astronomy exam 2

Question 1

T/F: With the exception of Venus, planetary surface temps decrease at greater. distances from the sun

Answer 1

True

Question 2

t/f: Pluto is part of the Oort Cloud

Answer 2

False

Question 3

t/f: within the frost line, planetesimals were composed entirely of rock, and outside the frost line, planetesimals were composed entirely of ice

Answer 3

false

Question 4

An object orbiting a larger object that orbits the sun is called a

Answer 4

moon

Question 5

between the orbits of mars and Jupiter lies a place called the

Answer 5

frost line

Question 6

what do we mean by accretion in the context of planet formation

Answer 6

the growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together

Question 7

The frost line is between the orbits of which two planets

Answer 7

Mars & Jupiter

Question 8

T/F: The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets

Answer 8

True

Question 9

according to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size

Answer 9

the law of conservation of angular momentum

Question 10

which of the following are relatively unchanged fragments from the early period of planet building in our solar system

Answer 10

Oort clouds comets, asteroids, Kuiper Belt comets

Question 11

T/F: all the planets in the solar system have at least one moon

Answer 11

False

Question 12

suppose you start with 1 kg of radioactive substance that has a half-life of 10 years. which of the following statements will be true after 20 years pass

Answer 12

you’ll have .25 kg of the radioactive substance remaining

Question 13

suppose you view the solar system from high above earth’s North Pole. which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true?

Answer 13

all the planets orbit counterclockwise around the sun

Question 14

in essence, the solar nebular theory states that

Answer 14

our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust

Question 15

according to our theory of solar system formation, what are asteroids and comets?

Answer 15

leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets

Question 16

which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets

Answer 16

they have substantial atmosphere

Question 17

in which part of the solar system is Pluto found

Answer 17

the Kuiper belt

Question 18

T/F: Jupiter and the other gas giants formed close to the sun and migrated outward

Answer 18

False

Question 19

where are most of the known asteroids found?

Answer 19

between the orbits of mars and Jupiter

Question 20

based on studies of the composition of stars and interstellar gas clouds, what was the approximate chemical composition of the solar nebula

Answer 20

98% hydrogen

Question 21

t/f: earth is the only planet in the solar system known to have active plate tectonics across its entire surface

Answer 21

true

Question 22

which of the following most likely explains why Venus does NOT have a global magnetic field like earth

Answer 22

its rotation is too slow

Question 23

rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest

Answer 23

Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth

Question 24

In what way is Venus most similar to earth

Answer 24

both planets are nearly the same size

Question 25

The core, mantle, and crust of a planet primarily have differences in their

Answer 25

density

Question 26

T/F: Today, Mars has no global magnetic field

Answer 26

true

Question 27

T/f: in the inner solar system, the largest surface features are found on the largest planets

Answer 27

False

Question 28

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temp is

Answer 28

Venus

Question 29

How does earth's magnetosphere affect our atmosphere

Answer 29

it deflects solar wind particles that would otherwise strip away the atmosphere

Question 30

There are no auroras on Venus because it

Answer 30

lacks a strong magnetic field

Question 31

mars has two moons that are most similar in character to

Answer 31

small asteroids

Question 32

which planet has been visited by the largest number of robotic spacecraft

Answer 32

mars

Question 33

T/F: with the exception of Venus, planetary surface temps decrease at greater distances from the sun

Answer 33

True

Question 34

which of the following best describes the lunar Maria

Answer 34

relatively smooth, flat plans on the moon

Question 35

mars' atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, why does it not experience a runaway greenhouse effect like Venus

Answer 35

Mars' atmosphere is too thin

Question 36

True/False: earth is habitable in part due to the greenhouse effect

Answer 36

True

Question 37

which of the following worlds has the thickest atmosphere

Answer 37

Venus

Question 38

which planet could an astronaut visit without the need for a spacesuit, and survive

Answer 38

None, they need a spacesuit

Question 39

which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field

Answer 39

Earth

Question 40

which planet has the most extreme temps difference between day and night

Answer 40

Mercury

Question 41

why do astronomers believe that triton is a captured moon

Answer 41

Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptunes rotation

Question 42

why do Uranus and Neptune appear blue

Answer 42

the methane gas in their atmospheres absorbs all colors except blue

Question 43

T/F: the mass of Saturn can be determined by applying Kepler's 3rd law to the motion of a single ice particle in its rings

Answer 43

True

Question 44

T/F: it is impossible to land a spacecraft on any moons of the Jovian planets

Answer 44

False

Question 45

T/F: Only one of the moons of the jovian planets has an atmosphere thicker than earth's atmosphere

Answer 45

True

Question 46

True/ False: Jupiter is the only Jovian planet with large storms

Answer 46

False

Question 47

where is Jupiter's strong magnetic field generated

Answer 47

metallic hydrogen layer

Question 48

How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on earth

Answer 48

they are much faster than average wind speeds on earth

Question 49

which statement about Io is true

Answer 49

it is the most volcanically active body in our solar system

Question 50

which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons

Answer 50

the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

Question 51

T/F: Ganymede is larger than Mercury, but it is not classified as a planet because it orbits Jupiter as opposed to the sun

Answer 51

True

Question 52

which planet has the lowest density

Answer 52

saturn

Question 53

which jovian planet does not have rings

Answer 53

all jovian planets have rings

Question 54

overall, Jupiters composition is most like that of

Answer 54

the sun

Question 55

what is the great red spot

Answer 55

a long-lived, high-pressure storm on jupiter

Question 56

what would you see as you looked down on the rings

Answer 56

countless ice particles, ranging in size from dust grains to large boulders

Question 57

which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen

Answer 57

Titan

Question 58

which of the following is not general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system

Answer 58

they are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets

Question 59

which jovian planet should have the most extreme seasonal changes

Answer 59

Uranus