Version 9
The escape velocity needed for an atom in the atmosphere of a planet to escape the gravitational pull of the planet is smaller if:
the mass of the planet is smaller
In nuclear fusion, energy is produced because:
the mass of the reacting chemicals is larger than that of the products
Quiz- In nuclear fusion, energy is produced because
the mass of the reacting chemicals is larger than that of the products
The event horizon of a black hole is:
the minimum distance from which light can escape
The brightest 100 stars viewed from Earth are mostly not on the main sequence (even though most stars are) because:
the most luminous stars are giants and supergiants that have already finished their main sequence lifetime
Which of the following has the largest luminosity?
the most massive Main Sequence star
What does the Drake Equation estimate?
the number of technological civilizations in the Milky Way
Why doesn't a main sequence star collapse under its own gravity?
the outward force of gas pressure from its interior
As the solar nebula collapsed, it became a disk because
the overall rotation of the nebula plus collisions between particles made the particles go in more or less the same direction
Why are things torn apart when they near a black hole?
the part of the object closer to the black hole feels a greater force
Besides, the discovery that moons orbit Jupiter, what other discovery made by Galileo Galilei, with an early telescope, proved that the Earth is not at the center of the Universe?
the phases of Venus
Which of the following is typical of a Jovian planet
the presence of many moons
Studying the craters on the moon shows that
the rate of bodies striking the earth fell rapidly after the first 500 million years...
Evidence that large asteroids hit the earth from time to time includes
the record of craters on other solar system bodies...
If a red giant appears the same brightness as a red main sequence star, which one is further away?
the red giant
Why do stars move in the sky over the course of a single night?
the rotation of the earth on its axis
The planets in our solar system are thought to have come from
the same cloud of gas and dust in which the Sun formed
Which is a consequence of the synchronous orbit of the Earth's Moon (equal period of rotation and revolution)?
the same side of the Moon always faces the Earth
What is the lowest rung on the astronomical distance ladder?
the solar system
What happens when a planet passes in front of its star (i.e. between the star and us)?
the star appears to decrease in brightness, and then the star moves toward us
From Armstrong's description, what do you think the lunar surface is physically like?
the surface is covered with fine dust.
Mercury's surface looks a lot like
the surface of the moon...
The escape velocity needed for an atom in the atmosphere of a planet to escape the gravitational pull of the planet is larger if:
the temperature of the gas in the atmosphere is higher
Which is the longest time?
the time it takes for a photon to pass through the radiative zone of the Sun
Flare
the volcano-looking thing
The densities of the four Terrestrial planets are similar to each other. This means
they are made of similar substances
The densities of the four Terrestrial planets are similar to each other. This means...
they are made of similar substances
Life is unlikely to form on planets orbiting stars much more massive than the sun because
they burn their nuclear fuels and evolve off the main sequence too quickly...
The relative lack of craters on the surface of the earth is because
they erode away...
Why are Uranus's rings darker in color (gray) than Saturn's or Jupiter's?
they have a lot of carbon/soot-like material in them.
Which is NOT true about neutron stars?
they have radii much larger than the Sun
Sophisticated, thinking brains and complex nervous and sensory systems developed
to allow location of easily-digested foods...
The most critical aspects of life are
to harness energy and to reproduce...
The process of formation of the Solar System
took only a small fraction of the age of the Solar System.
Kuiper belt objects, some of which become short period comets, are also known as:
trans-Neptunian objects because they are beyond Neptune's orbit
What method does "stars that fade" refer to?
transits
(T/F) Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun.
true
(T/F)Io, Earth, and Triton have active volcanoes.
true
The proton-proton chain makes 4He, the dominant form of Helium. 4He has
two protons because it is helium and two neutrons to make 4 total particles in the nucleus
Which star is the furthest away if all have the same apparent brightness?
type A main sequence star
Compare a Type Ia and a Type II supernova. Which of the following is TRUE?
type Ia does not have Hydrogen in its spectrum and a type II does
Which of the following is the coldest at its surface?
type K main sequence star
Infant humans
use most of their body energy to support large and growing brains...
Permafrosts
water ice locked beneath Martian soil
A 40 solar mass main sequence star is at a larger distance than a 3 solar mass main sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
we cannot tell with the information given
The weather is difficult to predict because
weather is a chaotic system, that is, it is very complex and small changes can have larfe consequences ...
Errors, or mutations, in the reproduction of early life
were the underlying force for the development of improved life forms...
When would an observer on Mars see a gibbous phase of Venus?
when Venus is close to passing behind the Sun or has just emerged from behind the Sun
Several of the tributary canyons of the Valles Marineris are thought to be formed:
when ground water, escaping from opening cracks flowed cutting a channel through the surface beneath.
Several of the tributary canyons of the Valles Marineris on Mars are thought to be formed:
when ground water, escaping from opening cracks flowed cutting a channel through the surface beneath.
The Sun will end its life as a:
white dwarf
Which star is the closest if all have the same apparent brightness?
white dwarf
A solar mass star:
will eventually develop an Iron core
How was the surface of Venus mapped?
with radar bounced off of it by the Magellan spacecraft
Planetary systems form
within the dense disks of material surroudnign ver young stars
About how many globular clusters are there in the Milky Way Galaxy and how old are they?
~150 & ~12 billion yrs old
Average temperature of Mars
-20C
The color-coding on this image is indicative of the elevation of the terrain around different parts of the planet. From the information presented in the image, it can be concluded that:
-The northern hemisphere of Mars tends to lie lower than the average surface level. - The southern plains are at a higher-than-average elevation.
Physical characteristics of Mars
-many impact craters on surface -Southern hemisphere has more craters than Northern -Southern hemisphere is higher and older geologically -Northern craters erased by lava flows -Volcano on Mars 3x higher than Earth's highest mountain - Deepest canyon on Mars is over 300x size of Grand Canyon -Dust storms common- hard to see surface features -water once existed on the surface but it isn't flowing there at present
Which of the following moons is most volcanically active?
. Io
Distance between Earth and Sun =
1 Astronomical Unit = 1AU
What is Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3?
1 proton and 2 neutrons
A rock sample is analyzed and found to have only 25% as much of a radioactive element as it would have been predicted to contain originally. The half-life of the radioactive element is 8x108 years. How old is this rock?
1.6X10^2
If you could convert a mass of 3 million grams (mass 2 x 10^33g) into pure energy, how much energy would be produced (in ergs) ? The speed of light c = 3 x 10^10cm/s.
1.8 x 10^54 ergs
The probability of a "fair" coin coming up heads is 1/2. What is the probability of it coming up heads three times in a row?
1/8...
What fraction of the visible matter in the Milky Way Galaxy disk is in the form
10 percent
A hypothetical star has a parallax of .01 arcseconds. How far away is it?
100 parsecs
Quiz- The parallax angle for the star Hadar is 0.010 arcsecond. How are away is Hadar?
1000/10=100 pc
A planet is in orbit around the Sun. The semimajor axis of the orbit is 5 Astronomical Units (AU). Use P 2 = a3 to calculate the period of the orbit in years
11.2 years
A planet is in orbit around the Sun. The semimajor axis of the orbit is 5 Astronomical Units (AU). Use P2 = a3 to calculate the period of the orbit in years.
11.2 years
How long would one need to observe a star on a 10 meter telescope to collect the same amount of light as one collects in one hour on a 5 meter telescope?
15 mins
How many Earth years does it take Neptune to orbit the Sun?
164
How long is a day on Mercury?
176 times as long as a day on Earth
Helium-3 has:
2 protons and 1 neutron
If you could convert a mass of 3 million grams (mass 3 x 10^6g) into pure energy, how much energy would be produced (in ergs) ? The speed of light c = 3 x 10^10cm/s.
2.7 x 10^27ergs
A planet is in orbit around the Sun with a semi major axis of 2 AU. What is its orbital period? Use P2=a3.
2.8 years
For a star close to the North star, how long does it take to move in a circle the whole way around the North star?
24 hours
How many Earth years does it take Pluto to orbit the Sun?
248
One star is twice as far away as another. The parallax angle of the more distant star is:
2x smaller than that of the nearer star
Jupiter has about 300 times the mass of Earth and 10 times the radius. What is the surface gravity of Jupiter compared to Earth?
3
A planet in orbit around the Sun has an orbital period of 6 years. What is the semi-major axis of its orbit? Use P2=a3
3.3 AU
A planet in orbit around the Sun has an orbital period of 7 years. What is the semi-major axis of its orbit? Use P2=a3.
3.6 AU
The mass of Jupiter is equivalent to approximately how many Earth masses?
300
A hypothetical planet takes 3 years to orbit the Sun. How far from the Sun does it orbit? 3 years is the period.
3^2 = a^3 9 = a^3 a = 9^(1/3)
How long has the Sun lived so far?
4.5 billion years
The approximate age of the Solar System is
4.5 billion years
A planet is in orbit around the Sun with a period of 10 years. What is the semimajor axis of its orbit (average distance from the Sun) in AU? Use P2 = a3 to estimate.
4.6 AU
A planet is in orbit around the Sun with a period of 10 years. What is the semimajor axis of its orbit (average distance from the Sun) in AU? Use P2 = a3 to estimate.
4.6 AU
Quiz- What is the general result of the proton-proton chain?
4H= He+energy+other products
Quiz- When using different point in the Earth's orbit as a baseline for a parallax experiment it is best to do the observations:
6 months
When using different points in the Earth's orbit as a baseline for a parallax experiment it is best to do the observations:
6 months apart
The temperature of the photosphere of the Sun is closest to?
6000 K
When did the KT event (asteroid collision) cause the extinction of the dinosaurs?
65 Million years ago
how many constellations are not zodiac constellations?
75 or 76
A planet is in orbit around the Sun with a semi major axis of 4 AU. What is its orbital period? Use P2=a3.
8 years
How many Earth years does it take Uranus to orbit the Sun?
84
how much more light does a 9 meter telescope collect than a 3 meter?
9 times
About how much of the total mass of all the objects in the Solar System is contained in the Sun, alone?
99%
What time is the Waning Crescent Moon directly overhead?
9am
Time for Earth to orbit the Sun
= 365 days
11) The Jewish calendar is kept roughly synchronized with a solar calendar by A) adding a thirteenth lunar month to 7 out of every 19 years. B) having a thirteenth month with 5 days each year. C) skipping a month every 7 out of 19 years. D) having the first lunar month begin on the spring equinox. E) having the first lunar month begin on the summer solstice.
A
17) Ptolemy was important in the history of astronomy because he A) developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries. B) developed a scientifically accurate model of the universe. C) was the first to believe in an Earth-centered universe. D) was the first to create a model of the solar system that placed the Sun rather than Earth at the center. E) was the first to believe that all orbits are perfect circles.
A
2) The names of the seven days of the week are based on the A) seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations. B) seven planets closest to the Sun. C) seven brightest stars in the prominent constellation Orion. D) most popular Norse gods. E) seven largest constellations of the ancient world.
A
22) During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in A) Baghdad. B) Greece. C) Rome. D) India. E) China.
A
25) He was the first to prove that comets lie beyond Earth's atmosphere. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Aristotle
A
33) When we see Venus in its full phase, what phase would Earth be in as seen by a hypothetical Venetian? A) full B) new C) first quarter D) third quarter E) waning crescent
A
38) Kepler's second law, which states that as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas in equal times, means that A) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. B) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. C) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. D) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. E) planets have circular orbits.
A
40) What do scientists mean by verifiable observations? A) statements that a person can, in principle, verify for himself or herself B) statements that anyone would agree are obvious C) observations that can be interpreted in only one way D) observations that a model does not have to predict E) observations that support a scientific theory
A
44) Which of the following statements about scientific theories is not true? A) A theory cannot be taken seriously by scientists if it contradicts other theories developed by scientists over the past several hundred years. B) A theory is a model designed to explain a number of observed facts. C) If even a single new fact is discovered that contradicts what we expect according to a particular theory, then the theory must be revised or discarded. D) A theory must make predictions that can be checked by observation or experiment. E) A theory can never be proved beyond all doubt; we can only hope to collect more and more evidence that might support it.
A
49) Must acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery? A) No. Acupuncture may be responsible for the healing, or it may not. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. B) Yes. If the study was run by qualified M.D.s, then we should respect their findings that acupuncture cured these patients. C) No. Acupuncture is hippie, new age stuff, and is not respected by reputable doctors. D) Yes. The patients stated afterwards that they knew it had helped, and these people know their own bodies better than we do.
A
50) Process of Science: What is Occam's razor? A) The idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with observations. B) The principle that everyone should agree on a theory before it is considered correct. C) A long, steep cliff on Mercury that may have been produced as the planet contracted as it formed. D) The principal that any theory can be verified by others. E) An unusual implement that Professor Occam uses to remove facial hair.
A
What happens if you drag another Helium-3 into the box?
A burst of energy and Helium-4 is produced, with two proton moving off to the side
Kepler's 2nd law
A line joining a planet and its star sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. The speed is fastest when the planet is closest to the Sun (perihelion) and slowest when it is farthest away (aphelion)
What is an asteroid?
A rock orbiting the Sun that was left over when the planets formed.
Which of the following is FALSE?
A star with spectral type of B is sometimes hotter than a star with spectral type A, and sometimes colder
Which of the following is TRUE?
A weak-lines T Tauri star emits strong X-rays
Jupiter has about 300 times the mass of Earth and 10 times the radius. What is the surface gravity of Jupiter compared to Earth? A) 3 B) 1 C) 900 D) 300 E) 9
A) 3
Which would have the shortest day and the longest year? A) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun. B) A planet that rotates slowly on its axis and orbits rapidly around the Sun. C) The rotation speed of a planet and its orbital speed around the Sun have nothing to do with the length of its days or years. D) A planet that rotates slowly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun. E) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits rapidly around the Sun.
A) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun.
Of the four Galilean moon which one is farthest from Jupiter? A) Callisto B) Europa C) Titan D) Io E) Ganymede
A) Callisto
Which fact about comets is FALSE? A) Comets' tails disappear when they are closest to the Sun. B) The dust tail of a comet is white, diffuse, and curved. C) Short period comets have orbital periods less than 200 years and have predictable orbits. D) In ancient history, the appearance of a comet was regarded as a sign that unpleasant events would occur. E) Comets are a complex mix of ice and dust.
A) Comets' tails disappear when they are closest to the Sun.
Which of the following does not have a significant atmosphere? A) Earth's Moon B) Saturn's moon Titan C) Earth D) Jupiter E) Venus
A) Earth's Moon
Saturn is made of: A) Hydrogen and Helium like Jupiter B) Water and Ammonia ices. C) Nitrogen and Oxygen like Earth's atmosphere. D) Green cheese E) Nickel and Iron like the cores of rocky planets.
A) Hydrogen and Helium like Jupiter
What chemical compound that permeates the surface of Mars gives the Martian soil its distinctive color? A) Iron Oxide B) ZInc Oxide C) Methane D) Copper Carbonate E) Water
A) Iron Oxide
Why can't we see dark matter? A) It doesn't emit radiation of any sort. B) Because it doesn't exist. C) All of it is too far away. D) It emits only infrared radiation and X-rays and not optical light. E) It is blocked by dust lanes in galaxies.
A) It doesn't emit radiation of any sort.
What is Jupiter like below the top cloud layers? A) It's gaseous on the outside, then liquid hydrogen, then more dense metallic hydrogen, possibly surrounding a solid core B) A rocky core under a thick atmosphere C) It is made of peanut butter D) A rocky core under a thin atmosphere E) It's pure atmosphere
A) It's gaseous on the outside, then liquid hydrogen, then more dense metallic hydrogen, possibly surrounding a solid core
How is Pluto different than the other objects in the Kuiper belt?
A) Its orbit is unlike the orbits of other Kuiper belt objects. B) It has moons, unlike other Kuiper belt objects. C) It is larger than all the other Kuiper belt objects. D) It is made of a completely different type of material. None of the above !!!
How does Jupiter's radius compare to that of Earth? A) Jupiter's radius is 11 times that of Earth B) Earth's radius is 20 times that of Jupiter C) Jupiter's radius is 300,000 time that of Earth D) Jupiter and Earth have the same radius. E) Jupiter's radius is 300 times that of Earth
A) Jupiter's radius is 11 times that of Earth
Which of the following is moving fastest? A) Mercury at its perihelion (closest point to Sun) B) Neptune at its perihelion (closest point to Sun) C) Neptune at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) D) Mars at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) E) Mars at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
A) Mercury at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) The planet Uranus is blue-green and virtually featureless B) There is no evidence to suggest that either Jupiter or Saturn has a liquid metallic or rocky core beneath its gas layers C) Jupiter's solid surface lies just below the cloud layers visible from Earth D) The Great Red Spot is a dust storm near the South polar cap of Mars E) Neither Uranus or Neptune have ring systems
A) The planet Uranus is blue-green and virtually featureless
Which of the following is FALSE? A) Uranus has exactly two moons B) Triton is the largest moon of Neptune C) Saturn has a density less than the density of water D) Uranus has faint, dark rings made of carbon E) The spin axis of Saturn is tilted at about the same angle as the Earth's spin axis
A) Uranus has exactly two moons
Which two solar system objects are most different from each other in their chemical composition? A) Venus and Jupiter B) a comet and the rings of Saturn C) Mars and Earth D) Uranus and Neptune E) Mercury and the Moon
A) Venus and Jupiter
Which of these following statements can be said about Venus?
A) Venus has a very slow speed of rotation. B) A daynight cycle is longer than a year. C) Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth is. All of the above are true.
Which of the following does Kepler's Second Law support? A) When a planet is closer to the Sun, its speed is greater than when it is farther away B) When a planet is closer to the Sun, its speed is less than when it is farther away C) Planets move at constant speed in their orbit around the Sun D) A planet's speed in its orbit is directly proportional to its distance from the Sun E) None of the above
A) When a planet is closer to the Sun, its speed is greater than when it is farther away
Neptune is blue, much like Uranus. Are they made of the same substances? A) Yes, the composition is similar. Methane gives it a blue color B) The blue color is from water and ammonia ices C) Neptune is actually orangish like Saturn and not blue like Uranus D) No, the blue color is from liquid water, like on Earth. Neptune is denser than Uranus; it should have an ocean E) No, this planet is just hydrogen and helium
A) Yes, the composition is similar. Methane gives it a blue color
How does the sky look on the Moon during its daytime? A) dark/black except the specific location of the Sun B) reddish, with a heavy cloud cover C) reddish and without clouds D) blue like on Earth but without clouds E) blue like on Earth, often having clouds
A) dark/black except the specific location of the Sun
Compare the frequency and wavelength of a gamma ray with that of visible light: A) gamma ray frequency is higher and its wavelength is lower B) gamma ray frequency is lower and its wavelength is lower C) gamma ray frequency is higher and its wavelength is higher D) gamma ray frequency is lower and its wavelength is higher E) gamma ray frequency and wavelength is the same as visible light
A) gamma ray frequency is higher and its wavelength is lower
The four forces are A) gravity, electromagnetic, weak, and strong B) gravity, quarks, mesons, and leptons C) electromagnetic, photons, light, and heat D) photons, quarks, electrons, and protons E) weak, weaker, strong, and stronge
A) gravity, electromagnetic, weak, and strong
The coolest, least luminous stars are: A) in the lower right corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram B) in the upper right corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram C) in the upper left corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram D) very near the center of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram E) in the lower left corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram
A) in the lower right corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram
The hottest, most luminous stars are A) in the upper left corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram B) in the lower left corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram C) very near the center of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram D) in the upper right corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram E) in the lower right corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram
A) in the upper left corner of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram
In the earlier universe A) irregular galaxies were much more common than they are at the present because galaxies were still in the process of being assembled. B) almost all galaxies were spirals in the earlier universe and at present almost all galaxies are ellipticals. C) galaxies were much larger than they are at the present because they hadn't yet fragmented into dwarf galaxies. D) elliptical galaxies were much more common compared to irregular galaxies than they are at the present because there had not been enough time for irregular galaxies to form E) galaxies tended to be more circular, with more E0 galaxies compared to E7 galaxies than in the present.
A) irregular galaxies were much more common than they are at the present because galaxies were still in the process of being assembled.
Because of the temperatures in the protoplanetary disk, A) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices and H and He gases froze only in the outer region B) rocks and metals froze in the inner region only, and ices froze in the outer region only C) no planets would ever form there D) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices froze only in the outer region E) rocks, metals, and ices (hydrogen compounds) froze in the inner region only
A) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices and H and He gases froze only in the outer region
Higher-energy radiation has A) shorter wavelength B) lower frequency C) photons which travel faster than the speed of light D) photons which travel slower than the speed of light E) redder color
A) shorter wavelength
Which of the following is the largest distance? A) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn B) the distance from Earth to Mars C) the distance from Mercury to Venus D) the distance from the Sun to the Earth E) the distance from the Earth to the Moon
A) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn
Charged particles that come from the Sun's surface are called A) the solar wind B) convective zones C) the corona D) flares E) prominences
A) the solar wind
In your body, which is the most common of the following types of particles? A) up quarks B) iron nuclei C) photons D) dark matter E) strange quarks
A) up quarks
When would an observer on Mars see a gibbous phase of Venus? A) when Venus is close to passing behind the Sun or has just emerged from behind the Sun B) when Venus is directly in front of the Sun C) when Venus is behind the Sun D) never E) when Venus is approaching the point in front of the Sun or has just passed in front of the Sun
A) when Venus is close to passing being the Sun or has just emerged from behind the Sun
Which is true? A. As viewed from above the plane of its orbit, Earth rotates in a counterclockwise direction around the Sun. B. The Sun orbits around the Earth in a clockwise orbit. C. Some planets orbits clockwise and others counterclockwise. D. Both B and C. E. None of the above.
A. As viewed from above the plane of its orbit, Earth rotates in a counterclockwise direction around the Sun.
Which has the lowest average density? A. Jupiter B. Mars C. the Moon D. Venus E. Mercury
A. Jupiter
Which of the following is TRUE? A. Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun. B. Mercury has a very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide. C. The average surface temperature of Venus is about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. D. The runaway greenhouse effect causes the present temperatures on Mars to exceed those on Earth. E. Venus has no volcanoes on its surface.
A. Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? A. None of the Jovian planets but Saturn have a ring system. B. The planet Uranus is blue-green and virtually featureless. C. Much water ice is found on Saturn's moons. D. The surface of Europa is completely covered by water ice. E. Io has a noticeable lack of impact craters on its surface.
A. None of the Jovian planets but Saturn have a ring system.
Luminosity refers to
Absolute power output at the source
What happend next?
Again radiation/energy is released and we end up with Helium-3
which is true?
An absorption spectrum appears as a continuous spectrum interrupted by a series of dark lines.
What kind of atmosphere does Mercury have?
An atmosphere that is thinner than Earth's.
What best describes the orbit of the Earth around the Sun?
An ellipse that is close to being circular.
12) Which ancient culture had the greatest known success in predicting eclipses? A) Aztecs B) Mayans C) Egyptians D) Babylonians E) Greeks
B
13) The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world? A) Central and South America B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East C) North America D) China E) Southern Asia
B
18) When did Ptolemy live? A) about 5000 years ago B) about 2000 years ago C) about 1000 years ago D) about 500 years ago E) about 100 years ago
B
20) Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe? A) to explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac B) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky C) to explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax D) to properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth E) to explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth
B
23) The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
B
31) Which of the following was not observed by Galileo? A) craters on the Moon B) stellar parallax C) sunspots D) Jupiter's moons E) phases of Venus
B
37) From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to A) 2 astronomical units. B) 4 astronomical units. C) 8 astronomical units. D) 16 astronomical units. E) It depends on the asteroid's mass.
B
39) All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law? A) Venus is more massive than Mercury. B) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. C) Venus is larger than Mercury. D) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury.
B
42) What is meant by a hypothesis? A) a natural phenomenon that requires explanation B) an explanation for a phenomenon that makes a prediction C) a tentative understanding of a natural phenomenon D) a pseudoscientific idea E) a historical theory that has been proved inaccurate
B
48) Could acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery? A) No. If there is no plausible mechanism of action, then clearly acupuncture cannot be responsible for their healing. B) Yes. Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean the process does not occur. C) No. Acupuncture is not accepted by most medical doctors, therefore it isn't effective. D) Yes. If the patients got better, then the acupuncture must be effective.
B
6) Historians trace the origins of a 24-hour day to A) the druids of Stonehenge. B) the ancient Egyptians. C) the Mayans. D) the Aztecs. E) the Babylonian astronomer, Meton.
B
8) At the Sun Dagger in New Mexico, a dagger-shaped beam of sunlight pierces a spiral A) every day at noon. B) at noon on the summer solstice. C) at sunset on the spring equinox. D) at noon on the day of full Moon each month. E) during the totality of a total solar eclipse.
B
9) The Muslim fast of Ramadan occurs A) on the summer solstice. B) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. C) on the spring equinox. D) during a thirteenth month of the Metonic cycle. E) at the end of the Metonic cycle.
B
What is a dwarf planet? A) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is not one of the 8 planets B) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to be round but not one of the 8 planets C) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to be round but not one of the 4 jovian planets D) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is not one of the 9 planets E) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is not one of the 4 jovian planets
B) A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to be round but not one of the 8 planets
Which is an accurate description of a comet? A) All comets are short period comets. B) Comets develop a tail only when they get closer to the Sun in their orbit. C) Comets emerge from the Sun. D) Comets become fainter as they get closer to the Sun and brighter when they are further away from the Sun. E) The brightness of comets stays the same throughout their life.
B) Comets develop a tail only when they get closer to the Sun in their orbit.
What is the reason for the seasons on Earth? A) Earth orbits the Sun more slowly in winter, and faster in summer. B) Earth is tilted with respect to the Sun by about 23.5 degrees. C) Earth is closest to the Sun in June and farthest from the Sun in December D) Earth rotates more slowly in winter, and faster in summer. E) Earth's Moon blocks more sunlight from reaching Earth in winter than in summer
B) Earth is tilted with respect to the Sun by about 23.5 degrees.
How would an inflated landing module bounce if it were dropped onto the surface of Earth from the same altitude as it was on Mars?
B) It would bounce lower and fewer times than it did on the surface of Mars.
Which planet has a temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit on the side facing the Sun and -290 degrees Fahrenheit on the side opposite the A) Jupiter B) Mercury C) Mars D) Earth E) Venus
B) Mercury
If a planet is seeing its Moon in the Full Phase right now, in what phase would the planet appear to be when viewed from its Moon? A) You can't see the planet from its Moon. B) New Planet C) Full Planet D) Third Quarter Planet E) First Quarter Planet
B) New Planet
Which statement is TRUE? A) A nova outburst typically only happens once in a star's life. B) Stars form in molecular clouds, where temperatures are about 10 degrees Kelvin. C) A cloud will collapse and form stars if its mass is a lot less than its Jeans mass. D) Stars usually form in isolation, far away from other stars. E) The Crab supernova, in our galaxy, went off about 8 years ago.
B) Stars form in molecular clouds, where temperatures are about 10 degrees Kelvin.
Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Neither Uranus or Neptune have ring systems. B) The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclone on Jupiter. C) Jupiter's solid surface lies just below the cloud layers visible from Earth. D) Saturn has small- and medium-sized moons, but no large ones. E) There is no evidence to suggest that either Jupiter or Saturn has a rocky core.
B) The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclone on Jupiter.
What are the rings of Saturn made of? A) The rings are solid sheets of ice B) The rings are made of billions of icy particles that range in size from tiny grains to mountains. C) The rings are made of billions particles of dust D) The rings are solid sheets of metal-rock E) The rings are made of pure diamonds
B) The rings are made of billions of icy particles that range in size from tiny grains to mountains
How did the seas on the Moon form? A) They are formed from earthquakes on the Moon B) They are craters filled with lava 1-4 billion years ago C) There are not any seas on the Moon D) They are from meteors E) They are the dried out basins that were filled with liquid water 1-4 billion years ago
B) They are craters filled with lava 1-4 billion years ago
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of jovian planets? A) They all have many moons B) They have a higher density than terrestrial planets C) They have deep atmospheres made of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds D) They are larger than terrestrial planets E) They are farther from the Sun and farther apart from each other than the terrestrial planets
B) They have a higher density than terrestrial planets
Is there anything beyond the Kuiper belt? A) Yes, there is another asteroid belt beyond the Kuiper Belt B) Yes, there is an enormous, diffuse cloud of about a trillion comets C) Yes, there are additional planets D) Yes, there is a place where rainbow colored unicorns fly free E) No, the Kuiper Belt defines the edge of the solar system
B) Yes, there is an enormous, diffuse cloud of about a trillion comets
Compared to the density of the Earth, the Moon's density is: A) almost ten times more B) a bit less C) a bit more D) almost ten times less E) exactly the same
B) a bit less
Which two Solar System objects are most similar to each other in chemical composition? A) Jupiter and its moon, Io B) a comet and the rings of Saturn C) Mercury and Jupiter D) Earth and Uranus E) Venus and Saturn
B) a comet and the rings of Saturn
How does the density of Venus compare to the density of Mercury? A) The density of Mercury cannot be measured. B) about the same, rocky/metallic C) The density of Venus cannot be measured. D) much more, heavy metals E) much less, gaseous
B) about the same, rocky/metallic
Which objects orbit the Sun in highly elliptical orbits? A) Jovian planets B) comets C) asteroids D) meteors E) Terrestrial planets
B) comets
How does the sky look on Mercury during its daytime? A) blue like on Earth but without clouds B) dark/black except the specific location of the Sun C) reddish and without clouds D) blue like on Earth, often having clouds E) reddish, with a heavy cloud cover
B) dark/black except the specific location of the Sun
Most of the Carbon and Oxygen in the Universe is made A) in the center of the Earth B) in the cores of stars after their main sequence lives are over C) in the Big Bang D) in supernova explosions E) in the cores of stars during the main sequence
B) in the cores of stars after their main sequence lives are over
Compared to spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies have A) more gas, redder colors, and less new star formation. B) less gas, redder colors, and less new star formation. C) less gas, bluer colors, and more new star formation. D) less gas, bluer colors, and more new star formation. E) more gas, bluer colors, and more new star formation.
B) less gas, redder colors, and less new star formation.
Considering the contents of the Universe (including dark matter and dark energy), Hydrogen and Helium are A) only half of the total. B) less than 5 percent of the total. C) less than 1 percent of the total. D) about 70 percent of the total. E) only 30 percent of the total.
B) less than 5 percent of the total.
Where in the Solar System might be the best for extreme ice sports? A) shadowed craters of Mercury B) moons of Uranus and Neptune C) moons of Mars D) poles of Venus E) the Moon
B) moons of Uranus and Neptune
In an absorption spectrum, what particle is being absorbed to create a dark line? A) proton B) photon C) quark D) electron E) neutron
B) photon
Because of the temperatures in the protoplanetary disk, A) no planets would ever form there B) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices and H and He gases froze only in the outer region C) rocks, metals, and ices (hydrogen compounds) froze in the inner region only D) rocks and metals froze in the inner region only, and ices froze in the outer region only E) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices froze only in the outer region
B) rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices and H and He gases froze only in the outer region
Which is the greater force due to gravity? A) that between the Sun and Saturn B) that between the Sun and Venus C) that between the Earth and Neptune D) that between the Earth and the nearest Sun-like star (not the Sun itself) E) that between Earth and Uranus
B) that between the Sun and Venus
When in the orbit is there a crescent Venus visible to an observer on Mars? A) when Venus is close to passing behind the Sun or has just emerged from behind the Sun B) when Venus is approaching the point in front of the Sun or has just passed in front of the Sun C) never D) when Venus is behind the Sun E) when Venus is directly in front of the Sun
B) when Venus is approaching the point in front of the Sun or has just passed in front of the Sun
At what time is the Third Quarter moon directly overhead? A) 9am B) 6am C) 3pm D) midnight E) noon
B)6am
What kind of "spark" is the molecular cloud awaiting in order to begin forming stars?
B, C, or D are possible
Which of the following does not have a significant atmosphere?
B. Jupiter's moon Callisto
Which fact about Mars is NOT true? A. There was once water on the surface of Mars. B. Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does. C. It is always colder than freezing on Mars surface. D. There are giant volcanos on Mars, larger than any on Earth. E. The Viking spacecraft landed on Mars in 1976.
B. Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does.
Why do the planets orbit the Sun in close to the same plane?
Because they all formed in a disk around the early Sun and there was little material outside of that disk.
What is the Trapezium?
Both A (4 massive stars at the heart of the Orion Nebula) and C (a few hot stars whose UV light is affecting the formation of other stars)
An important scientific result from the Apollo program to send astronauts to the moon is
Bringing back samples that allowed us to determine the ages of the rocks in different areas on the moon...
10) The Metonic cycle is the A) 29 1/2-day period of the lunar cycle. B) 12-month period of a lunar calendar. C) 19-year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates. D) 18-year, 11-day period over which the pattern of eclipses repeats. E) period between successive Easters.
C
15) How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.? A) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse B) by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse C) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes D) by sending fleets of ships around Earth E) We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed.
C
16) Which of the following statements about scientific models is true? A) A model tries to represent all aspects of nature. B) A model tries to represent only one aspect of nature. C) A model can be used to explain and predict real phenomena. D) All models that explain nature well are correct. E) All current models are correct.
C
26) He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
C
34) Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler's laws? A) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. B) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. C) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. D) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. E) More distant planets move at slower speeds.
C
41) What is meant by a scientific paradigm? A) a conundrum or unexplained set of facts B) a radical change in scientific thought C) a generally well-established scientific theory or set of theories D) a pseudoscientific idea E) a historical theory that has been proved inaccurate
C
43) What is meant by Occam's Razor? A) a well-designed experiment that clearly shows the differences between two competing theories B) a poorly designed experiment that fails to show the difference between two competing theories C) the idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with observations D) the fine line between science and pseudoscience E) the shaving implement of a medieval scholar
C
A galaxy has an H-alpha emission line observed at a wavelength 10 percent larger than the rest wavelength of H-alpha. What is the redshift of the galaxy? A) 10 B) 0.001 C) 0.1 D) -0.001 E) 1
C) 0.1
How many stars are in our Solar System? A) 0 B) hundreds C) 1 D) millions E) 8
C) 1
The age of the Universe is A) about 100 billion years old B) about 100 billion years old C) 13.8 billion years old D) 65 million years old E) 12.9 million years old
C) 13.8 billion years old
How long is a day on Mercury? A) the same as a day on Earth B) 1/4 as long as a day on Earth C) 176 times as long as a day on Earth D) 0.05 times as long as a day on Earth E) 0.11 times as long as a day on Earth
C) 176 times as long as a day on Earth
To make a proton in the early Universe we use A) 2 quarks and 2 antiquarks B) the p-p chain C) 3 quarks with different colors D) an electron and a Helium nucleus E) three down quarks
C) 3 quarks with different colors
Which of the following is TRUE? A) The stars in the halo of a spiral galaxy are generally younger than the stars in its disk. B) The Milky Way Galaxy formed about 100 million years ago. C) A galaxy is a collection of many million or billions of stars, bound by gravity. D) Dark matter is never present around galaxies. It does NOT influence the orbits of the stars in galaxies. E) Stars in a galaxy often collide with each other because of the large gravitational force between them.
C) A galaxy is a collection of many million or billions of stars, bound by gravity.
Which would have the shortest day and the longest year? A) The rotation speed of a planet and its orbital speed around the Sun have nothing to do with the length of its days or years. B) A planet that rotates slowly on its axis and orbits rapidly around the Sun. C) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun. D) A planet that rotates slowly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun. E) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits rapidly around the Sun.
C) A planet that rotates rapidly on its axis and orbits slowly around the Sun.
A meteor shower can occur when : A) shooting stars reach stable orbits around the Earth and orbit for some time B) Earth passes through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter C) Earth's orbit crosses a trail of debris left behind from a comet D) dwarf planets interact with comets and shoot in toward the Sun E) many stars pass near the Sun at the same time and shoot through the sky
C) Earth's orbit crosses a trail of debris left behind from a comet
A meteor shower can occur when: A) Earth passes through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. B) shooting stars reach stable orbits around the Earth and orbit for some time. C) Earth's orbit crosses a trail of debris left behind from a comet. D) many stars pass near the Sun at the same time and shoot through the sky. E) dwarf planets interact with comets and shoot in toward the Sun
C) Earth's orbit crosses a trail of debris left behind from a comet.
If a planet is seeing its Moon in the New Phase right now, in what phase would the planet appear to be when viewed from its Moon? A) First Quarter Planet B) Third Quarter Planet C) Full Planet D) New Planet E) You can't see the planet from its Moon.
C) Full Planet
Which of the following main-sequence turnoffs indicates the oldest globular cluster? A) B7 B) B2 C) G2 D) O9 E) O5
C) G2
Fill in the blank in the following chemical reaction that occurs in the Sun: Hydrogen-2 + proton = ?? + energy: A) Hydrogen-1 B) Hydrogen-2 C) Helium-3 D) Helium-4 E) Carbon-12
C) Helium-3
What is a brown dwarf? A) It is a small star that burns hydrogen to helium very rapidly. B) It is a planet in orbit around an M type star. C) It is an object with a mass less than 8 percent of the Sun, which cannot have enough nuclear reactions in its core to be a star. D) It is a star that has multiple colors blended together to make brown. E) It is an object with a mass greater than 8 percent of the Sun, which has a huge rate of nuclear reactions on its surface.
C) It is an object with a mass less than 8 percent of the Sun, which cannot have enough nuclear reactions in its core to be a star.
In the Southern Hemisphere of Earth, which of the following is a winter month? A) The is no winter in the Southern hemisphere. B) January C) July D) April E) October
C) July
What object is shown in the image? (dark brown/redish with white swirl at top) A) Venus B) Mercury C) Mars D) Uranus E) Jupiter
C) Mars
Which fact about Mars is NOT true? A) It is always colder than freezing on Mars's surface. B) The Viking spacecraft landed on Mars in 1976. C) Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does. D) There are giant volcanos on Mars, larger than any on Earth. E) There was once water on the surface of Mars.
C) Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does.
Which fact about Mars is NOT true? A) There are giant volcanoes on Mars, larger than any on Earth. B) There was once water on the surface of Mars. C) Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does. D) The Viking spacecraft landed on Mars in 1976. E) It is always colder than freezing on Mars's surface.
C) Mars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth does.
What is the closest planet to the Sun? A) Mars B) Uranus C) Mercury D) Venus E) Neptune
C) Mercury
Which of the following is moving slowest? A) Mars at its perihelion (nearest point to Sun) B) Venus at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) C) Neptune at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) D) Neptune at its perihelion (nearest point to Sun) E) Venus at its perihelion (nearest point to Sun)
C) Neptune at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun)
Star A is 9 times more luminous than Star B. The two stars appear the same brightness. What is true about their distances? A) Star B is 9 times further away than Star A. B) Star A is 9 times further away than Star B. C) Star A is 3 times further away than Star B. D) Star B is 3 times further away than Star A. E) Stars A and B are at the same distance.
C) Star A is 3 times further away than Star B.
Where is the center of the Universe? A) The Andromeda Galaxy is at the center of the Universe. Everything expanded from there. B) No one knows where the center of the Universe is. C) There is no center to the Universe. Expansion is happening everywhere. D) The center of the Universe is near a particular distant galaxy, and the Big Bang originated only at that point. E) The Milky Way Galaxy is at the center of the Universe. Everything expanded from there.
C) There is no center to the Universe. Expansion is happening everywhere.
What is ozone? A) Single oxygen atoms in the atmosphere (O) B) Carbon monoxide molecules (CO) C) Three oxygen atoms bonded together into a single molecule (O3). D) Two oxygen atoms bonded together into a single molecule (O2) E) A mixture of many chemical elements, including nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg), carbon (C), and silicon (Si), that block ultraviolet light
C) Three oxygen atoms bonded together into a single molecule (O3)
Which has the highest average density? A) Uranus B) Jupiter C) Venus D) Neptune E) Saturn
C) Venus
The surface of Venus is hotter than the surface of Mercury because A) Venus is closer to the Sun than Mercury. B) Venus is smaller than Mercury so it does not require so much energy to heat it. C) Venus is more massive and is able to retain a thick atmosphere. D) of the volcanic activity that occurs on Venus. E) Mercury's atmosphere prevents radiation from penetrating through to its surface.
C) Venus is more massive and is able to retain a thick atmosphere.
To produce an absorption spectrum, what particle is jumping from a low energy level to a high energy level? A) neutron B) photon C) electron D) proton E) quark
C) electron
A star is stable due to the balance of A) convection and radiation B) nuclear reactions and nuclear fission C) gravity and gas pressure D) prominences and magnetic fields E) mass and luminosity
C) gravity and gas pressure
The four forces are A) electromagnetic, photons, light, and heat B) photons, quarks, electrons, and protons C) gravity, electromagnetic, weak, and strong D) gravity, quarks, mesons, and leptons E) weak, weaker, strong, and stronge
C) gravity, electromagnetic, weak, and strong
Volcanos on Venus: A) are not common, with only two apparent on its whole surface B) were never important in the planet's geological history C) produce very large lava flows that cover at least 85% of the planet's surface D) produce melted cheese instead of lava E) are much less active than volcanos on Earth and Mars
C) produce very large lava flows that cover at least 85% of the planet's surface
Which has the events in the right order, from early to late? A) quark soup, recombination, star formation, protons form, nucleosynthesis B) recombination, star formation, protons form, quark soup, nucleosynthesis C) quark soup, protons form, nucleosynthesis, recombination, star formation D) nucleosynthesis, star formation, protons form, recombination, quark soup E) star formation, quark soup, protons form, recombination, nucleosynthesis
C) quark soup, protons form, nucleosynthesis, recombination, star formation
What would the density of Mercury be most like? A) liquids B) gases C) solids like aluminum and iron D) heavy solids like Gold and Uranium E) solid ice
C) solids like aluminum and iron
Which of the following is the sequence of events for a 40 solar mass star (one of the most massive stars)? A) stellar nursery, protostar, Sun-like star on main sequence, red giant, planetary nebula, white dwarf B) planetary nebula, protostar, Sun-like star on main sequence, blue giant, red giant C) stellar nursery, protostar, blue star on main sequence, Type II supernova, black hole D) black hole, neutron star, white dwarf, Sun-like star on main sequence, red giant, Type II supernova E) stellar nursery, blue giant, Sun-like star on main sequence, red giant, Type II supernova, neutron star
C) stellar nursery, protostar, blue star on main sequence, Type II supernova, black hole
Tidal heating on Io causes: A) tectonic surface features. B) Jupiter to get considerably warmer. C) sulfur volcanoes. D) geysers of water at its south pole. E) a subsurface water ocean.
C) sulfur volcanoes.
At what time will the Moon set on the day of a Lunar eclipse? A) noon B) It will not set at all C) sunrise D) sunset E) midnight
C) sunrise
Which of the following is typical of a Jovian planet? A) a hydrogen-poor composition B) an average density about that of rock C) the presence of many moons D) evidence for volcanic activity E) an orbit inside the asteroid belt
C) the presence of many moons
The densities of the four Terrestrial planets are similar to each other. This means A) they have approximately the same masses B) they are approximately the same temperature C) they are made of similar substances D) they have the same surface gravities E) they have approximately the same radii
C) they are made of similar substances
In your body, which is the most common of the following types of particles? A) dark matter B) iron nuclei C) up quarks D) photons E) strange quarks
C) up quarks
Which of the following planets is never visible from Earth at midnight? A. Saturn B. Jupiter C. Venus D. Mars E. Uranus
C. Venus
Of the four Galilean moon which one is farthest from Jupiter?
Callisto
Which is an accurate description of a comet?
Comets develop a tail only when they get closer to the Sun in their orbit.
There's a Kuiper belt and an Oort cloud. Both have comets. What's the difference?
Comets from the Oort cloud have longer periods.
Which of the following is TRUE?
Compared to the distance from Earth to Mars, the distance from Earth to the Moon is very small.
1) People of central Africa predicted the weather by A) recording the seasonal changes in average temperature. B) observing the path of the planets across the sky. C) observing the length of the lunar cycle. D) observing the orientation of the crescent Moon relative to the horizon. E) observing the location of the Moon relative to the Sun in the sky.
D
21) Where was the Sun in Ptolemy's model of the universe? A) at the center B) slightly offset from the center C) between Earth and the Moon's orbit D) between the orbits of Venus and Mars E) at the outer edge, beyond Saturn's orbit
D
27) He discovered that Jupiter has moons. A) Tycho Brahe B) Aristotle C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
D
28) He discovered what we now call Newton's first law of motion. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
D
30) When did Copernicus live? A) about 5000 years ago B) about 2000 years ago C) about 1000 years ago D) about 500 years ago E) about 100 years ago
D
36) From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of A) 1/2 Earth year. B) 1 Earth year. C) 2 Earth years. D) more than 2 Earth years. E) It depends on the planet's mass.
D
4) Compared with the standard hour of 60 minutes used today, the hour of ancient Egypt A) was longer than the hour used today. B) was shorter than the hour used today. C) differed in length depending on the pharaoh in power at the time. D) was longer than 60 minutes in the summer and shorter than 60 minutes in the winter. E) divided the entire day into 12 equal parts.
D
45) The ancient goal of astrology was to A) understand the origin of Earth. B) make a more accurate model of the universe. C) predict the passing of the seasons. D) predict human events. E) antagonize astronomers.
D
46) The astrology practiced by those who cast predictive horoscopes can be tested by A) asking astrologers if it works. B) asking astronomers if it works. C) counting how many times the predictions come true. D) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance. E) polling people to find out what percentage believe their horoscopes to be accurate.
D
47) Which of the following best explains the success of the central African rainfall-prediction technique of observing the waxing crescent Moon? A) When the Moon is aligned in a U-shape, it can hold more water, so there is more rain. When it is tilted, it can hold less, so the weather is drier. B) When the Moon is in Capricorn, there is always more tempestuous weather, while when in Pisces, it is just plain rainy. C) Clouds cover part of the Moon's surface, so the smaller the crescent, the more likely it is to rain. D) The Moon's orientation varies seasonally, and so does the weather. E) The Moon causes the tides and affects the weather.
D
7) What do the structures of Stonehenge, the Templo Mayor, and the Sun Dagger all have in common? A) They were all places used for religious sacrifice. B) They were all built on the orders of ancient Mediterranean kings. C) They all can be used as lunar calendars. D) They were all used by ancient peoples for astronomical observations. E) all of the above
D
How much more light does a 9 meter telescope collect than a 3 meter telescope? A) 36 times more B) 3 times more C) 81 times more D) 9 times more E) 27 times more
D) 9 times more
How did Kepler himself originally state this second law? A) The speed of a planet in its orbit is directly proportional to its distance from the Sun B) The speed of a planet in its orbit is inversely proportional to its distance from the Sun C) All planets move at a constant speed in their orbit around the Sun D) A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time E) None of the above
D) A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time
Which of the following are characteristics of dense atmospheres? A) Atmospheres absorb and scatter light. B) Atmospheres make planetary surfaces warmer than they would be otherwise. C) Atmospheres distribute heat around a planet. D) All of the above. E) None of the above.
D) All of the above.
From what was described, where are aurorae likely to be seen most frequently? A) Equally likely anywhere on Earth B) They can only be seen from Earth orbit, not on the surface C) At locations along the equator D) At locations near the poles E) They cannot be seen either from Earth's orbit, nor anywhere on the surface
D) At locations near the poles
Which of the following is NOT required in order to classify a Solar System object as a planet (instead of a dwarf planet)? A) It must orbit the Sun B) It must clear the region around its orbit C) It must not be a moon around another object D) It must be larger than all of the moons in the Solar System E) It must be massive enough to be nearly round
D) It must be larger than all of the moons in the Solar System
Among the following planets, which rotates most rapidly? A) Mars B) Earth C) Mercury D) Jupiter E) Venus
D) Jupiter
Which is smallest? A) Jupiter's moon Ganymede B) Saturn's moon Titan C) Earth D) Jupiter's moon Io E) Mercury
D) Jupiter's moon Io
Which of the following are the jovian planets? A) Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn B) Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars D) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune E) Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
D) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Could astronauts survive on the surface of Titan without a space suit; maybe just an oxygen mask or something? A) Yes. B) No, the pressure would be too great. C) No, there's a runaway greenhouse effect like Venus. D) No, it's far too cold. E) No, the atmosphere isn't thick enough
D) No, it's far too cold
Which of the following is true? A) Pluto is in the Oort cloud B) Pluto is ten times more massive than Earth's Moon. C) Pluto is a gas giant D) Pluto has 5 moons, the largest of which is over half the diameter of Pluto E) The Kuiper belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
D) Pluto has 5 moons, the largest of which is over half the diameter of Pluto
Of these choices, which planet has the most moons? A) Mercury B) Mars C) Venus D) Saturn E) Earth
D) Saturn
Which of the following is the cause of aurora? A) Rapid spinning of a planet that mixes up its magnetic field lines B) The ozone layer that prevents UV radiation from entering an atmosphere C) Greenhouse gases that trap infrared radiation inside an atmosphere D) Solar wind particles that hit the atmosphere of a planet E) Collisions of plates on Earth that float on the surface of denser fluid below
D) Solar wind particles that hit the atmosphere of a planet
At what time will the Moon set on the day of a Solar eclipse? A) Noon B) Midnight C) Sunrise D) Sunset E) It will not set at all. It will be up for 24 hours.
D) Sunset
Which of the following is true? A) Jupiter takes longer to pass once around the Sun than the most distant planet, Pluto, does. B) The Earth moves slower in its orbit when it is closer to the Sun. C) The Earth's orbit around the Sun is a perfect circle. D) The Earth moves slower in its orbit when it is farthest from the Sun.
D) The Earth moves slower in its orbit when it is farthest from the Sun.
Which of the following is FALSE? A) The stars in the halo of a spiral galaxy are older than those in its disk. B) The Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. C) The Sun is one of about 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. D) The Milky Way Galaxy formed about 100 million years ago. E) Dark matter is present around most galaxies.
D) The Milky Way Galaxy formed about 100 million years ago.
Which is the correct order, from largest to smallest? A) Universe - Solar System - galaxy - Sun - planet B) galaxy - Universe - Solar System - Sun - planet C) Solar System - Sun - galaxy - Universe - planet D) Universe - galaxy - Solar System - Sun - planet E) Solar System - galaxy - Sun - planet - Universe
D) Universe - galaxy - Solar System - Sun - planet
Which has the highest average density? A) Saturn B) Neptune C) Uranus D) Venus E) Jupiter
D) Venus
When you magnify an object with a telescope, what else happens to your view of the sky? A) All the objects in the field of view will appear closer to each other. B) The objects change color and appear redder. C) Your field of view gets distorted, similar to the effect of a fish eye lens. D) Your field of view gets smaller, so you can only see a small area of sky. E) Your field of view gets larger, so you can see a larger area of sky.
D) Your field of view gets smaller, so you can only see a small area of sky.
Traveling at the same speed, which would be the shortest trip? A) a trip from Mars to Jupiter B) a trip from Uranus to Neptune C) a trip from Jupiter to Saturn D) a trip from Earth to Venus E) a trip from Saturn to Uranus
D) a trip from Earth to Venus
The planets of the solar system were formed:
D) as individual condensation/accretion centers in a rotating solar nebula
In nucleosynthesis at 100 seconds into the Big Bang, how is the Helium-4 nucleus produced? A) combining an electron with a photon B) combining an electron with a Hydrogen-1 nucleus C) through the cosmic microwave background radiation D) combining 2 protons and 2 neutrons E) combining 2 up quarks and a down quark to make Helium-4
D) combining 2 protons and 2 neutrons
In which part of a star do the nuclear reactions take place when the star is on the main sequence? A) photosphere B) convective cells C) sunspots D) core E) corona
D) core
Two planets have the same radius. If Planet A is 5 times more massive than Planet B, how does gravity differ on the surfaces of the two planets? A) gravity is 25 times stronger on Planet A B) gravity is 5 times stronger on Planet B C) gravity is 25 times stronger on Planet B D) gravity is 5 times stronger on Planet A E) gravity is equal on Planet A and Planet B
D) gravity is 5 times stronger on Planet A
A particular Zodiac constellation is high in the sky at midnight in April. Where will it be in October? A) near the horizon a couple of hours after sunset B) visible at midnight, but only from the Southern hemisphere C) near the horizon a couple of hours before sunrise D) near the Sun in the daytime sky E) high in the sky at midnight
D) near the Sun in the daytime sky
Tidal heating on Io causes: A) tectonic surface features. B) a subsurface water ocean. C) Jupiter to get considerably warmer. D) sulfur volcanoes. E) geysers of water at its south pole.
D) sulfur volcanoes.
Which of the following is the largest distance? A) the distance from the Sun to the Earth B) the distance from Mercury to Venus C) the distance from the Earth to the Moon D) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn E) the distance from Earth to Mars
D) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn
What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? A) humans destroyed them B) the same collision in which the Moon formed C) a big comet came and smashed the dinosaurs D) the dust and smoke thrown up from an asteroid impact E) volcanic eruptions
D) the dust and smoke thrown up from an asteroid impact
Besides, the discovery that moons orbit Jupiter, what other discovery made by Galileo Galilei, with an early telescope, proved that the Earth is not at the center of the Universe? A) the discovery of Pluto B) the discovery that the Moon orbits the Earth C) the discovery that the Earth is rotating D) the phases of Venus E) the discovery of Neptune
D) the phases of Venus
DNA replication carries the information for new organisms because
DNA attracts bonds specific nucleotides that only pair with other specific nucleotides in the DNA chain, producing a negative copy of itself...
What is known about the formation of Valles Marineris on Mars?
Different parts of Valles Marineris were shaped by different kinds of geological processes and NOT a single process.
What is known about the formation of Valles Marineris?
Different parts of Valles Marineris were shaped by different kinds of geological processes and NOT a single process.
14) When and where did the Library of Alexandria exist? A) from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1800 in Greece B) from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1800 in Egypt C) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Rome D) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Greece E) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Egypt
E
19) How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) It held that sometimes the planets moved backward along their circular orbits. B) It placed the Sun at the center so that the planets' apparent retrograde motion was seen as Earth passed each one in its orbit. C) It varied the motion of the celestial sphere so that it sometimes moved backward. D) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Sun. E) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth.
E
24) He developed a system for predicting planetary positions that remained in use for some 1,500 years. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
E
29) When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? A) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. B) Copernicus misjudged the speeds at which the planets orbit the Sun. C) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth. E) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets.
E
3) Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case? A) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. B) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. C) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. D) The discovery that Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. E) A week would have eight days instead of seven.
E
32) One of the "nails in the coffin" for Earth-centered universe was A) the retrograde motion of the planets. B) the phases of the Moon. C) eclipses of the Sun. D) Galileo's observation of stars in the Milky Way. E) Galileo's observations of the moons of Jupiter.
E
35) Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. E) All of the above are correct.
E
5) In order to tell time at night, the ancient Egyptians of 3000 B.C. used A) sundials, with light provided by the Moon. B) water clocks, measuring the flow of water through an opening. C) hourglasses, measuring the flow of sand through an opening. D) Moon clocks, which measured time based on the Moon's position relative to the stars. E) star clocks, which measured time based on the positions of stars at particular times of night and particular times of year.
E
What time is the Waning Crescent Moon directly overhead? A) 3pm B) midnight C) 9pm D) 3am E) 9am
E) 9am
Which of the following is true? A) More than one element can have the same emission or absorption spectrum. B) Ultraviolet light has the shortest wavelength of any electromagnetic radiation. C) An electron can have any energy within an atom, so long as that energy is above the ground state energy. D) The wavelengths of the emission lines produced by an element are different from the wavelengths of the absorption lines produced by the same element. E) An absorption spectrum appears as a continuous spectrum interrupted by a series of dark lines.
E) An absorption spectrum appears as a continuous spectrum interrupted by a series of dark lines.
Which of the following is TRUE? A) Travelling at 3 times the speed of light (if we could) it would take only 2 days to travel from Earth to Mars B) The Moon is about a thousand times further away from Earth than the diameter of the Earth C) Mars is about five times further away from Earth than Earth's Moon is D) The Earth's Moon is about half the distance between Earth and Mars E) Compared to the distance from Earth to Mars, the distance from Earth to the Moon is very small
E) Compared to the distance from Earth to Mars, the distance from Earth to the Moon is very small
Saturn is made of: A) Nickel and Iron like the cores of rocky planets. B) Nitrogen and Oxygen like Earth's atmosphere. C) Water and Ammonia ices. D) Green cheese E) Hydrogen and Helium like Jupiter
E) Hydrogen and Helium like Jupiter
Why can't we see dark matter? A) It emits only infrared radiation and X-rays and not optical light. B) It is blocked by dust lanes in galaxies. C) All of it is too far away. D) Because it doesn't exist. E) It doesn't emit radiation of any sort.
E) It doesn't emit radiation of any sort.
If the Sun had twice its mass, then which of the planets would be in its habitable zone? A) Mercury B) Venus C) Neptune D) Earth E) Jupiter
E) Jupiter
Which of the following is TRUE? A) The runaway greenhouse effect causes the present temperatures on Mars to exceed those on Earth B) The average surface temperature of Venus is about 30 degrees Fahrenheit C) Venus has no volcanos on its surface D) Mercury has a very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide E) Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun
E) Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun
Which of the following is TRUE? A) The runaway greenhouse effect causes the present temperatures on Mars to exceed those on Earth. B) Mercury has a very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide. C) Venus has no volcanos on its surface. D) The average surface temperature of Venus is about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. E) Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun.
E) Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun.
Which has the lowest average density? A) the Moon B) Venus C) Mercury D) Mars E) Saturn
E) Saturn
Which has the lowest average density? A) Mars B) Venus C) the Moon D) Mercury E) Saturn
E) Saturn
Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Jupiter's solid surface lies just below the cloud layers visible from Earth. B) Saturn has small and medium-sized moons, but no large ones. C) There is no evidence to suggest that either Jupiter or Saturn has a rocky core. D) Neither Uranus or Neptune have ring systems. E) The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclone on Jupiter.
E) The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclone on Jupiter.
Why do stars move in the sky over the course of a single night? A) The gravity between the stars causes their motion. B) The motion of the Earth around the Sun. C) The orbit of the Moon around the Earth. D) Newton's third law implies that they should. E) The rotation of the Earth on its axis.
E) The rotation of the Earth on its axis.
Which is the correct order, from largest to smallest? A) Solar System - galaxy - Sun - planet - Universe B) Universe - Solar System - galaxy - Sun - planet C) galaxy - Universe - Solar System - Sun - planet D) Solar System - Sun - galaxy - Universe - planet E) Universe - galaxy - Solar System - Sun - planet
E) Universe - galaxy - Solar System - Sun - planet
Of the following objects, which is the largest? A) Mars B) Pluto C) Venus D) Earth E) Uranus
E) Uranus
Which planet has a solid surface? A) Jupiter B) Uranus C) Saturn D) Neptune E) Venus
E) Venus
Which of the following is moving fastest in the orbit? A) Mars at its perihelion (closest point to Sun) B) Mars at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) C) Neptune at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) D) Venus at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) E) Venus at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
E) Venus at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
The Sun's radius is 109 times the Earth's radius. How many Earth's would fit within the Sun's volume? A) a hundred B) a thousand C) ten thousand D) a billion E) a million
E) a million
Which is roughly the size of Earth? A) a neutron star B) a black hole C) an M type main sequence star D) a red giant E) a white dwarf
E) a white dwarf
In which part of a star do the nuclear reactions take place when the star is on the main sequence? A) sunspots B) photosphere C) corona D) convective cells E) core
E) core
Different chemical elements have A) different energy levels that their photons can occupy. B) different wavelengths of electrons that they emit. C) different energy levels that their protons can occupy. D) different wavelengths of protons that they emit. E) different energy levels that their electrons can occupy.
E) different energy levels that their electrons can occupy.
A comet's nucleus is composed of: A) iron and silicates. B) gases, including mostly methane and ammonia C) gases, including mostly hydrogen and helium. D) just iron E) dust, dry ice, and water ice.
E) dust, dry ice, and water ice.
How do most craters on moons form? A) running water B) earthquakes C) by seismic activity (earthquakes) D) by volcanic activity E) impact of asteroids
E) impact of asteroids
Most of the Carbon and Oxygen in the Universe is made A) in supernova explosions B) in the Big Bang C) in the center of the Earth D) in the cores of stars during the main sequence E) in the cores of stars after their main sequence lives are over
E) in the cores of stars after their main sequence lives are over
After tripling the distance from a light source, a light detector collects A) three times as much light B) one third as much light C) the same amount of light D) nine times as much light E) one ninth as much light
E) one ninth as much light
The largest stars are almost the size of A) the Andromeda Galaxy. B) the Orion Nebula. C) the Orion arm of the Galaxy. D) the Milky Way. E) our Solar System.
E) our Solar System.
Which has the events in the right order, from early to late? A) star formation, quark soup, protons form, recombination, nucleosynthesis B) recombination, star formation, protons form, quark soup, nucleosynthesis C) nucleosynthesis, star formation, protons form, recombination, quark soup D) quark soup, recombination, star formation, protons form, nucleosynthesis E) quark soup, protons form, nucleosynthesis, recombination, star formation
E) quark soup, protons form, nucleosynthesis, recombination, star formation
Which is the smaller force due to gravity? A) that between the Sun and Venus B) that between the Sun and Mars C) that between Saturn and Mercury D) that between the Sun and Pluto E) that between the Earth and the nearest Sun-like star (not the Sun itself)
E) that between the Earth and the nearest Sun-like star (not the Sun itself)
The planets in our solar system are thought to have come from: A) emissions from alien spacecraft B) a cloud of gas in the Orion nebula C) clumps of rocky material that exist between the stars D) the Sun (they were flung out of the fast-spinning young sun) E) the same cloud of gas and dust in which the Sun formed
E) the same cloud of gas and dust in which the Sun formed
Stars have different colors because A) of the chemicals that they contain. B) they lose mass as they age and change from blue to red. C) they swallow the planets around them. D) they have different luminosities. E) they have different photosphere temperatures.
E) they have different photosphere temperatures.
Stars have different colors because A) of the chemicals that they contain. B) they swallow the planets around them. C) they lose mass as they age and change from blue to red. D) they have different luminosities. E) they have different photosphere temperatures.
E) they have different photosphere temperatures.
How many stars are in our Solar System? A) millions B) hundreds C) 8 D) 0 E) 1
E)1
Which of the stars in the diagram above has the shortest main sequence lifetime? A)M5; Low luminosity B) M5; high luminosity C)A5; normal luminosity D)B5: normal luminosity E)O5; high luminosity
E)O5; high luminosity
Which of these planets has rings? A. Venus B. Mercury C. Mars D. Pluto E. Jupiter
E. Jupiter
Which is largest? A. Uranus's moon Miranda B. Saturn's moon Titan C. Saturn's moon Encledus D. Neptune's moon Triton E. Jupiter's moon Ganymede
E. Jupiter's moon Ganymede
Which of the following are the jovian planets? A. Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn B. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto C. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars D. Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn E. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
E. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Which of the following is typical of a Terrestrial planet? A. a hydrogen-rich composition B. an average density much less than that of rock C. an orbit outside the asteroid belt D. the presence many moons E. evidence for volcanic activity
E. evidence for volcanic activity
E=mc^2
E= energy m=mass, c=speed of light
Among the following planets, which rotates most slowly?
Earth
Which of the following moons has no craters because they are wiped out by movement of ice on the surface?
Europa, in orbit around Jupiter
(T/F) most comest orbit the Sun in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
False
Two weeks after the Third Quarter Moon it is the
First Quarter Moon
Know what the moons look like (type in Ganymede to see the picture)
Ganymede
Mars has a mass that is 1/10th the mass of the Earth and a radius that is 1/2 the radius of Earth. Compare the force of gravity on Mar's surface to that on the surface of Earth using the proportional relationship F is proportional to M/R2.
Gravity on Mars is 4/10ths as strong as on Earth.
Mars has a mass that is 1/10th the mass of the Earth and a radius that is 1/2 the radius of Earth. Compare the force of gravity on Mar's surface to that on the surface of Earth using the proportional relationship F is proportional to M/R2.
Gravity on Mars is 4/10ths as strong as on Earth.
Mercury has a mass that is 1/20th the mass of the Earth and a radius that is 1/3 the radius of Earth. Compare the force of gravity on Mercury's surface to that on the surface of Earth using the proportional relationship F is proportional to M/R2.
Gravity on Mercury is 9/20ths as strong as on Earth.
Of the total amount of sunlight that is incident on Earth, about 70% is absorbed. The remaining is reflected back to space. If we calculate the temperature of Earth from the absorption of the Sun's radiation, it will come to -18 deg centigrade. However, observations show that the global average temperature of the earth is a pleasant +15 deg centigrade. What do you think is the cause for this additional heating of "approximately" 30 deg centigrade (from -18C to + 15C)?
Green house gases in Earth's atmosphere
What is the final step in the p-p chain?
Helium-3 combines with Helium-3 to make Helium-4 and two protons
Saturn is made of
Hydrogen and Helium like Jupiter
What is the next step in the reaction?
Hydrogen-2 combined with a proton to make Helium-3
Based on what we see in panoramic images, why do you think Moon is likely NOT to have an atmosphere?
If the Moon had an atmosphere, it would scatter sunlight in all directions and the lunar sky would look bright
Imagine that planet B is revolving around star A. Which of the following scenario describes 'tidal locking' of planet B by star A?
Imagine that planet B is revolving around star A. Which of the following scenario describes 'tidal locking' of planet B by star A?
Where do mountains like the Himalayas come from?
In some locations, plates of rock on the planet's surface press together and the plates rise together.
What type of radiation gets absorbed by greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide?
Infrared but not optical.
Which compound permeates the surface of Mars and gives the Martian soil its distinctive color?
Iron Oxide
Why does Mars appear red?
Iron oxide
If two stars are the same temperature, how can one be more luminous than the other?
It can have a larger radius
How was Earth's Moon formed, according to the currently most-accepted theory?
It formed from debris produced by the collision of a Mars-sized object with the Earth.
What is NOT true about Earth's atmosphere?
It has more Carbon Dioxide than Venus, so is heated more than Venus by the Greenhouse effect.
As the solar nebula collapsed under its own gravity
It heated and spun up
How would an inflated landing module bounce if it were dropped onto the surface of Earth from the same altitude as it was on Mars?
It would bounce lower and fewer times than it did on the surface of Mars.
How would the inflated landing module bounce if it were dropped onto the surface of Earth from the same altitude as it was on Mars?
It would bounce lower and fewer times than it did on the surface of Mars.
Why does Mars have seasons?
Its axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane
How would you describe the rotation of Uranus?
Its rotation axis is tilted so that its pole almost faces the Sun.
What is this picture of
Jupiter
The low level of oxygen in Jupiter's atmosphere suggests that:
Jupiter formed around a core that contains a large fraction of its oxygen...
Which is largest?
Jupiter's moon Ganymede
Which is largest? A) Neptune's moon Triton B) Uranus's moon Miranda C) Jupiter's moon Ganymede D) Saturn's moon Titan E) Jupiter's moon Io
Jupiter's moon Ganymede
What could have been habitable if the Sun had been twice as massive?
Jupiter's moons
How does Jupiter's radius compare to that of Earth?
Jupiter's radius is 11 times that of Earth
Which of the following are the jovian planets?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Saturn is most similar to
Jupiter...
No full-sized planet formed between Mars and Jupiter because
Jupiters gravity kept stirring things up so no large object was safe from big collisions
The poles and equator on Jupiter do not rotate at the same rate, implying that
Jupiters visible surface is made of liquid or gas...
If all the asteroids in the asteroid belt were assembled into a planet, it would be
Less than 1/1,000 of earths mass...
Which of the following is an accurate description of the KT event
Living forms, notably the dominant ones such as the dinosaurs, were driven to extinction by the aftermath of the impact more than the impact itself.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the KT event?
Living forms, notably the dominant ones such as the dinosaurs, were driven to extinction by the aftermath of the impact more than the impact itself.
Which objects come into the Solar System from the Oort cloud?
Long period comets
The deepest canyon in the solar system is on the planet:
Mars
The only body other than Earth to show signs of running water on its surface is
Mars...
Know how the planets look (type in Mercury to see the picture)
Mercury
What object is shown in this image?
Mercury
Which Terrestrial planet has the lowest density atmosphere (i.e. none)?
Mercury
Which planet has a temperature of 400 degrees Centigrade on the side facing the Sun and -180 degrees Centigrade on the side opposite the Sun?
Mercury
Which planet has a temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit on the side facing the Sun and -290 degrees Fahrenheit on the side opposite the Sun?
Mercury
Which planet has a temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit on the side facing the Sun and 290 degrees Fahrenheit on the side opposite the
Mercury
Which planet looks the most like the Moon?
Mercury
What is the main reason Mercury is hotter than the Moon?
Mercury is closer to the sun
Which of the following is TRUE?
Mercury rotates exactly one and a half times for every one revolution around the Sun.
Of the following objects, which is the largest?
Neptune
What is the most distant planet from the Sun?
Neptune
Uranus is very similar to
Neptune...
Atmosphere of Mars
No thick atmosphere, but does have thin one that causes orangish sky, mostly carbon dioxide, only modest Greenhouse effect because atmosphere is so thin
The Sun is at one focus of the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun. What is at the other focus?
Nothing
What physical process could generate that kind of energy?
Nuclear fusion
What evidence do we have that suggests Mars was once much wetter than it is today?
Outflow channels on the Martian surface and evidence for subsurface water ice.
Kepler's 3rd law
P^2 = a^3 where P is the period in years and a is the semi major axis (average distance to Sun) in AU.
Two planets have the same mass, but Planet A has 3 times the radius of Planet B. How do the surface gravities of the two planets compare?
Planet A has 1/9 the surface gravity of Planet B.
Planet A has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 2 Astronomical Units. Planet B has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 8 Astronomical Units. How does the orbital period compare between the two planets? Use P2 = a3 to estimate.
Planet B has an orbital period 8 times longer than Planet A.
Planet A has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 3 Astronomical Units. Planet B has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 12 Astronomical Units. How does the orbital period compare between the two planets? Use P2 = a3 to estimate.
Planet B has an orbital period 8 times longer than Planet A.
Planet A has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 3 Astronomical Units. Planet B has an orbit with a semi-major axis of 12 Astronomical Units. How does the orbital period compare between the two planets? Use P2 = a3 to estimate.
Planet B has an orbital period 8 times longer than Planet A.
Which of the following is true?
Pluto has 5 moons, the largest of which is over half the diameter of Pluto.
I'll get the same detector reading for a 500 W bulb, as you do at R=1 on the 20 W bulb, if I move lower detector to
R=5
Because of the temperatures in the protoplanetary disk,
Rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices froze only in the outer region.
Which of the following is FALSE? a) Venus has a density of 5.2 grams per cubic centimeter b) All Terrestrial planets have densities much higher than the density of water c) Saturn has a density of 4.8 grams per cubic centimeter, similar to metals like aluminum and iron d) The density of Jupiter is 1.3 grams per cubic centimeter, similar to the density of milk. e) The density of Mercury is greater than the density of Uranus.
Saturn has a density of 4.8 grams per cubic centimeter, similar to metals like aluminum and iron
If you know the orbital period and the semimajor axis of the orbit of one of Saturn's moons, what could you determine?
Saturn's mass
What is the cause of aurora?
Solar wind particles that hit the atmosphere of a planet
A million earths inside the ___'s volume
Sun
The distribution of craters can be best described as:
The Southern Hemisphere has numerous craters and the Northern Hemisphere has few.
Why do the orbits of the planets all lie in nearly the same plane?
The angular momentum of the solar system was kept to a minimum this way, The early solar nebula flattened into a disk
A meteor shower results when
The earth passes through the remnants of a comet...
Which of the following could be the reason that Mars has only a thin atmosphere?
The gravity on Mars was insufficient to hold a thick atmosphere and hence the gases in the atmosphere escaped over time.
Which of these observations was used to prove that the rings of Saturn are not a single solid sheet?
The orbital speed of outer part of the ring was smaller compared to the inner part.
Given what we learned about the history of the solar system and the "heavy bombardment phase" that it went through, if a planet or a moon has very few craters on its surface, then which of the following is the most likely reason?
The planet (or moon) did have impacts with asteroids and comets from space, but the craters from those impacts were eroded over time by some natural process.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
The planet Uranus is bluegreen and virtually featureless.
Which of the following best describes the orbit of a planet around the Sun?
The planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun.
Kepler's 1st law
The planets orbit the Sun in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus. Ellipses are nearly circular in our solar system
Which of the following describes how the sky would appear for someone standing on the surface of Mercury?
The sky would appear black since Mercury has next to no atmosphere.
Consider those last two images. What general conclusion can we draw about the history of Martian geology?
The southern hemisphere with its highlands and craters are much older surfaces than the crater-deficient northern hemisphere with its lowlands.
What was Kepler's Third Law?
The square of the time period for an orbit of a planet is proportional to cube of its average distance from Sun (in other words P^2 is proportional to a^3).
Star A is 4 times as luminous as Star B. Star A is 2 times as far away as Star B. Which star appears brighter and by how much?
The stars appear the same brightness
What happend next?
There was a big burst of energy and the reaction created Hydrogen-2
Continents stay at the surface of the earth because
They are made of low density rock that floats on the mantle
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of jovian planets?
They have a higher density than terrestrial planets.
In the night sky, we are able to see some planets with the unaided eye because:
They reflect the Sun's light.
Some planets were able to retain their hydrogen and helium as they formed because
They were cooler...
Volcanoes may occur on a moon because of
Tidal heating...
What object is shown in this image?
Titan
What would happen if the ozone layer were completely destroyed?
Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun would get through the atmosphere and cause damage to life.
Know how to identify the different planets and moons (type in Uranus to see the picture)
Uranus (except there should be rings, this is just a bad picture...)
which of the following is FALSE?
Uranus does not have rings.
Which of the following has the most significant (densest) atmosphere?
Venus
Which of the following planets is never visible from Earth at midnight
Venus
Which planet has a solid surface?
Venus
Which of the following is moving fastest in the orbit?
Venus at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
The surface of Venus is hotter than the surface of Mercury because
Venus is more massive and is able to retain a thick atmosphere
Which statement about the rotation of the inner planets is true?
Venus rotates in the opposite direction from the three others
Why is Venus's day so long (a day-night cycle on Venus lasts for as long as 243 Earth day and night cycles)?
Venus's rotation time is very long compared to the time it takes to go once around the Sun.
Which of the following is FALSE?
We now have evidence that some form of life exists beyond Earth, at least in primitive form
What factor is at least partly responsible for the creation of the Antarctic "ozone hole?"
What factor is at least partly responsible for the creation of the Antarctic "ozone hole?"
Which of the following does Kepler's Second Law support?
When a planet is closer to the Sun, its speed is greater than when it is farther away
Moons that come too close to a planet
Will disintegrate...
Neptune is blue, much like Uranus. Are they made of the same substances?
Yes, the composition is similar. Methane gives it a blue color.
When you magnify an object with a telescope, what else happens to your view of the sky?
Your field of view gets smaller, so you can only see a small area of sky.
Which of the following is TRUE?
a brown dwarf is a case where the temperature of a protostar did not grow enough to burn Hydrogen
Why are stars in globular clusters about the same age but at different stages in their lives?
a combination of all of the above
Convective Zone
a large region beginning below the photosphere
A star is just under the mass needed to collapse into a black hole. What will that star's core become at the end of its life?
a neutron star
which would have the shortest day and the longest year?
a planet that rotates quickly on it's axis and slowly around the sun
What is the first step in the p-p chain?
a proton combines with a proton to make Hydrogen-2 (deuterium)
Based on current evidence and understanding, what is the composition at the center of Neptune and in fact at the center of all the giant planets in the outer Solar System?
a solid, rocky core
An "onion skin" shell burning structure develops in:
a star much more massive than the Sun
What is at the very center of the Milky Way and what is the best evidence for it?
a supermassive black hole- detections of stellar orbits over 8 years
Traveling at the same speed, which would take longer?
a trip from Uranus to Neptune
What is a T-Tauri star?
a type of protostar
What is a nova?
a white dwarf that periodically blasts layers of gas into space
Which of the following is moving fastest in the orbit? a) Venus at its perihelion (closest point to Sun) b) Venus at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) c) Mars at its perihelion (closest point to Sun) d) Mars at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun) e) Neptune at its aphelion (farthest point from Sun)
a) Venus at its perihelion (closest point to Sun)
Which statement about the rotation of the Inner planets is true? a) Venus rotates in the opposite direction from the three others. b) All rotate in the same direction. c) The rotation periods of all of them are the same, i.e. 1 Earth day. d) All have rotation periods of 365 Earth days. e) All have rotation periods about equal to their periods to orbit the Sun.
a) Venus rotates in the opposite direction from the three others.
Which of the following is the largest distance? a) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn b) the distance from the Sun to the Earth c) the distance from the Earth to the Moon d) the distance from Earth to Mars e) the distance from Mercury to Venus
a) the distance from Jupiter to Saturn
Where is the Sun located in the Milky Way?
about 2/3 of the way out in the disk
How much longer does the Sun have to burn hydrogen to helium at its core?
about 5 billion years
How long would it take to get to the closest star (after the Sun) if you could go only as fast as a passenger jet?
about 5 million years!
How many planets have we discovered outside the solar system?
about 700...
How long does it take for the Moon to rotate once on its axis (360 degrees around)?
about one month
Greenhouse gases ____________.
absorb infrared light and transmit visible light ...
How are globular and open clusters similar?
all of the above
What is true about Antares?
all of the above
What kinds of objects are found in the Milky Way disk?
all of the above
What is the closest stellar system to the solar system & how far away is it?
alpha centauri, about 4.3 light years away
Stanley Miller's experiment is famous because
although eh had the wrong chemicals, he introduced the idea of trying to make chemical precursors to life in the laboratory...
The canals on Mars are
an illusion caused by observers trying too hard to see features on the planet...
To determine when ice ages have occurred in the past, we
analyze the isotopes of oxygen in shellfish fossils ...
Which is not a type of gravitationally bound stellar binary?
apparent binary
Brightness must mean
apparent output as observed at some distance
Rings around planets
are common around giant planets...
Volcanoes on Mars
are much larger than on earth...
Most meteors:
are very small (centimeter scale) pieces of rock burning in the Earth's atmosphere.
Habitable zones are the regions
around a star where water on the surface of a planet is likey to be liquid...
Many Cambrian creatures are related to
arthropods, the group that includes spiders, insects, crabs, lobsters...
A star spends most of its life
as a Main Sequence star
The planets of the solar system were formed:
as individual condensation/accretion centers in a rotating solar nebula
Meteors are
asteroids or comet debris that passes into Earth's atmosphere and burns up
What methods does "wobbling stars" refer to?
astrometry and radial velocity
The number of planets we know are suitable for life are
at least one...
What provides the energy (and so light and heat) of star?
atomic energy/nuclear reactions
Which of the following statements is TRUE? a) Neither Uranus or Neptune have ring systems. b) The planet Uranus is blue-green and virtually featureless. c) There is no evidence to suggest that either Jupiter or Saturn has a liquid metallic or rocky core beneath its gas layers. d) The Great Red Spot is a dust storm near the South polar cap of Mars. e) Jupiter's solid surface lies just below the cloud layers visible from Earth.
b) The planet Uranus is blue-green and virtually featureless.
Ultimately, the reason the Martian volcanoes grew to their current sizes is
because mars is too small to retain significant interior heat...
Why would a person be torn apart as he fell feet first into a black hole?
because the force on his feet would be much greater than the force on his head
Why was there a big burst of energy?
because the mass of the particles starting the reaction is more than that of the products. Mass is converted to energy via E=m*c^2
Life could not form in the first few hundred million years of the formation of the earth
because the rapid bombardment of the earth by large bodies made it very hostile to life...
Why is Mars' surface red?
because the soil is iron rich and the iron reacted with oxygen in the early atmosphere to make rust
Why do the planets orbit the Sun in close to the same plane?
because they all formed in a disk around the early Sun and there was little material outside of that disk
Why does the Milky Way appear as a bright band from Earth?
because we are inside it and are looking through the disk
The outer planets are mostly large and gaseous because
beyond the frost line, the gravity of large, ice-rich planetesimals captured the abundant light gases
To a space probe near the surface of Mercury, how would the sky appear?
black, both during the day and at night
A large patch of darkness surrounded by many stars is probably a:
bok globule
What is at the center of a planetary nebula?
both A (the core of the dying star) and C (something that will eventually become a white dwarf)
Elements heavier than Iron (like Gold) are formed:
both B (during type II supernova explosions) and C (during the death of massive stars)
Aurorae are seen around the Earth and Jupiter because
both have strong magnetic fields...
Which objects have a dark/black sky even in the daytime?
both the Moon and Mercury
A disaster in which a large asteroid or comet strikes the earth is
bound to happen sooner or later because the giant planets keep deflecting such objects into chaotic orbits...
what happens when the electrons in an atom of a particular element jump from higher to lower energy levels?
bright lines appear in the spectrum at specific energy levels
Nucleated, complex cells appear to have formed
by cells developing ways to live together to their mutual advantage ...
How do we determine the age of a star cluster?
by identifying the type of stars that have just turned off main sequence
Of these choices, which planet has the most moons? a) Earth b) Mercury c) Saturn d) Mars e) Venus
c) Saturn
What is dust made of?
carbon and silicon
What is the main constituent of the atmosphere of Venus?
carbon dioxide
The earth's atmosphere has
changed due to volcanoes, rainwater induced chemical reations, and photosynthesis
Observations show the dominant composition of Saturn's rings as
chunks of dusty water ice crystals.
Observations show the dominant composition of Saturn's rings as:
chunks of dusty water ice crystals.
The densest of Jupiter's large moons are found
close to jupiter...
You are sent to find dense and rocky planets. Where in the Solar System should you look?
close to the sun
Quiz- In the convective zone of the Sun
columns of hot gas rise, cool, and descend
What factor is not in the Drake Equation?
communication lag due to large distances between stars
A key ingredient in discovering Pluto was
comparison of photographs taken at different times...
In the Eagle nebula a shock wave crashes into colder, dark gas. What does this cause:
compression of gas and star formation
The high level of motions and activity in Jupiter's atmosphere results from
convection driven in part by the interior heat of the planet...
Sun spot
cooler small regions on the surface
Which is the least massive star?
coolest possible main sequence star
In which part of the Sun are gamma rays produced?
core
Which of the following planets rotates the slowest? a) Jupiter b) Saturn c) Neptune d) Venus e) Uranus
d) Venus
One tripling the distance from the light source, the bottom detector's readout ____, to about _____ the top detector's value
decreased, one ninth
After doubling the distance from the light source, the bottom detector's readout _____, to about _____ the top detector's value
decreased, one quarter
Judging by how long it took to happen, the most difficult step toward complex life was
development of nucleated cells...
The faintness of an object that a telescope can observe is mostly determined by which one of the following?
diameter of the primary lens or mirror of the telescope
Different chemical elements have
different energy levels their electrons can occupy
The heaviest nuclei of all are formed:
during a supernova explosion
Planetary debris disks are
dust and particles generated by collisions amon small planetary bodies...at least one...
A comet's nucleus is composed of...
dust, dry ice, and water ice
A comet's nucleus is composed of:
dust, dry ice, and water ice.
Which of the following is NOT required in order to classify a Solar System object as a planet (instead of a dwarf planet)? a) It must not be a moon around another object. b) It must be massive enough to be nearly round. c) It must orbit the Sun. d) It must clear the region around its orbit. e) It must be larger than all of the moons in the Solar System?
e) It must be larger than all of the moons in the Solar System?
Which is largest? a) Saturn's moon Mimas b) Mercury c) Saturn's moon Iapetus d) Pluto e) Jupiter's moon Ganymede
e) Jupiter's moon Ganymede
We know the interior of the earth is liquid because
earthquake waves that cant go through liquids are blocked by the interior of the earth.
Which type of binary gives information about the star sizes in addition to the combined masses?
eclipsing binary
A large luminosity star:
emits more light than a low luminosity star
This moon of Jupiter has a relatively smooth icy surface suggesting an underlying ocean.
europa...
If there were no plate motions and continent building,
everything would be under water
Convergent evolution means
facing similar challenges, different types of animal ten to evolve toward similar solutions...
We have determined the surface compositions of asteroids by
finding pieces of them on the ground and studying spectra of sunlight reflected from them...
The magnetic field of the earth
fluctuates in strength and reverses direction about every 20,000 years.
The rapid development of a broad variety of animals in the Cambrian period occurred
for reasons we are not entirely sure of, although we have a number of ideas...
Quiz- One star is four times farther away than another/ the parallax angle of the most distant star is:
four times smaller than that of the nearer star
Pluto's atmosphere
freezes on plutos surgace when it is far from the sun...
Comets originate
from cloud surrounding the Solar System...
What are stars made of?
gases, primarily hydrogen, then helium
Gaps and sharp edges in Saturn's rings are caused by
gravitational effects of the planets moons...
Two planets have the same radius. If Planet A is 5 times more massive than Planet B, how does gravity differ on the surfaces of the two planets?
gravity is 5 times stronger on Planet A
Long periods when the climate was warmer than average were probably caused by
greenhouse warming due to carbon dioxide released by many volcanoes...
Diameter and mass of Mars
half of Earth's diameter; 1/10th Earth's mass
A new development with the Cambrian creatures overall was
hard shells for protection and predators that fed on other animals...
Now that Huygens has landed on Titan, we see that its surface
has drainage channels that look a bit like arroyos...
An object with no atmosphere or erosion processes is found in the Solar System with fewer craters on its surface than the lunar highlands. This object
has had a new layer deposited on its surgace since it formed
Science
has some major events that it cannot explain, like what happend before the Big Bang...
The very first forms of life we have found
have survived apparently unchanged as the ultimate "living fossils"...
Brain sizes
have tended to get larger with time...
How did Harlow Shapley determine the distances to globular clusters in the Milky Way galaxy?
he used the Period-Luminosity Relation of RR Lyrae variable stars so they could be used as standard candles.
Copernicus proposed the ________ centered model of the Universe, which replaced the ___________ centered model.
heliocentric/Sun, geocentric/Earth
Fill in the blank in the following chemical reaction that occurs in the Sun: Deuterium+ proton = ?? + energy:
helium-3
Compared to a low mass MS star, a high mass MS star has
higher luminosity, shorter lifetime
gamma ray frequency is ____ and it's wavelength is _____ in comparison to visible light
higher, lower
What are the light areas on the Moon called?
highlands
In order that nuclear reactions will begin in the core of a protostar it must become
hot and dense
Radiative Zone
hotter and deeper than Convective Zone
Which is the most massive star?
hottest possible main sequence star
The biggest uncertainty in how many civilizations there are right now in other planetary systems around us is probably
how long a civilization lasts before it dies out or destroys itself...
The concerns about global warming on the earth arise because
humans are producing large enough amounts of carbon dioxide to increase the greenhouse effect significantly...
What are the most abundant gases in Jupiter's atmosphere?
hydrogen and helium
Comets are comprised mainly of
ice...
How do most craters on moons form?
impact of asteroids
Supernova remnants have hot gas, multi-million degree Celsius, in their interiors. How do we observe this gas?
in X-rays
Where are the globular clusters found?
in the halo, spherically distributed around the Milky Way center
A star that is twice the mass of our Sun would have a habitable zone that:
includes Mars but not the Earth
A star that is 70 percent the mass of our Sun would have a habitable zone that:
includes Venus but not the Earth
Over decade-to-century time spans,
independent measurements of the temperature on earth agree that it is going up...
What is the density at the center of a black hole?
infinity
Like how we humans, and animals, etc, all glow in
infrared
Core
inside
Gravitational acceleration is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance from an object (goes as 1/r^2)
High iridium content indicates an object came from space because:
iridium is a heavy material and therfore most of that in the earth has sunk to the center...
Looking back over hundreds of millions of years, the earth
is cooler than average...
The surface of Venus
is dominated by volcanic geology...
The thermal emission from several giant planets
is larger than would be predicted from the amount of sunlight absorbed by the planets...
The current arrangement of continents and oceans on the earth�s surface
is the result of motion of plates
The number of civilizations we might be able to receive radio signals from
is very hard to estimate- we can only try and see what happens ...
Quiz- The corona of the Sun
is visible during the solar eclipse
Mars is a high priority target for space exploration because
it appears to have many of the conditions needed for life in its early history, so we might find signs that life formed...
Quiz- Put one of your thumbs at arm's length in front of your face. Now focus on something in the background and look through one eye at a time. What do you notice about your thumb?
it appears to move more when it is closer
Put one of your thumbs at arm's length in front of your face... What do you notice about your thumb?
it appears to move more when it's closer
if a planet's axis isn't tilted, what are its seasons like?
it doesn't have seasons
The lack of an atmosphere on the moon implies that
it escaped because of the moon's weak gravity
Sex was an important development toward advanced life because:
it greatly increased the genetic variety in living organisms...
Prior to the Cassini mission, we had not made a good map of the surface features on Titan because
it has a relatively opaque atmosphere...
Mars is an attractive place to look for early life forms because
it is on the edge of the suns habitable zone-life might have formed when it still had oceans of water ...
Which of the following does NOT happen to any of the material in the protoplanetary disk?
it is sucked in to a black hole at the center of our Solar System
What would the temperature of a planet be if it reflected nearly all the sunlight?
it would be very, very cold...
Mars' surface temperature would be higher if _______
its atmosphere contained more greenhouse gases...
Why does Mars have seasons?
its axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane.
Jupiter emits about two times as much energy as it receives from the Sun because
its magnetosphere catches particles that collisionally excite the planet's atmosphere
Which of the following is TRUE about Pluto
its moon Charon is over half the diameter of Pluto
Which of the following is TRUE about Pluto?
its moon Charon is over half the diameter of Pluto
The metallic hydrogen in Jupiter's interior contributes to
its strong magnetic field...
Brightness =
luminosity / (4*pi*d^2)
Observations of the Moon show that the lunar maria have only 3% as many craters as the lunar highlands. It can be reasoned that
lunar lava flowed across the surface AFTER most of the Moon's larger craters were created...
Which of the following will have the shortest lifetime on the main sequence?
main sequence star with surface temperature 20000 K
What did Einstein show to be equivalent to energy?
mass
What actually produces the energy in the Sun?
mass of reacting elements is larger than that of the products (some converted to energy in the core)
What are the 5 main properties of a star?
mass, temperature, size, luminosity, age on main sequence
The means by which the K/T impactor probably killed most of the dinosaurs is
material hurled up into space came back down, heating up to hgih temperature when it struck the atmosphere and baking them...
Planets in the "habitable zone" will
may form life if they retain atmospheres, have the right amount of water, are on circular orbits, and meet other conditions...
How can we measure the mass of a black hole?
measure the speed of the orbit of a star in a binary system with the black hole
What kind of experiment has proven most useful for finding planets around other stars?
measuring accurate Doppler shifts in the stellar spectra to detect the effects of the planets graviational tugs on the stars' motions...
Our understanding of the temperature on the earth a long time ago is based on
measuring the relative amounts of oxygen isotopes in ancient seashells...
What chemical compound(s) give(s) Uranus its blue color?
methane
Which feature of Neptune is most responsible for its blue color?
methane in its atmosphere
What method of extrasolar planet relies on the star getting brighter than usual and then fainter again?
microlensing
Animals with relatively large brains
might just be extra-good at sensing and hunting their prey ...
Continental motions were first measured directly by
military network of cameras set up to improve how accurately nuclear missiles could hit their targets
Jupiter has about the overall density of:
milk
"Terraforming" refers to
modifying the atmosphere of a planet to make its climate more like that of the earth...
If you could convert the Earth (mass 6 x 10^27g) into pure energy, how much energy would be produced (in ergs) compared to what the Sun produces over its whole life (1.2 x 10^51 ergs)? The speed of light c = 3 x 10^10cm/s.
more than 10x less
Multiple forms of complex animal life first appeared
more than 3 billion years after the first life on earth...
Which is NOT a characteristic of a comet?
most orbit the Sun in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
The solar corona is:
much hotter than the photosphere
The density of water is 1 gram per cubic cm. What about the density of most gases?
much less than 1 gram per cubic cm
A planet that is differentiated
must have been sufficiently molten that the denser materials sank to the center
A particular Zodiac constellation is high in the sky at midnight in April. Where will it be in October?
near the Sun in the daytime sky
Which of the following has the smallest radius?
neutron star
The Sun is at one focus of the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun. What is at the other focus?
nothing.
Craters are caused by
objects crashing into a planet's surface
Mass extinctions
occur roughly every hundred million years, probably from a variety of causes...
The stars in the halo of our galaxy are:
older and redder than those in the disk
How many protons of Hydrogen atom has?
one proton, and the different forms can have one or two neutrons
Venus is visible to us:
only near sunrise or sunset
Venus is visible to us:
only near sunrise or sunset.
Mercury is visible to us:
only very briefly near sunrise or sunset.
What are the young cousins of globular clusters?
open clusters
How far out would you need to move the bottom detector, next to a 100W bulb, to read the same as the top one at R=1 by the 25 W bulb?
out to twice the distance
Chromosphere
outside of the photosphere, cooler and thinner gas than photosphere
Corona
outside of the sun
The convection of hot rocks in the mantle of the earth occurs because
over some ranges of depth, the density is almost constant,
Quiz- What part of the Sun do we typically see?
photosphere
What step in the Sun's life immediately precedes the white dwarf phase?
planetary nebula phase
. After the K/T disaster,
primitive mamals like opossums became abundant relatively quickly...
Volcanoes on Venus :
produce very large lava flows that cover at least 85% of the planet's surface
Volcanoes on Venus:
produce very large lava flows that cover at least 85% of the planet's surface
Because of the temperatures in the protoplanetary disk,
rocks and metals froze in both the inner and outer regions, and ices and H and He gases froze only in the outer region
which is false?
room temperature is about 30,000 degrees kelvin
A key characteristic of the cloud from which the Solar System formed was its
rotation
Which of the following is NOT a feature on Mars' surface?
salty oceans with red sand beaches around them
higher energy radiation has
shorter wavelength
What is Mar's day and night like?
similar in length to those on Earth
The composition of the moon is
similar to the earth's crust...
The life forms proposed by Sagan and Salpeter to exist in Jupiter's atmosphere are called:
sinkers, floaters, and hunters
What is the brightest star in the nighttime sky?
sirius the dog star
The rings of Saturn are made of
small particles largely of ice...
The ice ages in the last few hundred thousand years seem to have been triggered by
small perturbations in the orbit and polar inclination caused changes in the climate...
What would the density of Mercury be most like?
solids like aluminum and iron
The Oort Cloud is thought to be:
spherical cloud of comets surrounding the solar system.
Why is the distribution of globular clusters significant?
spherical symmetry indicates the position of the milky way center
If the radius of star A is twice the radius of star B, but both have similar temperatures, how do their luminosities compare?
star A is 4x less luminous than star B
The Milky Way galaxy has a rotation curve that:
stays constant out to large radii in the disk, indicating the presence of dark matter
The most useful means to explore the crust and mantle of the earth is
studying earthquakes and seismic waves
Tidal heating on Io causes:
sulfur volcanoes.
what time does the moon set on the day of a solar eclipse?
sunset
when does the new moon set?
sunset
How do medium mass stars (e.g. those that begin their lives with a mass 15 times that of the Sun) die? Their remnants are...
supernova, then neutron star
How do medium mass stars (e.g. those that begin their lives with a mass 15x that of the Sun) die? Their remnants are..
supernova, then neutron star
Say that there were a planet X in our Solar System with a mass 1/4 the mass of Earth and a radius 1/2 the radius of Earth. How will the gravity on its surface compare to the surface gravity of Earth?
surface gravity is the same as earth
Photosphere
surface of the sun
Which characterizes the magnetosphere/strength of magnetic fields on Jupiter?
ten times stronger than Earth so that it has aurora
Granules
texturing in the surface
The Earth passes through a larger density of interstellar gas in March than in other months because
that is the concentration of interstellar wind particles deflected behind the Sun's path through its local medium
Landing a spacecraft on Jupiter would be challenging because
the "surface" is liquid hydrogen...
A 13 solar mass main sequence star is at a smaller distance than a 2 solar mass main sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
the 13 solar mass main sequence star
A 16 solar mass main sequence star is at the same distance as a 1 solar mass main sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
the 16 solar mass main sequence star
A 2 solar mass main sequence star is at the same distance as a .2 solar mass main sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
the 2 solar mass main sequence star
A 4 solar mass main sequence star is at a larger distance than a 30 soar mass main sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
the 30 solar mass main sequence star
Why does the main sequence part of a star's life end?
the Hydrogen in the core is exhausted
Pluto is likely one of the largest members of
the Kuiper belt...
What passes in front of the Sun during a Solar eclipse viewed from Earth?
the Moon
The Earth's Moon is unusual because it is pretty large compared to Earth, 27% of the Earth's size. Which of the following is TRUE?
the Moon is thought to have formed when a Marssized body collided with a young Earth.
What is the leading theory to explain why the dinosaurs became extinc
the aftermath of a giant asteroid impact
What is the leading theory to explain why the dinosaurs became extinct?
the aftermath of a giant asteroid impact
"Chaos" means ___________ to a scientist
the behavior of a system where very small changes can have very large consequences...
The average temperature at the earth has been constant for the 4 billion years over which life has developed because
the carbon dioxide level in teh atmosphere has changed to produce a greenhouse effect that compensated for changeds in the sun...
Development of civilization on Earth has waited until sophisticated, thinking brains evolved and
the climate entered a mild period that made it easier to grow food...
The lower right corner of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram has:
the coolest and least luminous stars
What is the FIRST thing that happens when a main-sequence star runs out of fuel in the core?
the core contracts and the core temperature increases
Evidence that an asteroid or comet killed the dinosaurs in the K/T extinction includes:
the exsistence of a giant crater off the Yucatan Peninsula, and observations of the recent impacts of a comet on jupitar and a thin layer of iridium-rich material in rock around earth...
If nuclear reactions in the core produce harmful gamma rays, why are humans not destroyed?
the gamma rays are converted to visible light by the time they reach the photosphere
Prominence
the hoops, depending on their strength, either can result in material being expelled from the sun
Why does the main sequence part of a star's life end?
the hydrogen in the core is exhausted
