Astronomy 110 HW 8

during the formation of the solar system, what would have been required for an asteroid to become a terrestrial planet? a) accumulation of more mass by accretion of ice and gas b) formation with a molten interior c) accumulation of enough mass to clear its orbit of debris d) capture of at least one moon during its formation process

C

the table gives the properties of various hypothetical protoplanets that might have been found in the early solar system's disk. use this information to answer the question. if the protoplanets maintain their locations from the sun, then which one is most likely to become a jovian planet? a) austin b) none. all of these protoplanets will be ejected when the strong stellar winds clear the solar neighborhood c) phoenix d) fargo table protoplanet: austin, phoenix, fargo mass (in units of earth masses): 0.2, 1.1, 3.7 nearby temperature(K): 1600, 170, 1500

C

the combined mass of the asteroid belt is a) larger than the mass of saturn b) smaller than the earth's mass, but larger than the mass of mars c) less than the mass of jupiter but greater than the mass of neptune d) less than the mass of earth's moon

D

the most widely studied members of our solar system are the eight planets. one fundamental property that drives differences and similarities between the planets is the distance of the planet from the sun. rank the eight planets by their orbital distances from the sun

closest to the sun to farthest away from the sun: mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune

compare the four pairs of planets and match each planet to the statement that best describes it

high density: earth low density: uranus close to sun: mercury far from sun: saturn large radius: saturn small radius: mercury high mass: neptune low mass: earth

though each planet in the solar system is unique in its set of properties, a natural division can be made based on overall. general characteristics. correctly categorize the comparative descriptions by deciding which group of planets best shares the qualities described

mercury, venus, earth, and mars: have solid surfaces, highest orbital speeds, primarily rocky, weakest magnetic fields, smallest planetary masses jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune: lowest densities, greater than five moons each, planetary rings, largest radii, farthest from the sun

which image correctly illustrates the spacing of planets in the solar system? not all of the planets are labeled due to space constraints

sun||| jupiter saturn uranus neptune kuiper belt

choose the correct statement or statements about the asteroid belt a) the main asteroid belt environment is an active and chaotic part of the solar system where frequent collisions occur between rocky masses b) the main asteroid belt is a region between the orbits of mars and jupiter lying about 2.1 and 4.1 AU from the sun c) a collision between a comet and planet created the main asteroid belt between mars and jupiter d) most asteroids are larger than the earth e) the main asteroid belt is a region between the orbits of earth and mars lying between about 1 and 2.1 AU from the sun

B

the early solar system consisted of a large cloud of gas and dust, contracting due to gravity. as this cloud contracted, conservation of angular momentum says that a) the cloud's rotation did not change b) the cloud began to rotate more quickly c) the cloud eventually expanded equally in the opposite direction d) the cloud began to rotate more slowly

B

the solar nebula was a) the part of the milky way which formed a group of stars, including the sun b) a cloud of gas that collapsed into a spinning disk, forming the solar system c) the charged particles that surround the sun and spread through the solar system d) the planetary nebula from which the planets formed

B