Astronomy chapter 3 exam review

Earth is closer to the Sun in January than in July. Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law: Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in July than in January. Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July. It is summer in January and winter in July.

Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.

Scientific models are used to ________. make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments prove that past paradigms no longer hold true make miniature representations of the universe present the scale of the solar system to the general public

make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments

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

making observations and conducting experiments that dispelled scientific objections to the Sun-centered model.

The names of the seven days of the week are based on ________. the names of prophets in the Bible the names of the seven planets closest to the Sun the seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations the seven most prominent constellations in the summer sky

the seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations

Earth is farthest from the Sun in July and closest to the Sun in January. During which Northern Hemisphere season is Earth moving fastest in its orbit? Spring Summer Fall Winter

winter

The ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because ________. they were the only ancient culture that kept written records of their astronomical observations they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural the books of every other culture were lost in the destruction of the library of Alexandria they were the first people to realize that Earth is a planet orbiting the Sun

they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural

When did humans first learn that Earth is not the center of the universe? within the past 500 years about 2000 years ago around the time that early humans acquired language We haven't; there is still considerable scientific debate about whether Earth is the center of the universe.

within the past 500 years

Which of the following is the reason for the solar day being longer than a sidereal day? the tilt of Earth's axis Earth year being a non-integer number of Earth days the combined effect of the rotation of Earth and its orbit about the Sun precession of Earth's axis the non-circular orbit of Earth around the Sun

the combined effect of the rotation of Earth and its orbit about the Sun

A scientific model must make an observational prediction. True False

True

Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real) would be inconsistent with our Sun-centered view of the solar system? We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day. We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy. We discover an Earth-sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto. We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding.

We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day

According to Kepler's third law (p2 = a3), how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun. A more massive planet must have a larger semimajor axis. More massive planets orbit the Sun at higher average speed. More massive planets must have more circular orbits.

A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun.

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

A theory is essentially an educated guess

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case? A week would have eight days instead of seven. Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. The discovery that the Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination.

A week would have eight days instead of seven.

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets. Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. Copernicus placed the Sun at the center, but did not realize that the Moon orbits the Earth. Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets.

Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets.

Only one of the statements below uses the term theory in its correct, scientific sense. Which one? Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested and verified thousands of times. Evolution is only a theory, so there's no reason to think it really happened. I wrote a theory that is 152 pages long. I have a new theory about the cause of earthquakes, and I plan to start testing it soon.

Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested and verified thousands of times.

What practical value did astronomy offer to ancient civilizations? It helped them keep track of time and seasons, and it was used by some cultures for navigation. It helped them understand our cosmic origins. It allowed them to predict eclipses with great accuracy. It helped them find uses for ancient structures like Stonehenge.

It helped them keep track of time and seasons, and it was used by some cultures for navigation.

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

It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.

Which of the following is NOT true about scientific progress? Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature. Science advances only through the scientific method. Science avoids explanations that invoke the supernatural.

Science advances only through the scientific method

Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science? Science progresses through the creation and testing of models that explain observation as simply as possible. Scientific explanations should be based solely on natural causes. Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality. A scientific model must make testable predictions.

Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality.

Which of the following claims cannot be tested by science? The Sun goes around the Earth. This drug will cure cancer. The geometry of the universe is curved. Smoking shortens people's lifespans. The Earth was created by God.

The Earth was created by God.

In the Greek geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when: Earth is about to pass the planet in its orbit around the Sun. The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth. The planet is aligned with the Moon in our sky.

The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth

How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? The planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise. The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth. The model showed that apparent retrograde motion occurs as Earth passes by another planet in its orbit of the Sun. The planets sometimes stopped moving and then reversed to move backward along their circular orbits.

The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Earth.

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

collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.

Columbus was the first person to discover that Earth is round. True False

false

When we say that a planet has a highly eccentric orbit, we mean that: it is spiraling in toward the Sun. its orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.

in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.

Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? Patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face. The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars. Four moons of Jupiter. Phases of Venus.

phases of venus