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The average radius of the Earth's orbit is a. 1.0 au. b. 0.1 au. c. 0.01 au. d. 2.0 au. e. 5 au.

1.0 au.

The impacts of large objects on the surface of the Moon have caused a. scarps. b. jumbled terrain. c. rift valleys. d. highlands. e. craters.

craters.

The Law of Inertia says that if an object is not acted on by any outside force, a. its speed will not be zero. b. it speed will be zero. c. its speed and direction will change. d. its speed and direction of motion will not change. e. it can do whatever it wants to do.

its speed and direction of motion will not change

A unit of mass is the a. kilogram. b. meter per second. c. meter per second per second. d. meter. e. Newton.

kilogram

In the ancient Greek theory of gravity, everything was attracted to the center of the universe. In Newton's theory of gravity, everything was attracted a. to every other object in the universe. b. only to massive heavenly objects such as the Sun, Moon, planets, and the Earth. c. only to the center of the Earth. d. only to the Sun.

to every other object in the universe

Which of the following planets can be said to have almost no atmosphere? a. Mercury b. Mars c. Earth d. Venus

Mercury

Galileo said that once an object is set in motion, it will keep moving at the same speed so long as a. a force is acting on it to keep it moving. b. it is following a straight path. c. it is rolling rather than sliding. d. no force is acting on it

no force is acting on it.

The moons of Mars are a. each about the size of Earth's Moon. b. not large enough to be spherical. c. large enough to be spherical.

not large enough to be spherical

Suppose that you lift an object by exerting an upward force of 22 Newtons on it. If gravity exerts a force of 10 Newtons downward on the object, what is the total force on the object? a. 120 Newtons. b. 22 Newtons. c. 12 Newtons. d. 2 Newtons. e. 10 Newtons.

12 Newtons

Suppose that you lift an object by exerting an upward force of 22 Newtons on it. If gravity exerts a force of 10 Newtons downward on the object, what is the total force on the object? a. 22 Newtons. b. 10 Newtons. c. 120 Newtons. d. 12 Newtons. e. 2 Newtons.

12 Newtons

The first human landing on the Moon was Apollo 11 in a. 1969. b. 1972. c. 1976. d. 1966. e. 1982.

1969

What total force will cause an object with a mass of 50kg to gain 1 meter per second every second? a. 50 Newtons. b. 9.8 Newtons. c. 490 Newtons. d. 5 Newtons. e. 1 Newtons.

50 Newtons

What total force will cause an object with a mass of 10kg to gain 5 meters per second every second? a. 10 Newtons. b. 50 Newtons. c. 0.5 Newton. d. 9.8 Newtons. e. 5 Newtons.

50 Newtons.

The Van Allen Belts are a. where the Earth's magnetic field exactly balances its gravitational field. b. where Earth's magnetic field traps charged particles from the Sun. c. ionosphere currents that help sustain the Earth's magnetic field. d. regions where large numbers of asteroids orbit the Earth.

where Earth's magnetic field traps charged particles from the Sun

The density of water is 1000kg/m3, the density of rock is about 3000kg/m3, and the density of iron is 7800kg/m3. Which of the following densities is closest to the average density of the Earth? a. 3900kg/m3 b. 5200kg/m3 c. 1300kg/m3 d. 10,000kg/m3 e. 700kg/m3

5200kg/m3

An ion rocket engine produces 5 Newtons of thrust. What acceleration can it give to a space probe with a mass of 10,000kg? a. 50000 m/s2 b. 0.05 m/s2 c. 5 m/s2 d. 10,000 m/s2 e. 0.0005 m/s2

0.0005 m/s2

An ion rocket engine produces 5 Newtons of thrust. What acceleration can it give to a space probe with a mass of 1000kg? a. 5 m/s2 b. 0.005 m/s2 c. 5000 m/s2 d. 0.05 m/s2 e. 0.5 m/s2

0.005 m/s2

If the planets are numbered from 1 to 8, going outward from the Sun, the planet Uranus is number a. 5. b. 6. c. 7. d. 8. e. 4

7.

If the planets are numbered from 1 to 8, going outward from the Sun, the planet Neptune is number a. 7. b. 5. c. 4 d. 8. e. 6.

8

Suppose that you drop two objects from the same height at the same time. Both objects are heavy enough to be unaffected by air resistance and one object is twice as heavy. Who predicted that the heavier object would hit the ground long before the lighter one? a. Pythagoras. b. Nobody predicted that. c. Aristotle. d. Galileo.

Aristotle

Most Kuiper Belt Objects are similar in composition to a. Comets. b. Terrestrial Planets. c. Stars. d. Asteroids. e. Meteors.

Comets

Which of the following types of object could reasonably be described as dirty snowballs or, for the larger ones, flying icebergs? a. Stars. b. Meteors. c. Terrestrial Planets. d. Comets. e. Asteroids.

Comets

The Apollo program was thought to be part of a "race to the Moon" with the Soviet Union. Actually a. It was a close race. The Soviets actually built a Moon rocket and tested it. b. the Soviets got there first but the Western media suppressed the news. c. the Soviets had plans for a Moon rocket, but never built it. d. the Soviets decided to sit this one out

It was a close race. The Soviets actually built a Moon rocket and tested it.

A planet with a large system of moons would have to be a a. terrestrial planet. b. Jovian Planet. c. Kuiper Belt object.

Jovian Planet.

Which of the following objects has no overall magnetic field except for small regions due to magnetized ore deposits? a. Mercury b. Jupiter c. Saturn d. Mars e. Earth's Moon

Mars

Which of these planets has a solar day that is very close to an Earth day in length? a. Mars b. Mercury c. Venus d. Saturn e. Jupiter

Mars

The Asteroid Belt is between the orbits of a. Mars and Jupiter. b. Jupiter and Uranus. c. Neptune and Pluto. d. Jupiter and Saturn. e. Earth and Mars.

Mars and Jupiter.

The first space probe to place a robotic rover on the surface of Mars was a. Pathfinder. b. Viking 1. c. Spirit and Opportunity. d. Mariner 9. e. Surveyor 1.

Pathfinder.

Which of these Moons rises in the West as seen from its primary planet? a. Phobos b. Ganymede c. Deimos d. Europa e. Earth's Moon

Phobos

The first space probes to land on another planet were from the a. Russian Venera series. b. The European Venus Express series. c. The US Pioneer series. d. The Viking series. e. The Voyager series.

Russian Venera series

A rocket is in a roughly circular orbit near the surface of the Earth, moving at around 5 miles per second. Suppose that it is desired to lower it to a new circular orbit, slightly closer to the surface. The rocket flips over and fires its main rocket engine in a short burst to slow its speed to 4.96 miles per second. What must it do next? a. Rethink its plan because decreasing its speed will put it into an orbit that is farther from the surface. b. Boost its speed a bit when its distance from the Earth stops decreasing. c. Slow its speed again by a bit when its distance from the Earth stops decreasing. d. Nothing. It will drop to a new, lower circular orbit.

Slow its speed again by a bit when its distance from the Earth stops decreasing

Why couldn't we just fly a Space Shuttle to the Moon for at least a fly-by? a. We had already been to the Moon. b. The Space Shuttle would not have enough fuel to make it back to Earth. c. All of the Space Shuttle flights were reserved for other things. d. The Space Shuttle did not have enough fuel to reach escape velocity. e. The Space Shuttle needed the support of Earth's atmosphere.

The Space Shuttle did not have enough fuel to reach escape velocity.

A lunar crater is best described as a. a large, deep hole in the Moon. b. a mountain in the center of a flat area. c. a circular ring wall surrounding a flat area. d. any large flat area that is lower than the surrounding area

a circular ring wall surrounding a flat area

The surface magnetic field of Mercury is a. about 10 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. b. about 100 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. c. about 1% of the Earth's magnetic field. d. essentially zero. e. Similar in intensity to the Earth's magnetic field.

about 1% of the Earth's magnetic field.

Galileo used most of the same tools of thought that the ancient greeks had used. Which of the following approaches did use that would not have seemed natural to the ancient Greeks? a. passive observation of everyday events. b. active construction of simplified experiments. c. a combination of mathematics and logic. d. appeal to authority.

active construction of simplified experiments.

In comparison to Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, Newton's theory of Universal Gravitation predicted a. almost the same motions but with corrections. b. a completely different set of motions. c. the same motions interpreted differently. d. exactly the same motions.

almost the same motions but with corrections

Venus has a. an atmosphere whose temperature and pressure permit liquid methane. b. an atmosphere whose temperature and pressure permit liquid water. c. an atmosphere of carbon dioxide with about 90 times the surface pressure of Earth's. d. almost no atmosphere. e. an atmosphere of carbon dioxide with about 1% the surface pressure of Earth's.

an atmosphere of carbon dioxide with about 90 times the surface pressure of Earth's

The absence of a magnetic field of Venus is a. surprising because the planet rotates so slowly. b. surprising because the planet rotates so quickly. c. as expected because the planet rotates so quickly. d. as expected because the planet rotates so slowly. e. evidence against the current theory of how such fields are generated.

as expected because the planet rotates so slowly

On the present surface of Mars, water has been confirmed to exist a. nowhere at all. The planet is completely dry. b. as ice at the poles and water vapor in the atmosphere. c. as oceans. d. as small, long lasting streams of liquid water.

as ice at the poles and water vapor in the atmosphere.

Kepler's Laws of planetary motion were originally obtained by fitting accurate observations. Newton explained those laws by a force that acts on each planet. The force that specifically explains Kepler's Laws a. attracts each planet to all the other planets. b. attracts each planet to the Sun. c. acts in the direction of each planet's motion. d. corresponds to the action of magnetic fields on each planet. e. repels each planet from the Sun.

attracts each planet to the Sun

At present (within the last few hundred years), the distance from the Earth to the Sun a. changes a little, but not enough to affect the intensity of sunlight. b. never changes. c. changes enough to make the intensity of sunlight vary by 40 percent. d. changes enough to make the intensity of sunlight vary by 6 percent.

changes enough to make the intensity of sunlight vary by 6 percent

Milankovich cycles refer to a. the regular shifting of the Earth's orbit. b. changes in the intensity of sunlight due to shifts in the atmosphere of the Sun and the Earth's rotation axis. c. changes in the intensity of sunlight due to shifts in both the Earth's orbit and rotation axis. d. the regular shifting of the Earth's rotation axis. e. changes in the intensity of sunlight due to shifts in the Earth's orbit.

changes in the intensity of sunlight due to shifts in both the Earth's orbit and rotation axis

The currently accepted theory of how the Moon formed is the a. collision theory. b. divine intervention theory. c. capture theory. d. breakup or fission theory. e. co-formation theory.

collision theory

When a space probe uses a gravitational slingshot maneuver, it a. reverses gravity to repel the probe. b. comes close to a planet to change the probe's speed and direction. c. converts its rotational motion into forward motion. d. uses a counterweight on the end of a long cable or tether to change its speed and direction

comes close to a planet to change the probe's speed and direction

Which of the following objects would be most likely to have a long elliptical orbit that takes it from far outside the orbit of Mars to a close approach to the Sun? a. comet. b. asteroid. c. planet.

comet

Relative to the distant stars, Mercury a. completes 2 rotations each time it orbits the Sun. b. completes just one full rotation each time it orbits the Sun. c. does not rotate at all. d. completes 1.5 rotations each time it orbits the Sun.

completes 1.5 rotations each time it orbits the Sun.

Relative to the distant stars, Venus a. completes just one full rotation each time it orbits the Sun. b. completes 1.5 rotations each time it orbits the Sun. c. does not rotate at all. d. completes 2 rotations each time it orbits the Sun. e. completes less than one full rotation each time it orbits the Sun.

completes less than one full rotation each time it orbits the Sun

Comets usually follow orbits which are a. nearly circular and close to the Sun. b. nearly circular and farther from the Sun than Mars. c. elliptical with aphelia in the inner Solar System. d. elliptical with aphelia far outside the orbit of Mars.

elliptical with aphelia far outside the orbit of Mars

A rocket that leaves the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 8 miles per second will a. follow an elliptical path that is partly below the surface of the Earth. b. escape from the Earth's gravity forever. c. go into a circular orbit above the surface of the Earth

escape from the Earth's gravity forever.

The magnetic field of Earth's Moon is a. essentially zero. b. about 1% of the Earth's magnetic field. c. about 100 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. d. about 10 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. e. Similar in intensity to the Earth's magnetic field.

essentially zero

Earth's orbit is currently elliptical enough to make the intensity of sunlight vary by 6 percent. The shortest Earth-Sun distance (and highest intensity sunlight) currently occurs a. every January. b. every July. c. every Winter Solstice. d. at different times each year. e. every Summer Solstice.

every January

The Curiosity Mars rover a. operated on Mars for seven years until March 2010. b. has been operating on Mars for fourteen years so far (as of 2018). c. rolled onto the surface of Mars and immediately got stuck. d. has been operating on Mars for six years so far (as of 2018). e. never made it to Mars.

has been operating on Mars for six years so far (as of 2018)

Our current understanding of how planets acquire magnetic fields suggests that a planet with a large liquid iron core will a. have a magnetic field if it rotates at all. b. have a magnetic field unless it rotates too fast. c. never have a magnetic field. d. have a magnetic field if it rotates fast enough. e. always have a magnetic field.

have a magnetic field if it rotates fast enough

When Newton calculated the magnitude and direction of the acceleration for a planet that was following Kepler's Laws, he found that the magnitude of the planet's acceleration was a. proportional to the planet's distance from the Sun. b. inversely proportional to the square of the planet's distance from the Sun. c. proportional to the square of the planet's distance from the Sun. d. a constant. e. inversely proportional to the planet's distance from the Sun.

inversely proportional to the square of the planet's distance from the Sun

The Earth's Moon a. is 1/500 the size of the Earth, which is unusually small for a moon. b. is 1/25 the size of the Earth, which is a normal size for a moon. c. is 1/4 the size of the Earth, which is unusually large for a moon. d. is 1/25 the size of the Earth, which is small for a moon. e. is 1/4 the size of the Earth, which is a normal size for a moon.

is 1/4 the size of the Earth, which is unusually large for a moon.

The Moon's orbit a. is somewhat tilted relative to the plane of the Earth's equator. b. is in the plane of the ecliptic. c. is in the plane of the Earth's equator. d. is perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's equator.

is somewhat tilted relative to the plane of the Earth's equator

Mercury rotates so that, relative to the Sun a. it rotates just once during each orbit around the Sun. b. it rotates just once during two complete orbits around the Sun. c. it rotates just once during three complete orbits around the Sun. d. it rotates three times during each orbit around the Sun. e. it does not rotate at all.

it rotates just once during two complete orbits around the Sun.

Compared to the rest of the Lunar surface, the Lunar Maria are a. at about the same level and age. b. lower and younger. c. lower and older. d. higher and younger. e. higher and older.

lower and younger.

When a bullet is fired from a gun, the bullet keeps moving after it leaves the gun barrel because a. the force of the gun powder keeps acting on it. b. it is rounded at the front and flat at the back. c. no force stops it. d. the force of its inertia pushes it. e. the displaced air pushes it from behind.

no force stops it

It is expected that a normal terrestrial planet, with no accidental encounters that could add or subtract moons, should have a. a family of moons, all orbiting in the plane of the planets equator. b. just one moon. c. no moon.

no moon.

The Moon rotates on its axis relative to the distant stars a. once a year. b. once every sidereal month. c. not at all. d. once every sidereal day.

once every sidereal month

The key argument against the Moon forming from the Earth alone, by breakup of a single object is that the Moon's a. orbit is tilted relative to Earth's equator. b. size is very large compared to Earth. c. orbit is tilted relative to the ecliptic. d. core lacks iron

orbit is tilted relative to Earth's equator

The magnetic field of Mars is a. exactly zero everywhere on Mars. b. about 10 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. c. present globally at about 1% of the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. d. present only locally, near magnetized ore deposits. e. about 100 times the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field.

present only locally, near magnetized ore deposits.

As viewed from the star Polaris, Venus a. rotates counter-clockwise and goes around the Sun counter-clockwise. b. rotates clockwise and goes around the Sun counter-clockwise. c. rotates clockwise and goes around the Sun clockwise. d. rotates counter-clockwise and goes around the Sun clockwise. e. does not rotate at all.

rotates clockwise and goes around the Sun counter-clockwise

Aristotle said that a moving earthly or mundane object with nothing pushing or pulling on it will always a. keep moving at the same speed. b. follow a circular path. c. slow down and stop. d. speed up.

slow down and stop

The ancient greeks connected the force exerted on an object to the object's a. speed. b. time in motion. c. distance travelled. d. acceleration.

speed

Our Sun sends out intense streams of charged particle radiation. The radiation is prevented from hitting the Earth's atmosphere by a. the Earth's Moon. b. the Earth's gravitational field. c. the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis. d. the Earth's magnetic field.

the Earth's magnetic field.

For an object that is moving along a straight path, the acceleration is a. the change in the object's speed divided by the time it takes. b. zero. c. the time the object is moving divided by the distance it travels during that time. d. the distance the object travels divided by the time it takes. e. the time the object is moving divided by the change in its speed during that time.

the change in the object's speed divided by the time it takes

If you are told that an object that weighs 20 Newtons is raised a distance of 10 meters, you know that. a. the force of gravity on the object is 10 meters. b. the force of gravity on the object is 20 Newtons. c. the mass of the object is 20 Newtons. d. the acceleration of the object is 200 kilogram-meters. e. the mass of the object is 10 meters.

the force of gravity on the object is 20 Newtons.

A bazooka is actually a small rocket-launcher. The reason a bazooka does not have a recoil is that a. the force on the rocket is exerted by the launcher but the reaction force on the launcher is cancelled. b. the recoil is self-cancelling. c. the force on the rocket is exerted by the surrounding atmosphere and not by the launcher. d. no force is exerted on the rocket, so there is no reaction force. e. the force on the rocket is exerted by the rocket exhaust and not by the launcher.

the force on the rocket is exerted by the rocket exhaust and not by the launcher

In comparison to Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, Newton's theory of Universal Gravitation predicted almost the same motions, but with small corrections due to a. the gravitational attractions between different planets. b. velocity-dependent forces that act more strongly on the faster inner planets. c. the gravitational attraction between each planet and the Sun. d. small time lags caused by the propagation of gravity to each planet. e. the elliptical orbits of the planets.

the gravitational attractions between different planets

One way to change the course of an asteroid is to place a mass driver on it. The mass driver is really just a catapult that throws things (like rocks for example) away from the asteroid. The force that acts on the combined object (mass driver plus asteroid) is actually exerted by a. the rocks that the catapult throws. b. the fabric of space-time. c. the catapult that throws the rocks. d. the inertia of the asteroid. e. gravity.

the rocks that the catapult throws

A planet that is following Kepler's Laws, accelerates a. toward the Sun. b. in the direction of the planets motion. c. away from the Sun. d. between the direction of the planets motion and the direction from the planet to the Sun. e. opposite to the direction of the planets motion.

toward the Sun

At present (within the last few hundred years) the orbit of Mars around the Sun is a. slightly elliptical but not enough to change the intensity of sunlight by even 1 percent. b. very elliptical so that.the intensity of sunlight varies by 40 percent. c. exactly circular so that the intensity of sunlight never changes. d. slightly elliptical so that.the intensity of sunlight varies by 6 percent. e. hyperbolic so that Mars will leave the Solar System and never return.

very elliptical so that.the intensity of sunlight varies by 40 percent

A planet whose atmospheric pressure is exactly at the triple point of water and whose surface temperature has a range that includes the triple point will have a. water only as vapor. b. water only as ice. c. all three forms of water on its surface. d. water as ice or vapor, depending on the temperature.

water as ice or vapor, depending on the temperature.


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