Astronomy chapter 6
Which planet has a large moon that orbits in the opposite direction of the planet's rotation? a) Earth b) Jupiter c) Saturn d) Uranus e) Neptune
Neptune
In the National Mall scale model of the solar system shown in Chapter 6, where does the asteroid belt lie? a) Between Mars and Jupiter, around the National Air and Space Museum b) Between Uranus and Neptune, around the Hirshorn Museum c) Between Neptune and Pluto, around the Art and Industries Building d) From Neptune outwards, but still within the Mall e) Well beyond the orbits of the planets, and off the scale completely (i.e., in a different state)
a) Between Mars and Jupiter, around the National Air and Space Museum
When the first solid bits in the solar nebula became large enough to be called planetesimals, what began to increase their growth rate? a) Gravity b) They were mostly made of sticky stuff c) Electrical forces ("static electricity") d) Pressure e) Ice
a) Gravity
Which of the following planets has the coldest nighttime temperature? a) Mercury b) Venus c) Earth d) Mars
a) Mercury
Which of the following is not a clue to the formation of the solar system? a) The number of small rocky planets is equal to the number of large gas-rich planets b) There are a large number of small rocky and icy objects in different regions of the solar system c) The planets and moons generally orbit in the same plane d) The Earth has an unusually large moon e) Uranus has a large tilt to its rotation axis
a) The number of small rocky planets is equal to the number of large gas-rich planets
Why did planet formation eventually end? a) The solar wind removed the remaining nebular gas b) There were no more planetesimals left c) All gas was captured by the jovian planets d) The planets migrated to orbits farther from the Sun where there was not any gas or planetesimals
a) The solar wind removed the remaining nebular gas
Why do some of Jupiter's moons orbit in the opposite direction of Jupiter's rotation? a) They are captured planetesimals that encountered Jupiter in such a way that they ended up orbiting backward b) When moons form in a circumplanetary nebula they have roughly equal probability of orbiting forward or backward c) Jupiter's strong tidal force caused the orbits to evolve into backward orbits d) Jupiter's rotation is backward due to a giant impact, so its forward-orbiting moons are orbiting in the opposite direction of Jupiter's spin e) Jupiter does not have any moons orbiting backward
a) They are captured planetesimals that encountered Jupiter in such a way that they ended up orbiting backward
How did the small particles that condensed in the solar nebula begin the process of accretion to grow into planetesimals? a) They collided gently and stuck together through electrostatic forces b) They collided gently and stuck together through magnetic forces c) They collided gently and stuck together through the gravitational force d) They collided forcefully so that they stuck together through mechanical forces
a) They collided gently and stuck together through electrostatic forces
What age would radiometric dating give for a chunk of recently solidified lava from Kilauea, an active volcano in Hawaii? a) Zero b) The half life of potassium-40 (1.25 billion years) c) The half-life of Uranium-238 (4.5 billion years) d) The age of the solar system e) The age of the volcano
a) Zero
Radiometric dating can be used to determine the amount of time since a) a rock last solidified b) a rock first solidified c) the elements in a rock were formed inside stars or a supernova d) the Big Bang
a) a rock last solidified
Which lists the ingredients of the solar nebula in order of increasing abundance? a) metals, rocks, hydrogen compounds b) rocks, metals, hydrogen compounds c) hydrogen compounds, metals, rocks d) metals, hydrogen compounds, rocks e) hydrogen compounds, rocks, metals
a) metals, rocks, hydrogen compounds
What do we think the composition of the solar nebula was? a) About half hydrogen and helium, half heavier elements (iron, carbon, silicon, etc.) b) About 98% hydrogen and helium, and 2% heavier elements c) Less hydrogen and helium, more heavier elements
b) About 98% hydrogen and helium, and 2% heavier elements
What is the composition of the gas clouds (nebulae) we see in space? a) About half hydrogen and helium, half heavier elements (iron, carbon, silicon, etc.) b) About 98% hydrogen and helium, and 2% heavier elements c) Less hydrogen and helium, more heavier elements
b) About 98% hydrogen and helium, and 2% heavier elements
Which planet has a volcanically active moon? a) Earth b) Jupiter c) Saturn d) Uranus e) Mercury
b) Jupiter
Which of the following features of the solar system can be explained by giant impacts? a) The existence of Mars's two small moons b) The existence of Earth's large moon c) The backward orbit of Neptune's moon Triton d) The large number of objects in the asteroid belt e) all of the above
b) The existence of Earth's large moon
Why could the Jovian planets grow to be much larger than the terrestrial planets? a) They were further from the Sun and gravity was weaker b) They formed beyond the frost line where ices can condense so they included hydrogen compounds c) They were far enough from the Sun to escape the heavy bombardment that battered the early solar system
b) They formed beyond the frost line where ices can condense so they included hydrogen compounds
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 are larger than terrestrial planets d) They are farther from the Sun and farther apart from each other than the terrestrial planets e) They have deep atmospheres made of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds
b) They have a higher density than terrestrial planets
What is the origin of the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in the protoplanetary nebula? a) They were produced in the Big Bang b) They were formed inside stars and returned to the interstellar medium when the stars died c) They were produced in the Sun's early strong solar wind d) They were formed inside the Sun shortly after its formation and blown out by its early strong solar wind e) They were formed by fusion at the time of the formation of the Milky Way Galaxy
b) They were formed inside stars and returned to the interstellar medium when the stars died
Which of the following planets has the most dense atmosphere? a) Mercury b) Venus c) Earth d) Mars
b) Venus
Which of the following is a characteristic of a dwarf planet? a) A dwarf planet must be in the Kuiper Belt b) A dwarf planet cannot have any moons c) A dwarf planet must be round d) All of the above
c) A dwarf planet must be round
How much of the solar nebula condenses in the inner regions where the temperature is greater than 1300 K and in the outer regions where the temperatures are less than 150 K ? a) Nothing in the inner region and about 2% in the outer region b) Nothing in the inner region and 100% in the outer region c) About 0.2% in the inner region and 2% in the outer region d) About 0.2% in the inner region and 1.4% in the outer region e) About 2% in both inner and outer regions
c) About 0.2% in the inner region and 2% in the outer region
What do we think first caused tiny solid bits of material in the solar nebula to accrete and stick together? a) Gravity b) They were mostly made of sticky stuff c) Electrical forces ("static electricity") d) Pressure
c) Electrical forces ("static electricity")
Which of the following processes did not contribute to orderly motions in the solar system? a) As the nebula shrank, conservation of angular momentum resulted in an increased spin rate b) Collisions between particles canceled out random motions c) Hotter temperatures closer to the Sun and cooler temperatures farther from the Sun caused different materials to condense at different distances from the Sun d) None of the above (all contributed to orderly motions)
c) Hotter temperatures closer to the Sun and cooler temperatures farther from the Sun caused different materials to condense at different distances from the Sun
Why was the protoplanetary nebula flat? a) Nebulae form in a variety of shapes, and ours happened to be disk-shaped b) The nebula became flat due to gravitational contraction along its axis c) It flattened as a result of collisions between particles in the nebula d) The force of a nearby supernova flattened the nebula
c) It flattened as a result of collisions between particles in the nebula
here do asteroids come from? a) A planet between Mars and Jupiter that broke up b) They are escaped small moons c) Leftover planetesimals from the inner solar system d) Leftover planetesimals from the outer solar system
c) Leftover planetesimals from the inner solar system
Why are the planets closest to the Sun more dense than those farther from the Sun? a) Dense objects sink toward the Sun whereas less dense objects are less strongly bound by the Sun's gravity b) Jupiter scattered denser planets inward and less dense objects outward c) Only dense materials could condense close to the Sun d) The heat at that proximity to the Sun makes it difficult for them to think
c) Only dense materials could condense close to the Sun
How does the size (radius) of the Sun compare to the size of Earth? a) The Sun is about 3 times larger than Earth b) The Sun is about 10 times larger than Earth c) The Sun is about 100 times larger than Earth d) The Sun is about 1,000 times larger than Earth e) The Sun is about 300,000 times larger than Earth
c) The Sun is about 100 times larger than Earth
Why do we think the inner (terrestrial) planets became more dense than the outer planets? a) In the collapsing solar nebula, denser materials sank toward the center b) The sun's gravity pulled denser materials toward the center c) The inner nebula was so hot that only metals and rocks were able to condense d) The rotating disk in which the planets formed spun lighter elements outward by centrifugal force
c) The inner nebula was so hot that only metals and rocks were able to condense
What do we think happened to the solar nebula after the planets formed? a) The gas was all used up b) The rest of the gas gradually drifted away c) The solar wind helped blow the gas away d) The gas is still there—we just can't see it
c) The solar wind helped blow the gas away
Which planet has the largest tilt to its rotation axis? a) Jupiter b) Saturn c Uranus d) Neptune e) They all have similar tilts
c) Uranus
How do the "stellar winds" of young solar-type stars compare to the solar wind we see from the Sun today? a) Young stars don't have winds b) Young stars have a less strong wind c) Young stars have much stronger winds
c) Young stars have much stronger winds
How old are the oldest meteorites? a) 3.95 billion years b) 3.85 billion years c) 4.35 billion years d) 4.55 billion years e) 5.45 billion years
d) 4.55 billion years
What patterns can been seen comparing the rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) to the jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)? a) The rocky planets are much less massive b) The rocky planets are much more dense c) The rocky planets contain little gas, while the jovian planets are primarily gaseous d) All of the above e) a and c
d) All of the above
What is the solar wind? a) Strong radiation that comes from the Sun b) Similar to winds on earth but faster and stronger c) Similar to winds on earth but less dense and weaker d) Atoms and parts of atoms ejected from the Sun at high speed
d) Atoms and parts of atoms ejected from the Sun at high speed
in the National Mall scale model of the solar system in Chapter 6, where does the Kuiper belt lie? a) Between Mars and Jupiter, around the National Air and Space Museum b) Between Uranus and Neptune, around the Hirshorn Museum c) Between Neptune and Pluto, around the Art and Industries Building d) From Neptune outwards, but still within the Mall e) Well beyond the orbits of the planets, and off the scale completely (i.e., in a different state)
d) From Neptune outwards, but still within the Mall
Where do comets come from? a) A planet between Mars and Jupiter that broke up b) They are escaped small moons c) Leftover planetesimals from the inner solar system d) Leftover planetesimals from the outer solar system
d) Leftover planetesimals from the outer solar system
Which lists the planets in order of increasing size (radius)? a) Mercury, Earth, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune b) Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn c) Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus d) Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter e) Mars, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter
d) Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter
Which planets have a rocky, relatively dense composition? a) Jupiter, Saturn, Earth, and Mars b) Uranus, Neptune, Earth, and Mars c) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune d) Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
d) Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Could a solar system like ours have formed with the first generation of stars after the Big Bang? a) Possibly—there is no physical reason why not b) No, there would not have been enough time to form planets c) No, the expansion of the Universe would have torn the solar system apart d) No, there would not have been any metal, rock or hydrogen compounds with which to form planets e) No, the stars would have died by now
d) No, there would not have been any metal, rock or hydrogen compounds with which to form planets
The dense, rocky, and metallic planets are found close to the Sun because a) The Sun's gravity attracted the denser particles (rocks and metals) closer to it b) The Sun was unable to hold onto the lighter (gaseous) particles and they moved further away where they formed the giant planets c) A combination of a and b d) Rocks and metals condensed at the relatively high temperatures close to the Sun e) They were scattered inwards by close encounters with Jupiter during the early solar system
d) Rocks and metals condensed at the relatively high temperatures close to the Sun
What happened to most of the mass originally in the asteroid belt? a) It became part of Mars b) It became part of Jupiter c) It was scattered into the Oort cloud d) Some of it crashed into the inner planets and some was ejected from the solar system e) It is still in the asteroid belt
d) Some of it crashed into the inner planets and some was ejected from the solar system
What appears to have happened to increase the mass of Jovian planets even further? a) They attracted more gas from interstellar space b) They added gas from the solar wind c) They added more mass from heavy bombardment d) Their gravity became strong enough to attract hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula
d) Their gravity became strong enough to attract hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula
What condensed beyond the frost line? a) hydrogen compounds b) rocks c) metals d) all of the above e) none of the above
d) all of the above
Where did hydrogen and helium gas condense in the protoplanetary nebula? a) throughout the solar system b) only inside the frost line c) only outside the frost line d) nowhere
d) nowhere
What do we think condensed out of the solar nebula? a) Hydrogen and helium b) Hydrogen compounds (water, methane, ammonia) where the nebula was cold (<150 K) c) Rocky material where the nebula was 500-1500 K (depending on the type of rock) d) Metal where the temperature was 1000-1500 K e) All except a
e) All except a
Which of the following planets has rings? a) Jupiter b) Saturn c) Uranus d) Neptune e) All of the above
e) All of the above
Why do we think that the solar system formed from a rotating, collapsing gas cloud that ended up as a disk orbiting the Sun? a) Most of the planets revolve and rotate in the same direction, in the same plane b) Conservation of angular momentum means a collapsing cloud will spin faster and faster c) We see clouds of gas and dust in space d) We see disks around young stars e) All of the above
e) All of the above
Which of the following is not a problem for the close encounter hypothesis for the origin of the planets? a) It relies on an improbable event (a very close encounter between the Sun and another star) b) It predicts that planetary systems are rare c) It fails to explain the orbits of the planets d) It fails to explain the existence of two types of planets e) None of the above (all are problems with the close encounter hypothesis )
e) None of the above (all are problems with the close encounter hypothesis
In the National Mall scale model of the solar system in Chapter 6, where does the Oort cloud lie? a) Between Mars and Jupiter, around the National Air and Space Museum b) Between Uranus and Neptune, around the Hirshorn Museum c) Between Neptune and Pluto, around the Art and Industries Building d) From Neptune outwards, but still within the Mall e) Well beyond the orbits of the planets, and off the scale completely (i.e., in a different state)
e) Well beyond the orbits of the planets, and off the scale completely (i.e., in a different state)
To be successful, a theory of the formation of the solar system must explain a) the orderly patterns of motion of objects b) why planets fall into two major categories (terrestrial and jovian) c) why comets reside in the Kuiper belt and Oort cloud d) the exceptions to the general rules e) all of the above
e) all of the above
Most of the solar system's planets: a) Are made of rocks and minerals b) Are made of gas c) Revolve (orbit) around the Sun in the same direction d) Rotate in the same direction as they orbit the Sun e) c and d
e) c and d
