information in the figure, which of these statements are factors in the Moon's lack of geological activity compared to Io? Choose one or more: A. The Moon receives more intense radiation from the Sun. B. The Moon is made of material that has a higher melting point. C. The Moon is considerably smaller than Mercury. D. Jupiter is much more massive than the Earth. E. Io has experienced fewer meteor impacts than the Moon.

B and D Io and the Moon are similarly sized, so should have both lost all of the initial heat they gained during their formation billions of years ago. Io is much more active than the Moon because Jupiter's large mass creates stronger tidal forces that provide a powerful, ongoing source of internal heat. Also, Io formed beyond the frost line, so it is made of materials that condense, and also melt, at lower temperatures.

What is the most likely reason for the different levels of geological activity between the Galilean moons? Choose one: A. Larger moons will have more geological activity than smaller ones. B. The composition of the moons is different. C. Moons farther away from Jupiter experience weaker tidal heating. D. Each moon is randomly unique in its properties.

C

What is the primary heat source that keeps large moons warm, allowing them to be geologically active- when their small size should mean that they lost internal heat and became geologically dead long ago? a. accretion b. radioactive decay c. tidal heating d. differentiation

C

Which of the following moons is NOT thought to have an ocean of water beneath its surface? a. Europa b. Enceladus c. Io d. Titan

C

The following statements compare and contrast cryovolcanism with regular volcanism. Which are true? Choose one or more: A. Cryovolcanism always ejects water ice crystals while regular volcanism always ejects rock. B. Cryovolcanism operates at a higher temperature. C. Both eject material from the interior of a planetary body. D. Only regular volcanism has ever been observed. Cryovolcanism refers to ancient volcanism. E. Both can be used to help determine the age of the surface of a body. F. Regular volcanism is driven by a molten rock interior, while cryovolcanism is driven by a cold liquid interior.

C, E, F

If Saturn's rings are made of individual small particles at varying distances from the planet, and given what you know of the laws of physics as governed by gravity, how would you expect these particles to behave? Choose one: A. The particles closer to Saturn will orbit more slowly around the planet than those farther away. B. All of the particles will orbit around Saturn in lockstep with the planet's rotation, so that each particle makes one full revolution around the planet each time the planet rotates once around its axis. C. The particles will all have completely random orbital speeds and directions around the planet. D. The particles closer to Saturn will orbit faster around the planet than those farther away. E. All of the particles will hover motionlessly within the rings with respect to the stars.

D

Saturn's bright rings are located within the Roche limit of Saturn. This supports the theory that these rings Choose one: A. are relatively recent. B. formed at the same time that Saturn formed. C. are temporary. D. are formed of moons torn apart by tidal stresses.

D

Rank these moons in terms of the density of impact craters you would expect to observe on the surface, from least to greatest density. Titan (a possibly active moon), Ganymede (a formerly active moon), Callisto (a moon that probably has never been active), Io (a definitely active moon)

From least to most active moons: Io, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto Moons with greater geological activity will have erased more craters on their surfaces. Because Io is constantly volcanically active, its surface shows almost no craters. Titan has a thick atmosphere and probable activity on the surface to continually reform it. Ganymede may have once been active, but craters have built up because it is no longer so. Callisto has never been active, so its surface is completely covered with craters.

_________ moons tend to be small and thus easily captured bodies.

Retrograde

the more active something is the less _______ it will show on its surface

craters