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2. Question 1 Which of the following are terrestrial planets? Only Earth
Earth, Moon, and Venus
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Pluto
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Ceres
Answer: c
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3. Terrestrial planets are “Earth-like.”
Question 1
Which of the following are terrestrial planets?
Only Earth
Earth, Moon, and Venus
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Pluto
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Ceres
Terrestrial planets are “Earth-like.”
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4. Question 2
The major difference(s) between the terrestrial and jovian planets involve(s)
mass.
density.
surface gravity.
density and surface gravity.
mass and density.
Answer: e
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5. Question 2
The major difference(s) between the terrestrial and jovian planets involve(s)
mass.
density.
surface gravity.
density and surface gravity.
mass and density.
Jovian planets are more massive, but less dense, than terrestrial planets.
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6. Question 3 Which of the following defines density?
Mass times surface gravity
Mass divided by volume
Size divided by weight
Mass times surface area
Weight divided by size
Answer: b
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7. Question 3 Which of the following defines density?
Mass times surface gravity
Mass divided by volume
Size divided by weight
Mass times surface area
Weight divided by size
Explanation: Density can be thought of as Matter Space
Lots of matter in a small space = high density.
Little matter in a large space = low density.
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8. Question 4 The angular diameter of an object
increases if the object is farther away.
decreases if the object is farther away.
is measured in light-years.
determines its parallax.
depends on its location in the sky.
Answer: b
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9. Question 4 The angular diameter of an object
increases if the object is farther away.
decreases if the object is farther away.
is measured in light-years.
determines its parallax.
depends on its location in the sky.
Explanation: Angular diameter depends directly on size and inversely on distance.
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10. Question 5
Compared with terrestrial planets, jovian planets share all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
low density.
large size.
many moons.
ring systems.
slower rotation.
Answer: e
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11. Question 5
Compared with terrestrial planets, jovian planets share all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
low density.
large size.
many moons.
ring systems.
slower rotation.
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12. Question 6 Pluto seems to be more similar to the terrestrial planets.
the jovian planets.
asteroids.
the moons of jovian planets.
the moons of terrestrial planets.
Answer: d
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13. Question 6 Pluto seems to be more similar to the terrestrial planets.
the jovian planets.
asteroids.
the moons of jovian planets.
the moons of terrestrial planets.
Explanation: Pluto is perhaps best categorized as a Kuiper belt object rather than a planet.
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14. Question 7 Most asteroids are found beyond the orbit of Neptune.
between Earth and the Sun.
between Mars and Jupiter.
in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead or behind it.
orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits.
Answer: c
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15. Question 7 Most asteroids are found beyond the orbit of Neptune.
between Earth and the Sun.
between Mars and Jupiter.
in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead or behind it.
orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits.
The asteroid belt is located between
2.1 and 3.3 AU
from the Sun.
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16. Question 8 The asteroid belt is evidence of
a planet that once orbited the Sun but later was destroyed.
ancient material from the formation of the solar system.
a collision between Jupiter and one of its larger moons.
comets that were trapped by Jupiter’s gravitational field.
Answer: b
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17. Question 8 The asteroid belt is evidence of
a planet that once orbited the Sun but later was destroyed.
ancient material from the formation of the solar system.
a collision between Jupiter and one of its larger moons.
comets that were trapped by Jupiter’s gravitational field.
Explanation: Asteroids, meteoroids, and comets may have not changed at all since the solar system formed.
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18. Question 9
Compared to asteroids, comets show all of these properties EXCEPT
their densities are higher.
their orbits tend to be less circular.
they tend to be made of ice.
they can look fuzzy, whereas asteroids appear as moving points of light.
their average distances from the Sun are far greater.
Answer: a
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19. Question 9
Compared to asteroids, comets show all of these properties EXCEPT
their densities are higher.
their orbits tend to be less circular.
they tend to be made of ice.
they can look fuzzy, whereas asteroids appear as moving points of light.
their average distances from the Sun are far greater.
Explanation: Comets have densities much lower than asteroids or planets.
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20. Question 10 What causes a meteor shower?
A comet and an asteroid colliding
Earth running into a stray swarm of asteroids
Earth running into the debris of an old comet littering its orbit
Meteorites being ejected from the Moon
Debris from a supernova entering Earth’s atmosphere
Answer: c
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21. Question 10 What causes a meteor shower?
A comet and an asteroid colliding
Earth running into a stray swarm of asteroids
Earth running into the debris of an old comet littering its orbit
Meteorites being ejected from the Moon
Debris from a supernova entering Earth’s atmosphere
Explanation: Meteor showers can generate a few shooting stars, to hundreds of thousands, seen in an hour.
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22. Question 11
Any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain all of these EXCEPT
the orbits of the planets are nearly circular and in the same plane.
the direction that planets orbit the Sun is opposite to the Sun’s spin.
the terrestrial planets have higher density and lower mass.
comets do not necessarily orbit in the plane of the solar system.
Answer: b
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23. Question 11
Any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain all of these EXCEPT
the orbits of the planets are nearly circular and in the same plane.
the direction that planets orbit the Sun is opposite to the Sun’s spin.
the terrestrial planets have higher density and lower mass.
comets do not necessarily orbit in the plane of the solar system.
Explanation: The planets do orbit in the same direction that the Sun spins. Most also spin in that direction, and most also have large moons that orbit in that direction.
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24. Question 12 The condensation sequence theory explains why
our planet Earth has water and rain.
stars are more likely to form large planets orbiting very near.
terrestrial planets are different from jovian planets.
the Moon formed near Earth.
Pluto has such a circular orbit.
Answer: c
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25. Question 12 The condensation sequence theory explains why
our planet Earth has water and rain.
stars are more likely to form large planets orbiting very near.
terrestrial planets are different from jovian planets.
the Moon formed near Earth.
Pluto has such a circular orbit.
Explanation: The condensation sequence theory explains how the temperature of the early solar nebula controls which materials are solid and which are gaseous.
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26. Question 13
Astronomers have detected most extrasolar planets by observing
the “wobble” of their parent stars using spectroscopy.
starlight reflected by their surfaces.
eclipses when the planets block the light of their parent stars.
the planets’ changing phases as they orbit their stars.
Answer: a
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27. Question 13
Astronomers have detected most extrasolar planets by observing
the “wobble” of their parent stars using spectroscopy.
starlight reflected by their surfaces.
eclipses when the planets block the light of their parent stars.
the planets’ changing phases as they orbit their stars.
Explanation: Measurements of the periodic Doppler shift in the spectra of the star 51 Pegasi indicate it has a planetary companion.
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28. Question 14
Extrasolar planets the size of Earth have NOT yet been seen with current techniques because
small planets probably don’t exist.
the large planets nearby have swept them up.
Earth-like planets take time to form.
large planets orbiting near their stars are more easily detected.
small planets can only be seen if they cross in front of their star.
Answer: d
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29. Question 14
Extrasolar planets the size of Earth have NOT yet been seen with current techniques because
small planets probably don’t exist.
the large planets nearby have swept them up.
Earth-like planets take time to form.
large planets orbiting near their stars are more easily detected.
small planets can only be seen if they cross in front of their star.
Explanation: Looking for detectable “wobbles” in the spectra of stars finds massive planets with small orbits. Other techniques may be needed to see less massive Earth-like planets.
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