PHS 111 TEST 3 CH 26
A small rock in interplanetary space is called a 50) ______ A) meteoroid. B) meteorite. C) meteor.
A
A strong gravitational field 94) ______ A) slows a clock. B) speeds up a clock. C) has no effect on the speed of a clock.
A
As you read these words, the Sun is 13) ______ A) losing mass. B) gaining mass. C) neither gaining nor losing mass. D) None of the above.
A
Between which planets is the asteroid belt found? 46) ______ A) between Mars and Jupiter B) between Earth and Venus C) between Jupiter and Neptune D) between Earth and Mars
A
Compared to the density of water, the density of Saturn is 31) ______ A) less. B) more. C) about the same.
A
Each second, the burning Sun's mass 9) _______ A) decreases. B) increases. C) remains unchanged.
A
In what region of the Sun are most of X-rays generated? 8) _______ A) the corona B) the inner core C) the photosphere D) the chronosphere
A
Is the rate of Earth's rotation increasing or decreasing? 34) ______ A) It is decreasing. B) It is increasing and decreasing in cyclic fashion. C) It is remaining relatively steady. D) It is increasing.
A
Metals are relatively more abundant in 75) ______ A) new stars. B) old stars. C) neither in particular
A
No greenhouse effect occurs on Mercury because of no 16) ______ A) atmosphere. B) terrestrial radiation. C) relatively cool regions. D) plant life.
A
On which body (other than Earth) is life in our solar system most likely to be found? 26) ______ A) Europa B) Venus C) Mars D) Scientific evidence suggests that life elsewhere in our solar system is not possible.
A
Our local group is composed of how many galaxies? 85) ______ A) less than 100 B) less than 400 C) less than 1000 D) 1526
A
Space and time are 93) ______ A) bound together. B) independent entities.
A
The "redshift" of a galaxy refers to the rate 90) ______ A) at which is receding. B) at which it is approaching. C) of its fusion. D) at which it is spinning.
A
The Big Bang 89) ______ A) marked the beginning of space and time. B) took place within space. C) took place within time. D) occurred as a result of disturbances within the Large Magellenic cloud.
A
The external region of the Sun that tends to be pink is the 12) ______ A) chromosphere. B) corona. C) photosphere. D) mesosphere.
A
The number of moons in orbit around Mars is 22) ______ A) two. B) zero. C) one. D) three.
A
The parts of Saturn's rings with the greatest rotational speed are the 33) ______ A) inner parts. B) outer parts. C) Neither, for all parts of Saturn's rings rotate equally.
A
The percentage of the Earth's surface covered by ocean is about 18) ______ A) 70%. B) 60%. C) 50%. D) 80%.
A
What constitutes over half of Jupiter's volume? 24) ______ A) oceans of liquid hydrogen B) its rocky solid core C) the massive Mons Majora Range D) oceans of liquid methane
A
When the Moon assumes its characteristic thin crescent shape, the position of the Sun is 38) ______ A) almost directly in back of the Moon. B) almost directly behind the Earth, so Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. C) at right angles to the line between the Moon and Earth.
A
When the alignment of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth produce a lunar eclipse, the body that is in between the other two is the 40) ______ A) Earth. B) Sun. C) Moon.
A
When the alignment of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth produce a solar eclipse, the body between the other two is the 39) ______ A) Moon. B) Sun. C) Earth.
A
Where did Saturn's rings likely come from? 28) ______ A) either a moon that never formed, or a moon destroyed by tidal forces B) volcanic activity on its surface ejecting matter into space C) the decay of radioactive particles in the outer fringes of Saturn's upper atmosphere D) the gravitational capture of micro-asteroids
A
Which explanation best describes why Earth observers always see the same face of the moon? 35) ______ A) The Moon's rate of spin matches the rate at which the Moon revolves around Earth. B) Earth and Moon are partially gravity locked. C) We tend only to observe the Moon at night, not during the day. D) The Moon does not rotate as it circles Earth.
A
What determines if a star becomes a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole? 74) ______ A) the principal factor is temperature B) the principal factor is mass C) the principal factor is density D) the principal factor is luminosity
B
What is the predominant component of Jupiter's atmosphere? 23) ______ A) ammonia B) hydrogen C) methane D) helium
B
Which one of these elements is normally the remnant of a supernova? 83) ______ A) hydrogen B) silver C) helium D) none of these
B
Which star will emit the shortest wavelength of its peak frequency? 68) ______ A) a red star B) a blue star C) a green star D) a yellow star
B
What is the likely cause of the 98° tilt of Uranus's axis? 29) ______ A) distorted magnetic poles due to its large molten iron core B) Neptune's effect on Uranus' gravitational field C) a collision with a large body early in the solar system's evolution D) fluid wave dynamics due to its large molten core
C
What is the upper limit of stars the unaided eye can discern on a moonless night in a rural area? 57) ______ A) about 30,000 B) about 3,000,000 C) about 3000 D) about 300,000
C
When a star collapses to become a black hole, its mass 84) ______ A) increases. B) decreases. C) remains unchanged.
C
Which body in the solar system has the highest level of volcanic activity? 25) ______ A) Mars B) Jupiter C) Io D) Earth
C
Why do comet's tails always point away from the Sun? 47) ______ A) because of the comet's interaction with dark matter B) because when they move away from the Sun they begin to lose inertia C) because of solar wind D) because the inner planets cause the ice and other volatile materials to be pulled towards their orbits
C
With each pass of a comet about the Sun, its mass 56) ______ A) remains virtually unchanged. B) actually increases. C) is appreciably reduced.
C
The North Star has very little apparent rotation in the night sky because 58) ______ A) its rate of spin directly matches Earth's. B) it rotates in the same relative orbit as Earth. C) the Oort cloud distorts the view of the naked eye. D) it lies directly above the Earth's axis of spin.
D
The consequences of a comet's tail sweeping across the Earth would be 54) ______ A) quite unpredictable. B) likely catastrophic. C) like an enhanced Aurora Borealis worldwide. D) a meteor shower.
D
The predominant gas in the atmosphere of Mars is 21) ______ A) oxygen. B) water vapor. C) methane. D) carbon dioxide.
D
The star nearest the Earth is 62) ______ A) Polaris. B) the Moon. C) Alpha Centauri. D) the Sun.
D
To scale, if Earth were the size of a basketball, then the Moon would be about the size of a 44) ______ A) ping-pong ball. B) marble. C) bowling ball. D) tennis ball.
D
What Einstein discovered about space and time is that they 98) ______ A) are separate entities. B) follow an inverse-square law. C) are special to space travelers. D) are parts of one whole.
D
What will be the predominant element within the Sun after it has died? 72) ______ A) phosphorous B) helium C) nitrogen D) carbon
D
When we see a half-moon, the position of the Sun is 41) ______ A) about 45° from a line from Earth to the Moon. B) almost directly behind the Moon. C) almost directly behind the Earth. D) at right angles to a line from Earth to the Moon.
D
The solar wind blows in a direction 10) ______ A) toward the Sun. B) coplanar to the plane of the solar system. C) primarily along the Sun's polar axis. D) away from the Sun.
d
With daytime temperatures that can reach 430°C, why is nighttime on Mercury so cold? 14) ______ A) With very little atmosphere, heat is quickly lost back into space. B) The weak gravitational field doesn't retain the daytime's heat. C) The solar winds quickly dissipate all heat on the planet's dark side. D) Because the year is so short, there isn't enough time for the heat to build up in the equatorial regions.
A
To scale, if Earth were the size of a basketball, then the Moon would be about 43) ______ A) 10 feet away. B) 80 feet away. C) 20 feet away. D) 5 feet away.
C
A light year is a unit of 63) ______ A) mass. B) distance. C) time. D) energy.
B
After our Sun burns its supply of hydrogen, it will become a 79) ______ A) black hole. B) red giant. C) white dwarf. D) blue giant.
B
As a star undergoes collapse, its rate of rotation 77) ______ A) decreases. B) increases. C) remains constant.
B
Asteroids orbit the 48) ______ A) Earth. B) Sun. C) Moon. D) all of these
B
Compared to a clock at the bottom of a very tall skyscraper, a clock at the top of this skyscraper will appear to run 95) ______ A) slower. B) faster. C) the same.
B
Cosmology is the study of the overall structure and evolution of 87) ______ A) beauty. B) the universe. C) galaxies. D) stars.
B
Einstein theories tell us that the speed of light 99) ______ A) provides accurate clocks. B) is constant in all frames of reference. C) slows in a transparent medium. D) depends on one's frame of reference.
B
Luminosity is 67) ______ A) the stars apparent brightness. B) the total amount of light energy that star emits into space. C) the stars total infrared output. D) the stars particular color spectrum output.
B
Pluto is found within the 55) ______ A) asteroid belt. B) Kuiper belt. C) orbit of Neptune. D) Oort cloud.
B
Polaris is always directly overhead at 60) ______ A) the equator. B) the north pole. C) any location north of the equator.
B
Supernovae are one of the most extreme events in the known universe. They are caused by 73) ______ A) the implosion of a white dwarf, which has run out of all its fuel. B) the collapse of a supermassive supergiant star. C) a supermassive supergiant star undergoing a massive nuclear chain reaction. D) Any of the above.
B
The Sun 5) _______ A) rotates in the opposite direction as the planets revolve. B) rotates in the same direction as the planets revolve. C) does not rotate relative to the planets. D) takes longer to rotate than for the planets to revolve.
B
The elements found on Earth have much to do with 82) ______ A) white dwarfs. B) supernovae. C) pulsars. D) quasars.
B
The planet that is most tipped to its orbital plane is 32) ______ A) Saturn. B) Uranus. C) Neptune. D) Mars. E) Jupiter.
B
The predominant gas in the atmosphere of Earth is 19) ______ A) oxygen. B) nitrogen. C) carbon dioxide. D) methane.
B
The temperature of a star is evidenced by its 70) ______A) brightness. B) color. C) distance. D) rate of burning.
B
Thermonuclear fusion occurs mainly in the 69) ______ A) outer layers of stars. B) cores of stars. C) both, actually
B
A black hole is 76) ______ A) an empty region of space with a huge gravitational field. B) a small region that has the mass of many galaxies. C) the remains of a giant collapsed star.
C
A cloud of interstellar gas is held together by 2) _______ A) electromagnetism. B) infrared radiation. C) the gravitational force. D) All of the above.
C
A pulsar is likely a 80) ______ A) throbbing star in its death throes. B) black hole companion. C) spinning neutron star. D) binary star with a dark companion.
C
A star's color tells us 66) ______ A) how much energy a star produces. B) its rotational speed. C) its surface temperature. D) both how much energy it produces and its surface temperature.
C
A star's luminosity tells us 65) ______ A) its surface temperature. B) its rotational speed. C) how much energy a star produces. D) both how much energy it produces and its surface temperature.
C
According to calculations made by modern astronomers, the age of the universe is close to 91) ______ A) 21 billion years. B) 6000 years. C) 14 billion years. D) 7 billion years.
C
Comets orbit about the 52) ______ A) Moon. B) Earth. C) Sun. D) all of these
C
How far is a light year? 59) ______ A) 300,000 km B) the distance of one Earth orbit C) nearly 10 trillion km D) All of the above
C
If dark matter were to be found on this planet it would likely be 100) _____ A) high in our atmosphere. B) within our oceans. C) at the center of Earth's core. D) within Earth's mantle.
C
If you travel at high speed, then compared with your friends who "stay at home," you are 96) ______ A) older. B) taller. C) younger. D) neither younger or older.
C
In a museum collection you can likely see a 51) ______ A) meteor but not a meteoroid. B) meteoroid but not a meteorite. C) meteorite but not a meteoroid.
C
In which city is Polaris highest in the sky? 61) ______ A) Mexico City B) Singapore C) Anchorage D) Denver
C
Saturn's rings are composed of? 27) ______ A) hydrogen B) old satellites and other space junk lost from Earth's orbit and other space missions C) chunks of ice and rock D) methane gas
C
The Milky Way galaxy is about 64) ______ A) 100 light years in diameter. B) 40 light years in diameter. C) 100,000 light years in diameter. D) 4 light years in diameter.
C
The Milky Way is 86) ______ A) an elliptical galaxy. B) an irregular galaxy. C) a spiral galaxy. D) a galaxy in the making.
C
The Sun tends to bloat outward by nuclear fusion, and contract due to 4) _______ A) mass decrease. B) its relatively slow spin. C) gravitation. D) nuclear fission.
C
The age of the Sun is about 11) ______ A) 5.5 trillion years. B) 7000 years. C) 5.5 billion years. D) 5.5 million years.
C
The core of the Moon is 36) ______ A) liquid. B) gaseous. C) solid. D) Not enough information is known for an answer.
C
The determining factor in the stages a star will progress through from birth to death is its 71) ______ A) temperature. B) composition. C) mass. D) relative density.
C
The general direction of a comet's tail is 53) ______ A) behind the comet's direction of motion. B) toward the Sun. C) away from the Sun.
C
The longest living stars are those of 81) ______ A) high mass. B) intermediate mass. C) low mass.
C
The planet with a mass most like Earth's is 17) ______ A) Mars. B) Neptune. C) Venus. D) Saturn. E) Mercury.
C
The predominant gas in the atmosphere of Venus is 20) ______ A) nitrogen. B) water vapor. C) carbon dioxide. D) methane.
C
The reason we don't have solar and lunar eclipses monthly is because of the 42) ______ A) relatively close distance of the Moon and Earth. B) relatively long distance to the Sun. C) different orbital planes for Earth and the Moon. D) 23° tilt of the Earth's axis. E) tapering of the Sun's rays.
C
About how deep is the photosphere? 7) _______ A) 500 meters B) 300 meters C) 300 km D) 500 km
D
About how many tons of meteorites strike the Earth on a daily basis? 45) ______ A) 20,000 tons B) 2000 tons C) 20 tons D) 200 tons
D
Dark Matter is matter that 97) ______ A) cannot be seen, felt, or measured. B) is Dark Energy's complement. C) is found within a black hole. D) cannot be seen or felt, but can be measured through its gravitational effects.
D
Edwin Hubble discovered that the farther away a galaxy is the 88) ______ A) more black holes it contains. B) more massive it is. C) more energetic it is. D) faster it is receding from us.
D
How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun? 3) _______ A) one week B) one day C) one month D) one year
D
If one had the opportunity to walk on Triton, Neptune's largest moon, what would you observe the geysers to be spewing? 30) ______ A) liquid oxygen B) liquid water C) liquid hydrogen D) liquid nitrogen
D
In what region of the Sun is solar energy generated? 6) _______ A) the inner surface B) the outer surface C) the mid-interior D) the inner core
D
Most meteors seen as shooting stars are about the size of 49) ______ A) small buildings. B) very large buildings. C) baseballs. D) grains of sand.
D
Nebular theory pertains to the formation of 1) _______ A) a galaxy. B) the Earth. C) the asteroid belt. D) the solar system.
D
Quasars are 78) ______ A) white dwarfs that have undergone final collapse. B) a conglomeration of pulsars within a galaxy. C) a conglomeration of spiral galaxies. D) ancient, extremely high energy galaxies believed to have formed in the early universe.
D
Relativity is the 92) ______ A) concept that there are no absolutes that can be postulated. B) idea that space bends in relationship to the square of the mass contained within it. C) study of wormholes and time travel. D) study of how space, energy, and mass are related to time.
D
Temperature differences between nighttime and daytime on Earth are relatively small due to 15) ______ A) polar regions absorbing most solar energy. B) Earth being 70% water. C) seasonal fluctuations and Earths magnetic field. D) Earth's relatively high daily spin rate and shortness of nighttime.
D
The Earth rotates about its axis once per 24 hours, while the Moon rotates about its axis once per 37) ______ A) 24 hours also. B) half month. C) year. D) month.
D
