Rutgers Astro 109 Jerez Final

All the following statements are true. Which one makes it possible to learn of the existence of extrasolar planets without seeing the planets themselves? A. Planets exert gravitational tugs on their stars that cause stars to orbit around the center of mass of their planetary systems. B. All the planets in a planetary system tend to orbit their star in the same direction and approximately the same plane. C. Planets emit infrared light. D. Planets reflect visible light from their stars.

A. Planets exert gravitational tugs on their stars that cause stars to orbit around the center of mass of their planetary systems.

Which of the following best why we see horizontal "stripes" in photographs of Jupiter and Saturn? A. The light stripes are regions of high clouds, and the dark stripes are regions where we can see down to deeper, darker clouds. B. The dark and light stripes correspond to alternating bands of different chemical composition. C. There are three different color stripes corresponding to the three different types of clouds found on these planets. D. Dark stripes are those in which there is a stratosphere and light stripes are those with no stratosphere.

A. The light stripes are regions of high clouds, and the dark stripes are regions where we can see down to deeper, darker clouds.

According to current evidence, Pluto is best described as A. a large member of the Kuiper belt B. an escaped moon of Jupiter or Saturn C. a small jovian planet D. a terrestrial planet that is surprisingly far from the Sun

A. a large member of the Kuiper belt

What is the Great Red Spot? A. a long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter B. a place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface C. a region on Jupiter where the temperature is so high that the gas glows with red visible light D. a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter

A. a long-lived, high-pressure storm on Jupiter

Which of the following best describes the internal layering of Jupiter, from the center outward? A. core of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds; thick layer of metallic hydrogen; layer of liquid hydrogen; layer of gaseous hydrogen; cloud layer B. solid rock core; layer of solid metallic hydrogen; layer of pure liquid hydrogen; cloud layer C. liquid core of hydrogen compounds; liquid hydrogen layer; metallic hydrogen layer; gaseous hydrogen layer; cloud layer D. core of rock and metal; mantle of lower density rock; upper layer of gaseous hydrogen; cloud layer

A. core of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds; thick layer of metallic hydrogen; layer of liquid hydrogen; layer of gaseous hydrogen; cloud layer

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to A. small asteroids. B. comets. C. Earth's Moon. D. particles in the rings of Saturn.

A. small asteroids.

Why does Earth have so little carbon dioxide in its atmosphere compared to Venus? A. Earth's volcanoes outgassed far less carbon dioxide than those on Venus. B. Earth has just as much carbon dioxide as Venus, but most of it is locked up in carbonate rocks rather than being free in the atmosphere. C. Earth once had a lot of carbon dioxide, but it was lost to space during the heavy bombardment early in our solar system's history. D. Chemical reactions turned Earth's carbon dioxide into nitrogen.

B. Earth has just as much carbon dioxide as Venus, but most of it is locked up in carbonate rocks rather than being free in the atmosphere.

Why does Jupiter have three distinct layers of clouds? A. Jupiter has three different types of wind that each make a different type of cloud. The three layers reflect regions of Jupiter's atmosphere with different overall chemical compositions. B. The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures. C. Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always three layers. D. Just like on Earth, there are clouds of vapor, clouds of liquid drops, and clouds of ice crystals.

B. The three layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures.

Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system? A. They are much more massive then any of the terrestrial planets. B. They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets. C. They are composed mainly of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds. D. They lack solid surfaces.

B. They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets.

Which of the following best explain what we think happened to outgassed water vapor on Venus? A. It turned into carbon dioxide by reacting with nitrogen in Venus's atmosphere. B. Ultraviolet light split the water molecules, and the hydrogen then escaped to space. C. Water was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rock. D. It is frozen as water ice in craters near the poles.

B. Ultraviolet light split the water molecules, and the hydrogen then escaped to space.

Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars) would range in size approximately from that of A. a dust speck to a golf ball. B. a golf ball to a baseball. C. a golf ball to a beach ball. D. a dust speck to a basketball.

B. a golf ball to a baseball.

A terrestrial world's lithosphere is A. a layer of hot, molten rock encompassing the core and part of the mantle. B. a layer of relatively strong, rigid rock, encompassing the crust and part of the mantle. C. the interior region in which the planet's magnetic field is generated. D. a thin layer of rock that lies between the mantle and crust.

B. a layer of relatively strong, rigid rock, encompassing the crust and part of the mantle.

Compared to the distance between Earth and Mars, the distance between Jupiter and Saturn is A. much smaller. B. much larger. C. just slightly less. D. about the same.

B. much larger.

Venus has a higher average surface temperature than Mercury. Why? A. Because it is closer to the Sun. B. Because its slow rotation gives it more time to heat up in sunlight. C. Because its surface is heated by an extreme greenhouse effect produced by its substantial carbon dioxide atmosphere. D. Because its surface is covered with hot lava from numerous active volcanoes.

C. Because its surface is heated by an extreme greenhouse effect produced by its substantial carbon dioxide atmosphere.

What would happen to Earth if we somehow moved our planet to the orbit of Venus? A. The fact that we have oceans would moderate the temperature change due to moving our planet, so temperature would hardly change at all. B. Temperatures would rise only slightly, but enough to melt the polar caps. C. Earth would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect and become as hot or hotter than Venus. D. What would happen to Earth if we somehow moved our planet to the orbit of Venus?

C. Earth would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect and become as hot or hotter than Venus.

Which internal heat source still generates heat within the terrestrial worlds today? A. Heat from differentiation B. Heat from convection. C. Heat from radioactive decay. D. Heat of accretion.

C. Heat from radioactive decay.

How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field? A. Jupiter's magnetic field is much weaker than Earth's. B. Jupiter's magnetic field strength is about the same as Earth's. C. Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's. D. Jupiter's magnetic field is about twice as strong as Earth's.

C. Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's.

Recent evidence suggests that Mars once had a global magnetic field. Assuming this is true, which of the following could explain why Mars today lacks a global magnetic field like that of Earth? A. The Martian core is made of rock, whereas Earth's core is made of metal. B. Mars rotates much slower than the Earth. C. Mars's interior has cooled so much that its molten core layer no longer undergoes convection. D. Mars is too far from the Sun to have a global magnetic field.

C. Mars's interior has cooled so much that its molten core layer no longer undergoes convection.

Consider the following statement: "Rocky asteroids are found primarily in the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt, whereas icy comets are found primarily in the Oort cloud." What's wrong with this statement? A. The Oort cloud has nothing to do with comets. B. Comets are not really icy. C. The Kuiper belt contains icy comets, not rocky asteroids. D. Asteroids are not really made of rock.

C. The Kuiper belt contains icy comets, not rocky asteroids.

The following statements are all true. Which one counts as an "exception to the rule" in being unusual for our solar system? A. Venus does not have a moon. B. Saturn has no solid surface. C. The diameter of Earth's Moon is about 1/4 that of Earth. D. Jupiter has a small axis tilt.

C. The diameter of Earth's Moon is about 1/4 that of Earth.

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true? A. Swirling disks of gas, like the solar nebula in miniature, formed around the growing jovian planets but not around the growing terrestrial planets. B. Both types of planet begun with planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula. C. The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, whereas the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal. D. The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line of the solar nebula and the jovian planets formed beyond it.

C. The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, whereas the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal.

The transit method searches for extrasolar planets by A. observing Doppler shifts in a star's spectrum caused by an unseen planet B. looking for slight back and forth shifts in a star's position in our sky C. monitoring stars for slight dimming that might occur as unseen planets pass in front of them D. obtaining high-resolution photographs of other star systems

C. monitoring stars for slight dimming that might occur as unseen planets pass in front of them

Gaps in the asteroid belt (often called Kirkwood gaps) are caused by A. tidal forces from Jupiter B. the competing gravitational tugs of Mars and Jupiter C. orbital resonances with Jupiter D. tidal forces from the Sun

C. orbital resonances with Jupiter

The major processes that heat the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are A. (1) Volcanism; (2) tectonics; and (3) erosion. B. (1) Heat deposited as the planets were built from planetesimals; (2) heat of accretion; and (3) heat that came from the gravitational potential energy of incoming planetesimals. C. (1) Heat of accretion; (2) heat from convection; and (3) heat from thermal radiation. D. (1) Heat deposited as the planets were built from planetesimals; (2) heat deposited as the planets underwent differentiation; and (3) heat released by radioactive decay.

D. (1) Heat deposited as the planets were built from planetesimals; (2) heat deposited as the planets underwent differentiation; and (3) heat released by radioactive decay.

This sequence of paintings shows how a large gas cloud can collapse to become a much smaller, spinning disk of gas. What law explains why cloud spins faster as it shrinks in size? *spinning picture wooooooooooah* A. Kepler's third law B. the universal law of gravitation C. the law of conservation of angular momentum D. Newton's second law of motionAnswer Key:C Question 8 of 10 1.0 Points This painting shows a very large object colliding with Earth. What is thought to have happened as a result of this collision? A. The impact changed Earth's orbit from one on which life would have been unlikely to our current orbit in which life flourishes. B. The impact released the heat that allowed Earth to undergo differentiation. C. It led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. D. It blasted away debris that then accreted in Earth's orbit to form the Moon.

D. It blasted away debris that then accreted in Earth's orbit to form the Moon.

What is the significance of this image? *big red ring of death* A. It shows an artist's conception of what our solar system might have looked like when the planets were first forming. B. It proves that jovian planets form farther from their stars than terrestrial planets. C. The large gap visible in the image represents the frost line of a young planetary system, demonstrating that such a line really exists. D. It shows an actual disk of material orbiting another star, providing strong evidence the planets really do form in such disks

D. It shows an actual disk of material orbiting another star, providing strong evidence the planets really do form in such disks

This photograph was taken on the surface of another world in our solar system. What world is it? *dry riverbed* A. The Moon B. Mercury C. Venus D. Mars

D. Mars

Which characteristic of Earth explains why we have an ultraviolet-absorbing stratosphere? A. The existence of plate tectonics B. The moderate surface temperature C. The existence of oceans D. The existence of photosynthetic life

D. The existence of photosynthetic life

This figure summarizes the geological histories of the terrestrial worlds. Based on this figure, what can you conclude? A. We can trace almost all the key properties of a planet's geology back to the number of impacts it suffered during the heavy bombardment. B. The most important factor in a planet's geological history is its distance from the Sun. C. Earth is the only planet in the inner solar system capable of harboring life. D. The most important factor in a planet's geological history is its size.

D. The most important factor in a planet's geological history is its size.

This image shows Pluto photographed by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. What did scientists find most surprising when they saw this image? A. The fact that the entire face shown is sunlit in this photo. B. The presence of numerous impact craters. C. The round shape. D. The smooth areas and other features suggesting relatively recent geological activity.

D. The smooth areas and other features suggesting relatively recent geological activity.

Comets with orbits that take them through the inner solar system shed sand- to pebble-size particles that then follow the comet around its orbit. How do these particles affect Earth? A. They are the particles that produce the lights of auroras. B. On rare occasions, they can blanket our entire atmosphere with dust. C. They have been implicated in mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. D. They are the particles that produce meteor showers.

D. They are the particles that produce meteor showers.

Which of the following is an example of convection? A. Gas bubbling upward through a liquid. B. Rocks sinking in water. C. Different kinds of material separating by density, like oil and water. D. Warm air expanding and rising, whereas cooler air contracts and fall.

D. Warm air expanding and rising, whereas cooler air contracts and fall.

Suppose you find a meteorite made almost entirely of metal. According to current science, which of the following statements must be true? A. Your meteorite is a fragment of an object from the Kuiper belt. B. Radiometric dating will show the age of your meteorite to date to the formation of our solar system. C. Your meteorite was blasted off the surface of Mars by an impact. D. Your meteorite is a fragment from the core of a large asteroid that shattered in a collision.

D. Your meteorite is a fragment from the core of a large asteroid that shattered in a collision.

This graph shows the frequency of impacts on Earth by objects of various sizes. According to this graph, objects large enough to cause a mass extinction hit Earth *big badaboom graph.jpg* A. about once every 500 million years B. about once in Earth's history C. about once every 1,000 years D. about once every 50 million years

D. about once every 50 million years

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world? A. core, crust, and lithosphere B. mantle, core, and crust C. mantle, crust, and core D. core, mantle, and crust

D. core, mantle, and crust

The cores of the terrestrial worlds are made mostly of metal because A. over billions of years, convection gradually brought dense metals downward to the core. B. the core contained lots of radioactive elements that decayed into metals. C. the terrestrial worlds as a whole are made mostly of metal. D. metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when the interiors were molten throughout.

D. metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when the interiors were molten throughout.

If we could put all the asteroids in the asteroid belt together, their total mass would be A. greater than the mass of Earth but less than the mass of Neptune B. about the mass of Earth C. about the mass of Jupiter D. much less than the mass of Mercury

D. much less than the mass of Mercury

When you see the bright flash of a meteor, what are you actually seeing? A. a star that has suddenly shot across the sky B. the flash that occurs when a speeding rock from space hits the ground C. emission of visible light from a particle that has not yet entered Earth's atmosphere D. the glow of heated air surrounding a small particle as it burns up in our atmosphere

D. the glow of heated air surrounding a small particle as it burns up in our atmosphere