Exam 1 & 2 Questions Flashcards
The lunar mare are found
mainly on the near side.
What is the name of the temperature scale that places zero at the point where all atomic and molecular motion ceases?
Kelvin
Which of these was NOT seen telescopically by Galileo?
stellar parallax
At the solstices, the Sun’s declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
true
Which of these is the same for all forms of electromagnetic (E-M) radiation in a vacuum?
speed
The synodic month is
29.5 days.
If the distance between two asteroids is doubled, the gravitational force they exert on each other will
be one-fourth as great.
The most energetic photons are
gamma rays
Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon’s origin?
impact theory
The average rate of erosion on the Moon is far less than on Earth because
the Moon lacks wind, water, and an atmosphere.
The Moon and the crustal rocks of Earth are similar in density.
true
The oldest rocks found on the Earth’s surface date back about ________ billion years.
four
What is true of the Moon’s orbital and rotational periods?
they are equal
When the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, its phase is
full
A solar eclipse can only happen during a
new moon
All the terrestrial planets lie inside the asteroid belt.
true
The shorter a wave’s wavelength, the greater its energy.
true
There is no evidence for plate tectonics on the Moon today.
true
In the Doppler effect, a redshift of spectral lines shows us the source is receding from us.
true
Radio waves, visible light, and X-rays are all types of electromagnetic radiation.
true
The mean distance between the Earth and Sun is called
the astronomical unit.
In the past, most of the landmass on Earth was concentrated in a single, large continent.
true
The lunar mare are younger than any of the craters that sit in them.
false
________ has the largest gravitational pull on Earth.
the sun
The Moon’s surface gravity is only half the Earth’s.
false
Due to their great masses, all four jovian worlds are much denser than the Earth.
false
Kepler’s first law worked, where Copernicus’ original heliocentric model failed, because Kepler described the orbits as
elliptical, not circular.
In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.
false
The fact that the Earth has moved along its orbit in the time it took to rotate once is the reason for
the difference between solar and sidereal time.
A blue star has a higher surface temperature than a red star.
true
The critical part of the atmosphere for protecting life on the ground from excessive ultraviolet radiation is the
ozone layer
If the Moon rises at sunset, then its phase must be
full
The presence of a magnetic field is a good indication that
the Earth has a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as it rotates.
Earth’s magnetic field
the Earth has a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as it rotates
Earth’s magnetic field
prevents charged particles in the solar wind from reaching the surface.
What are constellations?
groups of stars making an apparent pattern in the celestial sphere
The force of gravity varies with the
product of the two masses
inverse square of the distance separating the two bodies
When a planet’s orbit takes it closest to the Sun, it’s called
perihelion
According to Kepler’s third law, if you know the planet’s orbital period, you can find its average distance from the Sun.
true
The time for the Moon to orbit Earth, relative to the stars is
27.3 days.
The three most abundant gases in our atmosphere are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.
true
Pluto is now classified as a ________ in our solar system.
dwarf planet
The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles.
nebular hypothesis
Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface.
true
Which one of the following is not found on Mars?
H2O-rich atmosphere
Vast, circular to elliptical dark-colored areas on the moon called maria represent ________.
very large impact craters filled with basaltic lava
The four largest moons of Jupiter are comets and asteroids captured by the intense gravity of Jupiter.
false
The atmosphere of Mars is less dense than Earth’s, but dust storms and sand dunes indicate wind action occurs on Mars.
true
The outermost layer of the Sun is called the ________.
corona
The frequency of sunspots and related solar activity is ________.
an 11 year cycle
The most popular theory for the origin of the moon today is ________.
the early Earth and a planet the size of Mars collided, and the ejected material coalesced to form the earth’s moon.
A comet is visible because ________.
it is a small object, but it ejects gas and dust that at is dispersed by the solar wind to form a tail thousands of km long
Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system.
true
The Sun produces energy by converting ________.
hydrogen nuclei to helium nuclei
Most of the Moon’s craters were produced by ________.
the impact of meteoroids
The layer of the solar atmosphere directly above the photosphere is referred to as the ________.
chromosphere
________ meteorites are thought to be analogous in composition to Earth’s core.
iron
________ are found both on Mars and Earth.
Erosional features related to flowing water
________ are small, extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth’s atmosphere.
meteroroids
Several of the moons of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune display evidence of volcanic activity. What is the most common type of volcano on these moons?
ice volcanos
Saturn is famous for its rings. Which of the following Jovian planets does not have rings?
all of the Jovian planets have rings
The high surface temperatures of ________ have been attributed to the greenhouse effect.
Venus
Most of the mass in the solar system is contained ________.
in the sun
The most conspicuous features on the surface of the Sun are dark areas called ________.
sunspots
________ refers to the bright head of a comet.
coma
The layer of the Sun that radiates most of the light that reaches Earth is called the ________.
photosphere
The largest known volcano in the solar system is ________.
Olympus Mons on Mars
If you live at high latitude, when do you expect to see the aurora?
at times of high sunspot activity, during the active sun
What moon in the outer solar system is most “earthlike” in terms of landforms, and possesses liquids (liquid methane not water) flowing across the surface?
titan
Which planet rotates the opposite direction it revolves around the sun?
Venus
The source of the Sun’s energy is ________.
nuclear fusion
________ is the principal gas in the Venusian atmosphere and also a minor component of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.
carbon dioxide
The planet with the highest density is a terrestrial planet.
true
Streams of protons and electrons emitted from the Sun produce ________.
the solar wind
The Sun is considered an “average star.”
true
Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?
Neptune
The very large, lava-covered areas of the Moon are called maria.
true
