Quiz 3 Astronomy

On Jupiter, a wind moving from north to south would be deflected by the Coriolis effect A. To the west in both hemispheres B. To the east in both hemispheres C. To the east in the northern hemisphere and west in the southern hemisphere D. To the west in the northern hemisphere and east in the southern hemisphere

D. To the west in the northern hemisphere and east in the southern hemisphere

Put the following in order, according to altitude, low to high: A. Troposphere, stratosphere, exosphere, thermosphere B. Thermosphere, troposphere, stratosphere, exosphere C. Stratosphere, exosphere, thermosphere, troposphere D. Troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

D. Troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

The gas in the atmosphere of Saturn is composed mostly of: A. ammonia and water vapor B. hydrogen sulfide and ammonia C. carbon dioxide and nitrogen D. hydrogen and helium

D. hydrogen and helium

Most of the material inside Jupiter is A. hydrogen gas B. hydrogen compounds C. rocks D. liquid and metallic liquid hydrogen

D. liquid and metallic liquid hydrogen

The ionosphere of the Earth is a layer of ionized gas that is A. within the stratosphere B. within the exosphere C. within the troposphere D. within the thermosphere

D. within the thermosphere

The brownish color of the famous Great Red Spot on Jupiter is caused by ammonium hydrosulfide. True False

False

The largest canyon in the Solar System, Valles Marineris on Mars, was carved out by water, similar to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. True False

False

The sulfuric acid rain on Venus causes erosion on the surface. True False

False

The trapping of visible light from the Sun by greenhouse gases causes greenhouse effect. True False

False

Why is atmospheric pressure less on top of a mountain than at sea level? A. The air is cooler in the mountains B. Denser air sinks to sea level C. There is more water vapor at sea level, which increases the air pressure greatly D. The air at sea level is compressed by a larger amount of gas

D. The air at sea level is compressed by a larger amount of gas

What seems to have made the long cliffs seen on Mercury? A. Shrinking of the planet B. Huge impacts such as the one that created the Caloris basin C. Volcanoes D. Plate tectonics

A. Shrinking of the planet

Explain why Mars, a planet with so little atmosphere, can have so much wind.

"Air rises when heated by hot ground, and the motion pulls in cooler air at ground level. Sometimes this creates a dust devil when fine particles of dust are swept up by the cooler air moving across the ground. More generally, temperature differences between one area and another cause air to flow between them, producing winds".

Venus may have started with an ocean's worth of water. Where is its water now? A. The water was lost when UV light broke apart water molecules and the hydrogen escaped into space B. Most of the water is frozen beneath the surface C. The water changed into carbon dioxide through chemical reactions D. The original water remains in the atmosphere in the form of water vapor due to Venus's intense heat

A. The water was lost when UV light broke apart water molecules and the hydrogen escaped into space

How have astronomers been able to construct detailed maps of surface features on Venus? A. by using radar on spacecraft orbiting Venus B. by landing spacecraft on the surface of Venus for close-up study C. by studying Venus from Earth with powerful telescopes D. by using optical telescope on spacecraft orbiting Venus

A. by using radar on spacecraft orbiting Venus

The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is: A. carbon dioxide B. methane C. nitrogen D. hydrogen

A. carbon dioxide

What drives the motion of the tectonic plates on Earth? A. Earth's magnetic field B. Convection in the mantle C. Tidal heating by the Moon D. Coriolis effect

B. Convection in the mantle

Which two bodies show evidence of heavy cratering? A. Earth and Moon B. Moon and Mercury C. Venus and Earth D. Mercury and Venus

B. Moon and Mercury

Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass? A. Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger B. Saturn's smaller mass compresses it less, thus decreasing its density C. Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter and is therefore less dense D. Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size

B. Saturn's smaller mass compresses it less, thus decreasing its density

The white color on Jupiter as viewed from Earth comes from clouds of A. Water B. Methane C. Ammonia D. Ammonium hydrosulfide

C. Ammonia

Which two planets have auroras? A. Earth and Mars B. Jupiter and Venus C. Earth and Jupiter D. Mars and Venus

C. Earth and Jupiter

The most volcanically active object in the Solar System is A. Venus B. Earth C. Io D. Mars

C. Io

Which of the following does not have a major effect in shaping planetary surfaces? A. Tectonics B. Volcanism C. Magnetism D. Impact cratering

C. Magnetism

What is the most fundamental reason that Mars is geologically much less active than the Earth? A. its thin atmosphere compared to Earth B. its weak gravity compared to Earth C. its small size compared to Earth D. its large distance to the Sun compared to Ea

C. its small size compared to Earth

Earth's atmosphere contains only small amounts of carbon dioxide because A. most of the carbon dioxide was used up by plants on Earth B. most of the carbon dioxide was lost by impacts during the age of heavy bombardment C. most of the carbon dioxide is locked up in carbonate rocks D. most of the carbon dioxide was broken up by the UV light and lost to space through thermal escape

C. most of the carbon dioxide is locked up in carbonate rocks

No auroras have been observed on Venus. The reason is that A. there are no auroras on Venus because Venus has a thick layer of clouds that prevents the solar wind particles from penetrating into its atmosphere B. there are no auroras on Venus because Venus lacks atmospheric oxygen C. there are no auroras on Venus because Venus lacks a strong magnetic field D. there are auroras on Venus but they are hidden from our view by a thick layer of clouds.

C. there are no auroras on Venus because Venus lacks a strong magnetic field

Explain why the color of Neptune is bluish.

Methane gas above the clouds absorb red light but transmit blue light. Blue light reflects off methane clouds, making those planets look blue.

What is the reason for the distorted, non-spherical shape of Saturn? Why does Jupiter look more spherical than Saturn?

No - it is due to the density of the two planets, not the wind on their surfaces.

What is the most important process for producing the atmospheric gases around terrestrial planets? Explain why the Earth's atmosphere is dominated by nitrogen and oxygen molecules.

Outgassing from volcanoes. Nitrogen (N2) is the third most abundant gas from volcanoes, after CO2 & H2O. Most of Earth's CO2 in rocks, and water in oceans, leaving a mostly nitrogen atmosphere. Oxygen is released into air mostly by plants through photosynthesis. Removed by oxidation (breathing, rusting, etc).

What are the so-called ``maria'' on Earth's Moon? Explain how they formed.

The marias are the smooth dark patches on the moon. They are formed by volcanoes, specifically their molten lava, that would run over craters and smooth over them. Then they would dry up creating dark smooth spots on the moon.

Earth is the only terrestrial planet in the solar system that has a stratosphere. True False

True