Astronomy Test #2

Which of the following lists different types of electromagnetic radiation in order from the shortest wavelength to the longest wavelength? A. Gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, radio waves B. radio waves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays C. X-rays, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, radio waves D. Radio waves, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, gamma E. Radio waves, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, gamma rays

A. gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, radio waves

Uranus and Neptune do not have bands as distinct as those on Jupiter and Saturn because Uranus and Neptune A. have wind speeds that vary more smoothly from the equator to the poles. B. are composed entirely of hydrogen and helium and lack more complex molecules. C. are much closer to the Sun and much colder. D. rotate 10 times slower. E. have larger masses.

A. have wind speeds that vary more smoothly from the equator to the poles

What causes the distinct bluish tint of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune? A. Methane in their atmospheres preferentially absorbs the red component of the Suns light and reemits the blue part, giving bluish tint. B. Water ice in their atmospheres preferentially absorbs infrared light from the Sun and reemits the blue part, giving the bluish tint. C. There is less red light from the Sun reaching ice giants at their large distances, resulting in their bluish appearance. D. The clouds consist of hydrocarbons producing their own light, which comes out in the blue region of the spectrum.

A. methane in their atmospheres preferentially absorbs the red component of the Suns light and reemits the blue part, giving bluish tint.

Suppose an earthquake occurs on an imaginary planet. Scientists on the other side of the planet detect primary waves but not secondary waves after the quake occurs. This suggests that A. part of planets interior is liquid. B. all of the planets interior is solid. C. the planet has an iron core. D. the planets interior consists entirely of rocky materials. E. The planets mantle is liquid.

A. part of planets interior is liquid

What is the habitable zone? A. the distance from a star where liquid water can exist B. the location on the sky where planets can be found C. the distance from a star where planets have oxygen in the atmosphere D. 1 AU from any star

A. the distance from a star where liquid water can exist

A radiowave photon has a frequency of 1.5 MHz and an ultraviolet photon has a frequency of 4.5 MHz. The energy of the ultraviolet photon is_____ the energy of the red photon. A. 6.75 times larger than B. 3 times larger than C. 3 times smaller than D. 6.75 times smaller than

B. 3 times larger than

The Great Red Spot, Jupiters most prominent storm system, has a diameter that is______times Earths diameter. A. 2 B. 5 C. 10 D. 50 E. 100

B. 5

In the absence of a greenhouse effect, what would happen to Earths oceans? A. They would evaporate. B. They would freeze over. C. They would be rapidly absorbed into the surface rocks. D. They would dissociate into ozone and hydrogen.

B. They would freeze over.

Secondary craters are A. craters formed by water impact. B. craters formed by ejecta from initial impact. C. a crater that forms later, inside a larger crater. D. craters formed on a new surface. E. craters formed on planets other than Earth

B. craters formed by ejecta from initial impact.

Of the following methods, the age of the Solar System can be determined most accurately by A. measuring the number of craters per square meter on Mercury. B. radioactive dating of rocks retrieved from the Moon. C. carbon dating of rocks from mountains on Earth. D. measurement of the magnetic field variations in rocks under Earths oceans. E. measuring the rate of energy production in the Sun.

B. radioactive dating of rocks retrieved from the Moon.

A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the property of A. reflection. B. refraction. C. magnification. D. resolution. E. aberration.

B. refraction

Southern Hemisphere Hurricanes______compared to hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere because of the Coriolis effect. A. rotate in the same direction B. rotate in the opposite direction C. move from east to west D. have larger wind speeds E. cause more damage

B. rotate in the opposite direction

Winds are generated on Earth primarily because of A. strong updrafts from the equator and air sinking near the poles. B. uneven heating of the surface and rotation of the planet. C. water condensation onto mountains. D. hot air rising and cool air sinking.

B. uneven heating of the surface and rotation of the planet

What is a protostar? A. a planet like Jupiter B. a hot star C. a large ball of gas not yet hot enough at its core to be a star D. a large ball of gas too hot at its core to be a star E. a star with too much angular momentum

C. a large ball of gas not yet hot enough at its core to be a star

When an electron moves from a higher energy level in an atom to a lower energy level, A. the atom is ionized. B. a continuous spectrum is emitted. C. a photon is emitted. D. a photon is absorbed.

C. a photon is emitted.

Which planet receives the least amount of energy from the Sun? A. Jupiter B. Earth C. Neptune D. Saturn E. Uranus

C. neptune

Which of the giant planets was discovered by accident by William Herschel? A. Jupiter B. Saturn C. Uranus D. Neptune

C. uranus

Mars, Venus, and Earth are much less heavily cratered than Mercury and the Moon. This is explained by the fact that A. the rate of cratering in the early Solar System was strongly dependent on location. B. Mars, Venus, and Earth have thicker atmospheres. C. Earth and Venus were shielded from impacts by the Moon, and Mars was protected by the asteroid belt. D. Mars, Venus, and Earth were geologically active for a longer period of time than Mercury and the Moon. E. Mars, Venus, and Earth are much larger in size than Mercury and the Moon.

D. Mars, Venus, and Earth were geologically active for a longer period of time than Mercury and the Moon

Magnetosphere refers to... A. the metallic core of Earth. B. the liquid mantel of Earth. C. the magnetic dynamo effect D. a region of magnetic field around Earth.

D. a region of magnetic field around Earth

Why are auroras produced only near the northern and southern magnetic poles of a planet? A. Those are the locations where the atmosphere is thinner, letting particles penetrate. B. The poles are pointing toward the Sun, so they receive more solar wind particles. C. The oxygen atoms responsible for auroral emission only exist near the poles. D. Charged particles are forced to flow along Earths magnetic field lines, which come out of Earths poles.

D. charged particles are forced to flow along Earths magnetic field lines, which come out of Earths poles.

The fact that Jupiter's radius is contracting at a rate of 1 mm per year results in A. Jupiter's rotation rate slowing down with time. B. Jupiter's shape being noticeably oblate. C. Jupiter moving slightly farther from the Sun with time. D. Jupiter radiating more heat than it receives from the Sun. E. Jupiter having a strong magnetic field.

D. jupiter radiating more heat than it receives from the Sun

When you push your palms together and rub them back and forth, you are demonstrating one way of converting ______energy into ______ energy. A. potential; thermal B. kinetic; potential C. thermal; kinetic D. kinetic; thermal E. potential; total

D. kinetic; thermal

Which of the giant planets was predicted to exist mathematically before it was ever seen through a telescope? A. Jupiter B. Saturn C. Uranus D. Neptune

D. neptune

_____in our atmosphere is a direct consequence of the emergence of life. A. Carbon dioxide B. Water vapor C. Nitrogen D. Oxygen E. Helium

D. oxygen

Which method can be used to determine the radius of Jupiter A. Doppler Shift B. transit method C. microlensing D. Stellar Occultation E. none of the above

D. stellar occultation

Temperature variations on Earth driven by the Milankovitch cycle differ from those driven by the anthropogenic greenhouse effect in that A. they are very small in magnitude, less than 1C. B. they occur at irregular time intervals. C. they are driven by volcanic activity. D. they occur over much longer time scales (thousands of years).

D. they occur over much longer time scales (thousands of years).

What is the reason Mercury has so little gas in its atmosphere? A. Its mass is small. B. It has a high temperature. C. It is close to the Sun. D. Its escape velocity is low. E. All of the above

E. all of the above