Question 1

Generally, planets and moons in our solar system are named after

Accepted Answer

A)  great writers and poets from the past 
B)  gods and goddesses from mythology 
C)  the political leaders of ancient Greece and Rome 
D)  leading scientists from long ago 
E)  whatever astronomers want 
A)  great writers and poets from the past 
B)  gods and goddesses from mythology 
C)  the political leaders of ancient Greece and Rome 
D)  leading scientists from long ago 
E)  whatever astronomers want

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

A)  iron 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  silicon 
E)  you can't fool me, there are equal amount of ALL the elements in those planets 
A)  iron 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  silicon 
E)  you can't fool me, there are equal amount of ALL the elements in those planets

Question 3

In the far future, a visiting tourist from another planetary system asks to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take him/her/it?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  the asteroid belt 
D)  Comet Halley 
E)  Neptune 
A)  the Sun 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  the asteroid belt 
D)  Comet Halley 
E)  Neptune

Question 4

During the process of differentiation,

Accepted Answer

A)  satellites separate from the parent planets and go into their own orbits 
B)  the faster planets move further out from the Sun 
C)  heavier materials sink to the centers of molten planets 
D)  the atmosphere of a planet changes from oxidized to reduced 
E)  the surface of a planet changes to resemble Bayonne, New Jersey 
A)  satellites separate from the parent planets and go into their own orbits 
B)  the faster planets move further out from the Sun 
C)  heavier materials sink to the centers of molten planets 
D)  the atmosphere of a planet changes from oxidized to reduced 
E)  the surface of a planet changes to resemble Bayonne, New Jersey

Question 5

Today, the chemistry of the terrestrial planets does not include a lot of free hydrogen. Chemists call the chemistry in places like the Earth:

Accepted Answer

A)  reduced 
B)  expanded 
C)  silicate 
D)  oxidized 
E)  comet-like 
A)  reduced 
B)  expanded 
C)  silicate 
D)  oxidized 
E)  comet-like

Question 6

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  its atmosphere (whether it has one and how thick it is) 
B)  the number of large moons that are close to the planet 
C)  how fast the planet is spinning (the length of its day) 
D)  whether its core has a lot of iron in it 
E)  none of the above (only distance from the Sun affects a planet's temperature) 
A)  its atmosphere (whether it has one and how thick it is) 
B)  the number of large moons that are close to the planet 
C)  how fast the planet is spinning (the length of its day) 
D)  whether its core has a lot of iron in it 
E)  none of the above (only distance from the Sun affects a planet's temperature)

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

A)  comets 
B)  satellites 
C)  Titius-Bode objects 
D)  asteroids 
E)  silicates 
A)  comets 
B)  satellites 
C)  Titius-Bode objects 
D)  asteroids 
E)  silicates

Question 8

What is one way that astronomers have actually gotten an idea of the age of the surfaces of terrestrial planets other than the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  looking at the colors different surfaces show 
B)  bringing back samples and run radioactive dating tests 
C)  counting craters 
D)  measuring the thickness of the atmosphere above each surface 
E)  looking in the instruction manual that comes with each planet 
A)  looking at the colors different surfaces show 
B)  bringing back samples and run radioactive dating tests 
C)  counting craters 
D)  measuring the thickness of the atmosphere above each surface 
E)  looking in the instruction manual that comes with each planet

Question 9

When chemists say that a planet's upper regions are reduced, they mean that these regions

Accepted Answer

A)  have far less material than other parts of the planet 
B)  are dominated by the element oxygen and its compounds 
C)  are so warm that no molecules can exist 
D)  are dominated by the element hydrogen and its compounds 
E)  have been bombarded over the years by many asteroids, causing large craters on the surface 
A)  have far less material than other parts of the planet 
B)  are dominated by the element oxygen and its compounds 
C)  are so warm that no molecules can exist 
D)  are dominated by the element hydrogen and its compounds 
E)  have been bombarded over the years by many asteroids, causing large craters on the surface

Question 10

What is the most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30-40 years than all of history before then.

Accepted Answer

A)  astronomers today are a lot smarter than astronomers were earlier 
B)  the Hubble Space Telescope 
C)  we have been able to send spacecraft to gather information about planets and moons up close 
D)  radio telescope arrays allow astronomers to make out details on the planets that they have never been able to see before 
E)  the planets (moving in their slow orbits around the Sun) happen to be closer to the Earth in the last 30 years than at any previous time in human history 
A)  astronomers today are a lot smarter than astronomers were earlier 
B)  the Hubble Space Telescope 
C)  we have been able to send spacecraft to gather information about planets and moons up close 
D)  radio telescope arrays allow astronomers to make out details on the planets that they have never been able to see before 
E)  the planets (moving in their slow orbits around the Sun) happen to be closer to the Earth in the last 30 years than at any previous time in human history

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

A)  the all have one or more moons 
B)  all have liquid water on their surfaces 
C)  they all rotate in 24 hours or less 
D)  they all have thick atmospheres 
E)  they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them 
A)  the all have one or more moons 
B)  all have liquid water on their surfaces 
C)  they all rotate in 24 hours or less 
D)  they all have thick atmospheres 
E)  they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them

Question 12

A planet in our solar system whose composition resembles that of our Sun is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto 
E)  you can't fool me, the planets are all made of materials quite different from those in the Sun 
A)  Earth 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Pluto 
E)  you can't fool me, the planets are all made of materials quite different from those in the Sun

Question 13

The first trans-Neptunian object astronomers found (in 1930) is called

Accepted Answer

A)  Uranus 
B)  Pluto 
C)  Eris 
D)  Ceres 
E)  Bayonne 
A)  Uranus 
B)  Pluto 
C)  Eris 
D)  Ceres 
E)  Bayonne

Question 14

In the four terrestrial planets, the densest, heaviest materials are at the center and not evenly distributed throughout the planet. Scientists interpret this observation to mean that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the four terrestrial planets must once have been inside the Sun 
B)  the four terrestrial planets must once have been hot enough to be molten (like a liquid) 
C)  the four terrestrial planets must have formed where Jupiter and Saturn now are 
D)  the four terrestrial planets must have collided with each other many times 
E)  none of the above 
A)  the four terrestrial planets must once have been inside the Sun 
B)  the four terrestrial planets must once have been hot enough to be molten (like a liquid) 
C)  the four terrestrial planets must have formed where Jupiter and Saturn now are 
D)  the four terrestrial planets must have collided with each other many times 
E)  none of the above

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

A)  planetesimals 
B)  nebuloids 
C)  satellites 
D)  differentiated objects 
E)  jovians 
A)  planetesimals 
B)  nebuloids 
C)  satellites 
D)  differentiated objects 
E)  jovians

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

A)  jovians have more mass than the terrestrials 
B)  jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials 
C)  jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials 
D)  jovians have rings while terrestrials do not 
E)  jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials 
A)  jovians have more mass than the terrestrials 
B)  jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials 
C)  jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials 
D)  jovians have rings while terrestrials do not 
E)  jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials

Exam 7: Other Worlds: an Introduction to the Solar System

Generally, planets and moons in our solar system are named after

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

In the far future, a visiting tourist from another planetary system asks to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take him/her/it?

During the process of differentiation,

Today, the chemistry of the terrestrial planets does not include a lot of free hydrogen. Chemists call the chemistry in places like the Earth:

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?

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

What is one way that astronomers have actually gotten an idea of the age of the surfaces of terrestrial planets other than the Earth?

When chemists say that a planet's upper regions are reduced, they mean that these regions

What is the most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30-40 years than all of history before then.

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

A planet in our solar system whose composition resembles that of our Sun is:

The first trans-Neptunian object astronomers found (in 1930) is called

In the four terrestrial planets, the densest, heaviest materials are at the center and not evenly distributed throughout the planet. Scientists interpret this observation to mean that:

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

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

Science and the Universe: a Brief Tour

Observing the Sky: the Birth of Astronomy

Orbits and Gravity

Earth, Moon, and Sky

Radiation and Spectra

Astronomical Instruments

Earth As a Planet

Cratered Worlds: the Moon and Mercury

Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars

The Giant Planets

Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System

Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System

The Sun: a Garden-Variety Star

The Sun: a Nuclear Powerhouse

Analyzing Starlight

The Stars: a Celestial Census

Celestial Distances

Between the Stars

The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets Outside the Solar System

Stars From Adolescence to Old Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes and Curved Space-Time

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes

The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies

The Big Bang

Life in the Universe

Filters