1. How many centimeters are there in one kilometer?
QUESTION
How many centimeters are there in one kilometer?
100
1,000
10,000
100,000
1×106

2. Scientific notation is used in science because
QUESTION
Scientific notation is used in science because
it makes it easy to write big or small numbers.
all astronomical distances are expressed in metric units.
it makes conversions between units easy.
all of the above.

3. The average distance from Earth to the Sun is
QUESTION
The average distance from Earth to the Sun is
1 ly
1 million km
1 million miles
1 billion km
150 million km

4. a star which generates its own energy. 1 AU from Earth.
QUESTION
The sun is
a star which generates its own energy.
1 AU from Earth.
visible by its own light emission.
all of the above.

5. 2.9 × 107 is the same as 2.9 thousand 29 thousand 290 thousand
QUESTION
2.9 × 107 is the same as
2.9 thousand
29 thousand
290 thousand
2.9 million
29 million

6. QUESTION
Arrange the following distances in order from smallest to largest. I. kilometer II. light-year III. yard IV. Astronomical unit
I, II, III, IV
IV, III, II, I
III, I, IV, II
II, I, IV, III
III, I, II, IV

7. QUESTION
If light takes 8 minutes to travel from the sun to Earth and over 4 hours to travel from the sun to the planet Neptune, what is the distance from the sun to Neptune?
5 AU
30 AU
30 ly
5 ly
0.6 ly

8. In the diagram below, what is the diameter of Jupiter?
QUESTION
In the diagram below, what is the diameter of Jupiter?
About 7.0 × 104 km.
About 7.0 × 105 km.
About 1.4 × 104 km.
About 1.4 × 105 km.
About 3.5 × 106 km.

9. QUESTION
The speed of light is 3.0 × 105 km/sec, and it takes light 1.3 sec for light to travel from the moon to Earth. From this information, what is the distance to the moon?
390,000 km
230,000 km
3.9 km
2.3 km
4.3 × 105 km

10. A typical galaxy like our Milky Way galaxy contains
QUESTION
A typical galaxy like our Milky Way galaxy contains
primarily planets.
gas only.
stars (some with planets), gas and dust.
a single star and planets.
thousands of superclusters.

11. contains about 100 billion stars.
QUESTION
The Milky Way Galaxy
contains about 100 billion stars.
is about 200 light-years in diameter.
is the largest known object in the universe.
all of the above.
1 and 3.

12. part of a cluster of galaxies that contains a few dozen galaxies.
QUESTION
The Milky Way Galaxy is
a spiral galaxy.
part of a cluster of galaxies that contains a few dozen galaxies.
about 80,000 light years in diameter.
all of the above.

13. QUESTION
If the Earth were represented as a basketball (~10 in) and the Moon as a baseball (~3 in) then, to order of magnitude, what size would best represent the diameter of the Sun?
10 ft
100 ft
1000 ft
10000 ft

14. Which sequence is correct when ordered by increasing size?
QUESTION
Which sequence is correct when ordered by increasing size?
Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, clusters of galaxies
Solar System, Earth, galaxy clusters, Milky Way Galaxy
Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Solar System, galaxy clusters
Galaxy clusters, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth

15. How is a planet different from a star?
QUESTION
How is a planet different from a star?
Planets are larger than stars.
Planets reflect light while stars produce their own light.
Stars move faster in the sky than planets.
Planets are brighter than stars.

16. QUESTION
If the distance from the Sun to the Earth is represented by roughly 15 meters, then the distance from the Earth to the Moon on the same scale would be
about 30 meters.
about 10 meters.
about 1 meter.
small than your hand.

17. About the distance between New York and Boston (330 km).
QUESTION
Assume the size of the Sun is represented by a softball with the Earth about 15 meters (150 million km or 8 light minutes) away. Roughly how far away, to scale, would the nearest stars to the Sun be?
About the distance between New York and Boston (330 km).
100 meters away.
About the distance across the United States from New York to Los Angeles (4300 km).
About the distance across 50 football fields (50 x 100 m).

18. If the distance to the nearest star is 4.2 light-years, then
QUESTION
If the distance to the nearest star is 4.2 light-years, then
the star is 4.2 million AU away.
the light we see left the star 4.2 years ago.
the star must have formed 4.2 billion years ago.
the star must be very young.
the star must be very old.

19. QUESTION
Assume a 100 yard football field represents the 14 billion year history of the universe with one end as the origin and the other end representing the present. The existence of human beings will extend from _____ to the present “goal line.”
the 50 yard line
the 5 yard line
the one yard line
the one inch line

20. Which of these is NOT a common misconception?
QUESTION
Which of these is NOT a common misconception?
A light year is a unit of time.
Stars look like disks when seen through a telescope.
A galaxy is a star plus its planets.
All of the above are misconceptions.

21. The average distance from Earth to the Sun is 1 AU.
QUESTION
The average distance from Earth to the Sun is 1 AU.
True
False

22. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
QUESTION
A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
True
False

23. A kilometer contains 1 million meters.
QUESTION
A kilometer contains 1 million meters.
True
False

24. The Sun is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy.
QUESTION
The Sun is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy.
True
False

25. The metric system is a decimal system.
QUESTION
The metric system is a decimal system.
True
False

26. QUESTION
3.42 × 107 km is the same as 3.42 × 104 m.
True
False

27. The numbers 9.81 × 105 and 981,000 are equivalent.
QUESTION
The numbers 9.81 × 105 and 981,000 are equivalent.
True
False

28. A supercluster refers to a large group of stars within the Milky Way.
QUESTION
A supercluster refers to a large group of stars within the Milky Way.
True
False