The Cosmic Perspective Chapter 3

Galileo's contribution to astronomy included A) discovering the laws of planetary motion B) discovering the law of gravity C) making observations and conducting experiments that dispelled scientific objections to the Sun-centered model

C

If Earth were twice as far as it actually is from the Sun, the force of gravity attracting Earth to the Sun would be A) twice as strong B) half as strong C) 1/4 as strong

C

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included A) inventing the telescope B) proving that Earth orbits the Sun C) collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion

C

A geocentric model of the universe is A) any model that places Earth at the center of the universe B) any model that has Earth as a planet orbiting the Sun. C) any model that places the Sun at the center of the universe

A

Which of the following was NOT a major advantage of Copernicus's Sun-centered model over the Ptolemaic model? A) it made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky B0 it offered a more natural explanation fort the apparent retrograde motions of planets in our sky C) It allowed calculation of the orbital periods and distances of the planets.

A

According to kepler's third law A) Mercury travels fastest in the part of its orbit in which it is closest to the Sun B) Jupiter orbits the Sun at a faster speed than Saturn C) all the planets have elliptical orbits

B

Earth is closer to the Sun in January than in July Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law A) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in July than in January B) Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July C) it is summer in January and winter in July

B

In Ptolemy's geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when A) Earth is about to pass the planet in its orbit around the Sun B) the planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth C) the planet is aligned with the Moon in our sky

B

When Einstein's theory of gravity gained acceptance, it demonstrated that Newton's theory had been A) wrong B) incomplete C) really only a guess

B

Which of the following is not true about scientific progress? A) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature B) Science advance only through strict application of the scientific method C) Science avoids explanations that invoke the supernatural

B

Kepler made a major break from ancient beliefs when he A) decided to look for a system that could explain actual observations B) realized that gravity holds the planets in their orbits C) abandoned circular orbits in favor of elliptical orbits

C

Which of the following is NOT true about a scientific theory? A) A theory must explain a wide range of observations or experiments B) even the strongest theories can never be proved beyond all doubt C) A theory is essentially an educated guess

C