COPY OF TEST #2

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

d, heat from radioactive decay

[blank] separate the various colors of light, allowing astronomers to determine stellar composition and many other stellar properties.

spectrographs

Large telescopes often have small fields of view, i.e. it can only see a very small corner of the sky. For example, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera has a field of view that is roughly square and about 0.055 degree on a side. Calculate the angular area of the HST's field of view in square degrees.

0.003025

Which feature in this photo of the full moon is one of the lunar maria? A) 1 B) 2 C) 4 D) 3

a, 1

What are the basic requirements for a terrestrial world to have a global magnetic field? A) A core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation. B) A metal core, a rocky mantle, and sufficiently rapid rotation. C) Well aligned ferromagnetic material in the core D) A core that has a molten layer and a mantle that has convection. E) A metal core and rapid rotation.

a, a core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation

Olympus Mons is _______. A) a huge shield volcano on Mars B) a huge stratovolcano on Venus C) a great canyon on Mars D) a large lava plain on the Moon E) a Moon orbiting Mars

a, a huge shield volcano on mars

The reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that _______. A) a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato B) gas bubbles form and rise upward in boiling water C) Earth contains more metal than the Moon D) thunderstorms tend to form on hot summer days E) it is hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter

a, a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato

If your eyes were sensitive only to X-rays, the world would appear _______. A) Dark, because X-ray light does not reach Earth's surface. B) Brighter than normal because X-rays carry more energy than visible light photons. C) Blurry, because they couldn't focus X-rays that well. D) Green, yellow, and orange, because those are the colors of X-rays. E) Grey, black, and white, like medical X-ray images.

a, dark, because x-ray light does not reach earth's surface

Which of the following best describes the geological histories of the Moon and Mercury? A) Early in their histories, they suffered many impacts and experienced some volcanism and tectonics, but they now have little geological activity at all. B) Impact cratering shaped these worlds early in their histories. Then, during the past few million years, they were reshaped by episodes of volcanism and tectonics. C) All four geological processes were important in their early histories, but only impact cratering still reshapes their surfaces today. D) Impact cratering is the only major geological process that has affected their surfaces.

a, early in their histories, they suffered many impacts and experienced some volcanism and tectonics, but they now have little geological activity at all

Take a look at a picture of the southern highlands (Fig. 9.30a in textbook). Which geologic processes are most clearly evident? A) impact cratering and erosion B) volcanism and tectonics C) impact cratering and volcanism D) volcanism and erosion E) tectonics and erosion

a, impact cratering and erosion

If you had only one telescope and wanted to take both visible-light and ultraviolet pictures of stars, where should you locate your telescope? A) In space. B) On Earth's surface. C) In an airplane. D) In a desert. E) On a tall mountain.

a, in space

What is the purpose of adaptive optics? A) It reduces blurring caused by atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground. B) It is a special technology developed for the Hubble Space Telescope to adapt to study many different types of astronomical objects. C) It allows several small telescopes to work together like a single larger telescope. D) It is a critical technology that allows to set a telescope on focus quickly. E) It allows ground-based telescopes to observe UV light that normally does not penetrate the atmosphere.

a, it reduces blurring caused by atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground

Which of the following is the underlying reason why Venus has so little wind erosion? A) its slow rotation B) its thick atmosphere C) its cloud cover D) its small size E) its relatively close distance to the Sun

a, it's slow rotation

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

a, mars' interior has cooled so much that it's molten core layer no longer undergoes convection

Based on how your eye works and how it compares to a telescope, we can say that the _______ plays a role analogous to the mirror size in a telescope system. A) Pupil B) Lens C) Retina D) Optic Nerve

a, pupil

What does 'angular resolution' measure? A) The angular size of the smallest features that the telescope can see. B) The brightness of an image. C) The size of an image. D) The number of electromagnetic waves captured by an image. E) The average size of the galaxies found in the image.

a, the angular size of the smallest features that the telescope can see

Which of the following does NOT provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface? A) the presence of 'blueberries' made of the mineral hematite B) the presence of very old craters that appear to have been eroded by rain C) the presence of features that look like dried-up riverbeds D) the presence of green-yellow moss in rare and remote northern locations

a, the presence of "blueberries" made of the mineral hematite

Which of the following forms of light can be observed with telescopes at sea level? Select all that apply. A) Visible light. B) Ultraviolet light. C) Radio waves. D) infrared light. E) X-rays.

a, visible light, b, ultraviolet light, c, radio waves, d, infrared light

The [blank] of the Hubble Space Telescope is better for shorter (bluer) wavelengths of light than ground-based telescopes.

angular resolution

Notice the numbered points on the diagram of a reflecting Cassegrain telescope. Which point represents the place where the starlight is in focus? A) 4 B) 3 C) 2 D) 1

b, 3

On average, how fast do the plates move on the Earth? A) a few kilometers per year B) a few centimeters per year C) a few millimeters per century D) about 1 mile per hour

b, a few centimeters a year

Which of the following statements best describes the difference between a refracting telescope and a reflecting telescope? A) Reflecting telescopes always make much clearer images than can refracting telescopes of the same size. B) A refracting telescope uses a transparent glass lens to collect and focus light while a reflecting telescope uses a mirror to collect and focus light. C) Only their sizes are different. D) It is much easier to make a large refracting telescope than a large reflecting telescope. E) A refracting telescope produces inverted images while a reflecting telescope produces reflected images.

b, a refracting telescope uses a transparent glass lens to collect and focus light while a reflecting telescope lens uses a mirror to collect and focus light

What is the purpose of interferometry? A) It reduces the twinkling of stars caused by the atmospheric turbulence. B) It allows two or more small telescopes to achieve the angular resolution of a much larger telescope. C) It is designed to combine astronomical images taken at different wavelengths by different telescopes. D) It allows two or more small telescopes to achieve a larger light-collecting area than they would have independently. E) It is designed to prevent light pollution from interfering with astronomical observations.

b, it allows two or more small telescopes to achieve the angular resolution of a much larger telescope

Based on all we know about the terrestrial worlds, what single factor appears to play the most important role in a terrestrial planet's geological destiny? A) its initial surface temperature B) its size C) whether or not it has liquid water D) its distance from the Sun E) its composition

b, it's size

Which of the following Mars surface features provides dramatic evidence that volcanism has played a role in shaping the surface of Mars? A) the southern highlands B) Olympus Mons C) Hellas Basin D) the polar caps E) Valles Marineris

b, olympus mons

Why are there fewer large impact craters on the Earth's seafloor than on the continents? A) Most impacts occur on the land. B) Seafloor crust is younger than continental crust, so it has had less time in which to suffer impacts. C) Marine life creates natural debris that covers up the craters. D) The oceans slow large impactors and prevent them from making craters. E) Erosion erases impact craters must faster on the ocean bottom than on land.

b, seafloor crust is younger than continental crust, so it has had less time in which to suffer impacts

The X-ray image below was taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Without knowing anything more about the object that is shown, what can you conclude from looking at this image? A) The X rays from this object come in a variety of different colors. B) Some parts of the object emit more X rays (brighter) than others. C) The object is moving away from us. D) This object emits much more light in the form of X rays than in the form of visible light. E) Orange regions emit the highest-energy X rays and blue regions emit the lowest- energy X rays.

b, some parts .of the object emit more x-rays (brighter) than others

What do you see orbiting Earth in this photo below? A) the World's largest visible-light telescope. B) the Hubble Space Telescope. C) the James Webb Space Telescope. D) the International Space Station. E) the spritzer infrared telescope.

b, the hubble space telescope

The photo below shows a satellite TV dish on a house. In essence, the dish is _______. A) a tiny interferometer. B) the primary mirror of a radio telescope. C) a receiver with very high angular resolution that makes it capable of displaying high-definition television. D) a decoding device that translates radio signals into video. E) It has nothing in common with a telescope.

b, the primary mirror of a radio telescope

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

b, warm air expanding and rising while cooler air contracts and falls

Notice the numbered points on the photo of the Gemini 8m reflecting telescope. Where is the detector located? A) 1 B) 3 C) 2, through the hole

c, 2, through the hole

Based on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so was _______. A) the onset of mantle convection, which caused Venus's lithosphere to split into plates like those on Earth B) the impact of an unusually large asteroid that left a deep scar on one side of the planet C) a global 'repaving' that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlier D) the eruption of a giant volcano that formed one of Venus's continents E) Cyclic major floods that smoothed its surface dramatically

c, a global 'repaving' that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlier

The geological feature in this photo taken from a plane is _______. A) a dried up lake basin B) a volcano C) an impact crater D) This cannot be on Earth E) the unusual cloud formation in the background

c, an impact crater

What do astronomers mean by 'light pollution'? A) It is a type of air pollution created by lightweight gases such as hydrogen and helium. B) It is the excess of sunlight scattered by the Earth's atmosphere at dusk or dawn. C) It is light from human sources that makes it difficult to see the stars at night. D) It means contamination of light caused by chemicals in Earth's atmosphere. E) It is a term used to describe the appearance of the sky in regions that are crowded with stars.

c, it is light from human sources that makes it difficult to see the stars at night

What's the fundamental reason that Mars, unlike the Earth, has become virtually geologically dead? A) its closer distance than Earth to the Sun B) its rapid rotation compared to the Earth C) its small size compared to Earth D) its large size compared to the Earth E) its farther distance than Earth to the Sun F) its slow rotation compared to the Earth

c, it's small size compared to earth

20. [2pt] Suppose that two stars are separated in the sky by 0.2 arcsecond. If you look at them with a telescope that has an angular resolution of 0.8 arcsecond, what will you see? A) Both stars will be seen only if they have different colors. B) Two distinct stars. C) One point of light that is the blurred image of both stars. D) Nothing at all, only darkness.

c, one point of light that is the blurred image of both stars

What kinds of light are these telescopes designed to detect? A) infrared and visible light. B) light with extremely short wavelengths. C) radio waves. D) X rays. E) ultraviolet light.

c, radio waves

Which of the following best describes the lunar maria? A) mountainous regions on the Moon B) frozen oceans of liquid water on the Moon C) relatively smooth, flat plains on the Moon D) densely cratered regions on the Moon

c, relatively smooth, flat plains on the moon

Review Fig. 9.26 from your textbook. Assuming that features you see on Mars are similar to features found on Earth, what would a casual inspection of the photo of Mars lead you to suspect about water on Mars? A) We cannot say anything about water on Mars based on pictures. B) There are numerous small streams flowing with water. C) Surface water only exists as frozen ice. D) Abundant surface water is found in large, brownish pools inside craters. E) No surface water currently exists in any form.

c, surface water only exists as frozen ice

You have three tries for this question. The following are names and mirror diameters for six of the world's largest reflecting telescopes used to gather visible light. Rank the telescopes based on their light-collecting area, from the smallest the largest. For telescopes with more than one mirror, rank based on the combined light-collecting area of the mirrors. A) Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET): effective one 9.2m mirror. B) Subaru: one 8.3m mirror C) Gemini North: one 8m mirror D) Keck I: effective one 10m mirror. E) Large Binocular Telescope (LBT): two 8.4m mirrors. F) Magellan II: one 6.5m telescope

f, magellan ii, c, gemini north, b, subaru, a, hobby-eberly telescope, d, keck i, e, large binocular telescope

The earthquakes that occur in Southern California generally occur above a [blank].

fault

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in the United States acquires its energy from a [blank].

hot spot

The twin 10-m Keck telescopes can work together to obtain better angular resolution through a technique known as [blank].

interferometry

A 10-meter telescope has a larger [blank] than a 4-m telescope.

light-collecting area

Has a surface gravity the same as Mercury.

mars

Has a volcano as large as Michigan's lower peninsula.

mars

The only known planet other than Earth with water clouds.

mars

Has a day which is about two months long.

mercury

Has a heavily cratered surface indicating little volcanic activity.

mercury

The most heavily cratered planet.

mercury

2) The large research observatories on Mauna Kea use giant [blank].

reflection telescopes

Galileo's telescopes (A/E)

refracting

Incoming light passes through glass (A/E)

refracting

The world's largest is 1m in diameter (A/E)

refracting

Galileo's telescope designs using lenses were examples of [blank].

refraction telescopes

The slowly increasing distance between South America and Africa is due to [blank].

seafloor spreading

Layered [blank] rock exposed by erosion can be seen when looking at the Grand Canyon in the United States.

sedimentary rock

The extremely deep ocean Marianas Trench is a result of [blank].

subduction

Has the highest level of oxygen in its atmosphere.

earth

Most commonly used by astronomers today (A/E)

reflecting

The Hubble Space Telescope

reflecting

World's largest telescopes (A/E)

reflecting

The angular area of the entire sky is about 41 250 square degrees. How many pictures would the HST have to take to obtain a complete picture of the entire sky? Express your answer in scientific notation, and use a camera dimension of 0.05 degree for its side.

1.65E+07

How much greater is the light-collecting area of a 17 meter telescope than a 3 meter telescope?

32.1111111111111

How much greater is the light-collecting area of the EELT, a 40 meter telescope currently under construction, compare to the 20 inch telescope on the roof of the SUNY Geneseo Science Building? Don't forget to convert the units in your calculation.

6200.0124000248

The first image on the left shows what appears to be a single star. The second image on the right shows the same object, now revealed to be two distinct stars. What is the difference between the two photos? A) The second image comes from a radio telescope while the first image comes from a visible-light photo. B) The second image was taken by two telescopes rather than one. C) The second image has netter (smaller) angular resolution than the first image. D) The second image was taken with a telescope that has greater light-collecting area. E) The first image was taken by a space telescope while the second one was obtained with a ground-based telescope.

c, the second image has netter (smaller) angular resolution than the first image

This image shows two tall volcanoes on Venus. Why is it yellow? A) The camera used to take this photograph had a yellow filter on it. B) Lava from volcanoes on Venus is yellow rather than the red of lava on Earth because it's hotter on Venus C) The yellow color is arbitrary, since this image was created with radar data rather than visible light. D) Venus is yellow all over, due to some sort of sulfurous dust from volcanos that coats its surface.

c, the yellow color is arbitrary, since this image was created with radar data rather than visible light

All the following statements about Venus are true. Which one offers evidence of a global repaving about a billion years ago? A) Venus has many circular features, called coronae, which appear to be tectonic in origin. B) Venus's largest features are three elevated regions that look somewhat like continents. C) Venus has relatively few impact craters and these craters are distributed fairly evenly over the entire planet. D) Venus appears to lack any water that could lubricate the flow of rock in its crust and mantle.

c, venus has relatively few impact craters and these craters are distributed fairly evenly over the entire planet

Australia is composed of relatively old and thick [blank].

continental crust

Suppose you want to determine the chemical composition of a distant planet or star. Which of the following will be most useful to have? A) A radio telescope. B) High angular resolution. C) An ultraviolet telescope. D) High spectral resolution. E) High twinkling.

d, high spectral resolution

Why does the Moon have a layer of "powdery soil" on its surface? A) Recent, large impacts shattered lunar rock to make this soil. B) It exists because the Moon accreted from powdery material after a giant impact blasted the Earth. C) It is coming from the space debris left in orbit around Earth and that reached out the orbit of the Moon. D) It is the result of countless tiny impacts by small particles striking the Moon. E) It is made by the same processes that make powdery sand on Earth.

d, it is the result of countless tiny impacts by small particles striking the moon

The arrow in this photo is pointing at a feature known as _______. A) Lunar Maria B) Hellas Basin C) Olympus Mons D) Valles Marineris E) Ishtar Terra

d, valles marineris

You discover an impact crater that is 10 kilometers across. Which of the following can you conclude? A) It was created by the impact of an object about 10 kilometers across. B) It was created within the past 10 million years. C) It was created by a comet, not an asteroid. D) It was created by the impact of an object about 1 kilometer across. E) It was created within the past 1 billion years.

d, it was created by the impact of an object about 1 kilometer across

This photo was taken from orbit around some planet. What planet is it, and how do you know? A) Mercury, because we see gigantic cliffs B) Venus, because of its yellowish color C) Earth, it's the Sahara Desert D) Mars, because we see dried up riverbeds E) the Moon, because it has craters

d, mars, because we see dried up riverbeds

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds? A) craters and volcanism B) mantle convection and a thick atmosphere C) significant volcanism and tectonics D) plate tectonics and widespread erosion E) shield volcanoes and plate tectonics

d, plate tectonics and widespread erosion

What do we conclude if a planet has few impact craters of any size? A) Its atmosphere stopped impactors of all sizes. B) The planet was never bombarded by asteroids or comets. C) It's probably been smoothed by an ancient civilization. D) Some geological processes have wiped out craters.

d, some geological processes have wiped out craters

Which of the following statements best describes the two main advantages of telescopes over eyes? A) Telescopes collect more light and are unaffected by twinkling. B) Telescopes can collect far more light with far greater magnification. C) Telescopes have much more magnification and better angular resolution. D) Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution.

d, telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution

Which of the following is NOT an example of tectonics? A) the formation of a cliff when the lithosphere shrinks B) the stretching of the crust by underlying mantle convection C) the slow movement of Earth's lithospheric plates D) the gradual disappearance of a crater rim as a result of wind and rain

d, the gradual disappearance of a crater rim as a result of wind and rain

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters within the lunar maria. What can we conclude? A) Sustained hurricane level winds blow on that part of the Moon. B) The maria formed within the past 1 billion years. C) Erosion affects the maria more than it affects other regions of the Moon. D) The maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended. E) The regions of the maria were hit by fewer impacts than the densely cratered regions.

d, the maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended

Which of the following is always true about images captured with X-ray telescopes? A) They always have very high angular resolution. B) They are always blue. C) They always are made with adaptive optics. D) They are always shown with colors that are NOT the true colors of the objects that were photographed. E) They show us light with extremely long wavelengths.

d, they are always shown with colors that are NOT the true colors of the objects that were photographed

What is the significance of the white lines on this map of Earth? A) The white lines represent the locations of deep trenches. B) They follow marine currents. C) They represent boundaries between the plates that make up Earth's lithosphere. D) They lined everywhere by chains of volcanoes. E) They represent borders between continents.

d, they are lined everywhere by chains of volcanoes

What do we mean when we say that the terrestrial worlds underwent differentiation? A) They lost interior heat to outer space. B) Their surfaces show a variety of different geological features resulting from different geological processes. C) The five terrestrial worlds all started similarly but ended up looking quite different. D) When their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces E) This is the process that allowed the planets to move onto their current orbits around the Sun.

d, when their interiors were molten, denser materials sank toward their centers and lighter materials rose toward their surfaces

29. [2pt] which technology can allow a single ground-based telescope to achieve images as sharp as those from the Hubble Space Telescope? A) Drizzling. B) Interferometry. C) High resolution spectroscopy. D) Grazing incidence. E) Adaptive optics.

e, adaptive optics

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a typical rocky planet? A) mantle, core, crust B) mantle, crust, core C) core,crust,lithosphere D) core, lithosphere, crust E) core, mantle, crust

e, core, mantle, crust

Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a global magnetic field like Earth? A) It does not have a metallic core. B) Unlike Earth, Venus does not have a liquid outer core. C) It does not have the water necessary to generate a magnetic field. D) It has too thick of an atmosphere. E) Its rotation is too slow.

e, it's rotation is too slow

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

e, metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when the interiors were molten throughout

Suppose we had a device that allowed us to see Earth's interior. If we looked at a typical region of the mantle, what would we see happening? A) dense metals falling downward while low-density rock rises upward B) hot molten rock rising upward throughout the mantle and cool, solid rock falling downward C) a rapid, up and down churning of the material in the mantle D) very, very bright, almost blinding liquid substance E) not much - on human time scales, the mantle looks like solid rock

e, not much, on human time scales, the mantle looks like solid rock

Which of the following effects is caused by atmospheric turbulence? A) light pollution. B) diffraction of light. C) dimming of stars. D) magnification of images. E) twinkling of stars.

e, twinkling of stars

Has an atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen.

earth

In the context of planetary geology, what do we mean by outgassing? A) another name for a volcanic eruption B) the release by volcanism of gasses that had been trapped in a planetary interior C) The release of methane trapped in pockets under the surface of the Earth D) the evaporation of water that adds water vapor (a gas) to an atmosphere E) the loss of atmospheric gas to outer space

the release by volcanism of gasses that had been trapped in a planetary interior

Has a surface temperature which is nearly constant at 730 Kelvin.

venus

Has clouds made of sulfuric acid.

venus

Is the only other inner planet which may have active volcanism.

venus

Surface temperatures are very high due to the greenhouse effect.

venus