Quiz 7

Venus

Of the following planets, which do NOT have satellites (moons)?

the moon

On Earth, we can get the age of various parts of our planet by finding rocks that contain radioactive atoms. Which other world do have a good number of rocks from to do this kind of age analysis?

finding circumstellar disks of material around nearby stars

One piece of evidence that can help astronomers sort out how the planets in our solar system formed is

the solar nebula

Our best evidence and theoretical calculations indicate that the solar system began with a giant spinning system of gas and dust that scientists call:

comets

The smaller objects in the solar system composed mainly of ices (frozen gases) that usually orbit far from the Sun are called:

asteroids

The smaller objects in the solar system made of rock and metal (most of which orbit between Jupiter and Mars) are called:

revolve around the Sun in the same direction

All the planets (without exception)

hydrogen

If you were to take a large sample of the four giant planets, the most common element you would find in them is:

heavier (denser) materials sink to the centers of molten planets

During the process of differentiation,

about 4.5 billion years

Radioactive dating techniques have revealed that our Earth and Moon are approximately how old?

just a little after 2 hrs

In a bad late-night science fiction film, a villain is using a large collection of rare radioactive atoms as energy for a weapon to threaten the good guys. The atoms have a half-life of 1 hour. The villain has 4 kilograms of the radioactive material now, and he needs a minimum of 1 kg. for his weapon to work. After how much time will the weapon no longer be a threat?

its atmosphere (whether it has one and how thick it is)

In general, the further planets are from the Sun, the cooler they are. What other factor can have a significant influence on a planet's surface temperature?

is roughly proportional to the age of the surface we are examining

In studying the surfaces of solid bodies in the solar system, astronomers have learned that the number of craters (per unit area):

the Sun

In the far future, visiting tourists from another planetary system ask to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take them?

Venus

On which planet (besides the Earth) do we still see a high level of geological activity on the surface today?

it was so hot where the inner planets formed that the lighter materials evaporated

The inner planets are made mostly of rock and metal because:

planetesimals

The material that would eventually make all the major bodies in our solar system first gathered together as smaller pieces which astronomers call:

they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them

Which of the following characteristics do all four terrestrial planets have in common?

jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials

Which of the following ways that jovian (giant) planets differ from the terrestrial planets is NOT CORRECT?

you can't fool me, spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system

Which planet in the solar system has not been examined by spacecraft instruments that have either flown by or orbited them?