astro quiz 7

In studying the surfaces of solid bodies in the solar system, astronomers have learned that the number of craters (per unit area): is about the same on every world is greater as you get closer to the Sun follows no discernible rules or relationships at all is roughly proportional to the age of the surface we are examining is greater as you get further and further from the Sun

is roughly proportional to the age of the surface we are examining

The smaller objects in the solar system made of rock and metal (most of which orbit between Jupiter and Mars) are called: satellites comets Titius-Bode objects asteroids silicates

asteroids

The smaller objects in the solar system composed mainly of ices (frozen gases) that usually orbit far from the Sun are called: satellites snowroids asteroids comets jovians

comets

During the process of differentiation, heavier (denser) materials sink to the centers of molten planets the faster planets move further out from the Sun the atmosphere of a planet changes from oxidized to reduced the surface of a planet changes to resemble Columbus, Georgia satellites separate from the parent planets and go into their own orbits

heavier (denser) materials sink to the centers of molten planets

Our best evidence and theoretical calculations indicate that the solar system began with a giant spinning system of gas and dust that scientists call: the asteroid belt the beltway the solar nebula a planetesimal the Titius-Bode cloud

the solar nebula

Of the following planets, which do NOT have satellites (moons)? Earth Mars Jupiter Venus you can't fool me, all the planets have satellites

Venus

If you were to take a large sample of the four giant planets, the most common element you would find in them is: silicon you can't fool me, there are equal amount of ALL the elements in those planets iron hydrogen oxygen

hydrogen

In the far future, visiting tourists from another planetary system ask to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take them? Jupiter Neptune the asteroid belt Comet Halley the Sun

the Sun

Which of the following characteristics do all four terrestrial planets have in common? they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them they all have liquid water on their surfaces they all have one or more moons they all have thick atmospheres they all rotate in 24 hours or less

they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them

Which planet in the solar system has not been examined by spacecraft instruments that have either flown by or orbited them? you can't fool me, spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system Earth Venus Neptune Saturn

you can't fool me, spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system

On which planet (besides the Earth) do we still see a high level of geological activity on the surface today? Jupiter Mercury Neptune Venus none of the above

Venus

The inner planets are made mostly of rock and metal because: Jupiter's large gravity immediately attracted all the lighter materials, and so there were few light atoms left by the time the inner planets were ready to form lighter materials cannot orbit the Sun; they would fall in immediately the Sun is made mostly of rock and metal and the inner planets are closest to the Sun it was so hot where the inner planets formed that the lighter materials evaporated this is an unsolved problem in astronomy

it was so hot where the inner planets formed that the lighter materials evaporated

All the planets (without exception) have atmospheres much thicker than Earth's have satellites orbiting around them revolve around the Sun in the same direction have solid surfaces rotate on their axes in the same direction that they revolve around the Sun

revolve around the Sun in the same direction

Radioactive dating techniques have revealed that our Earth and Moon are approximately how old? about 6,000 years about 4.5 billion years about 2 million years about 100 million years you can't fool me, we have no way of measuring ages as old as the Earth's

about 4.5 billion years

One piece of evidence that can help astronomers sort out how the planets in our solar system formed is counting the craters on the surface of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune measuring variations in the amount of snowfall in northern Canada during this century finding circumstellar disks of material around nearby stars discovering other galaxies of stars beyond the Milky Way counting the number of moons around each planet in our own solar system

finding circumstellar disks of material around nearby stars

In general, the further planets are from the Sun, the cooler they are. What other factor can have a significant influence on a planet's surface temperature? its atmosphere (whether it has one and how thick it is) the number of large moons that are close to the planet how fast the planet is spinning (the length of its day) whether its core has a lot of iron in it none of the above (only distance from the Sun affects a planet's temperature)

its atmosphere (whether it has one and how thick it is)

Which of the following ways that jovian (giant) planets differ from the terrestrial planets is NOT CORRECT? jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials jovians have rings while terrestrials do not jovians have more mass than the terrestrials

jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials

In a bad late-night science fiction film, a villain is using a large collection of rare radioactive atoms as energy for a weapon to threaten the good guys. The atoms have a half-life of 1 hour. The villain has 4 kilograms of the radioactive material now, and he needs a minimum of 1 kg. for his weapon to work. After how much time will the weapon no longer be a threat? just a little after 16 hours just a little after 1 hr just a little after 2 hrs can't be determined from the information given just a little after 4 hours

just a little after 2 hrs

The material that would eventually make all the major bodies in our solar system first gathered together as smaller pieces which astronomers call: jovians satellites nebuloids planetesimals differentiated objects

planetesimals

On Earth, we can get the age of various parts of our planet by finding rocks that contain radioactive atoms. Which other world do have a good number of rocks from to do this kind of age analysis? The Moon Jupiter Halley's Comet Venus You can't fool me, there is no other world from which we have rocks

the Moon