Question 1

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Superior conjunction 
B)  Greatest elongation 
C)  Inferior conjunction 
D)  Opposition 
A)  Superior conjunction 
B)  Greatest elongation 
C)  Inferior conjunction 
D)  Opposition D

Question 2

What is retrograde motion and what causes it?

Accepted Answer

Most of the time,planets drift slowly eastward relative to the stars,just as the Sun and Moon do.However,occasionally,the planet will seem to stop and then back up for several weeks or months.This occasional westward movement is called retrograde motion.Since planets take different lengths of time to complete an orbit,from time to time one planet will overtake another.The occasional retrograde motion of a planet across the sky is an illusion due to Earth's motion compared to the motion of the other planet.

Question 3

Two of Kepler's laws of planetary motion applied to Earth are that the radius vector from the Sun to Earth sweeps out equal areas in equal times,and that Earth's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus.One consequence of these is that

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth must rotate on its axis. 
B)  the Sun must rotate on its axis. 
C)  Earth moves at different orbital speeds at different times of the year. 
D)  Earth's orbital plane lies in the same plane as the orbits of the other planets. 
A)  Earth must rotate on its axis. 
B)  the Sun must rotate on its axis. 
C)  Earth moves at different orbital speeds at different times of the year. 
D)  Earth's orbital plane lies in the same plane as the orbits of the other planets. C

Question 4

Kepler's third law,the harmonic law,provides a relationship between a planet's

Accepted Answer

A)  mass and orbital period. 
B)  orbital period and length of semimajor axis. 
C)  physical radius and its time of rotation on its axis. 
D)  orbital eccentricity and length of semimajor axis. 
A)  mass and orbital period. 
B)  orbital period and length of semimajor axis. 
C)  physical radius and its time of rotation on its axis. 
D)  orbital eccentricity and length of semimajor axis.

Question 5

A perfect circle is an ellipse with an eccentricity of

Accepted Answer

A)  zero. 
B)  one. 
C)  pi. 
D)  infinity. 
A)  zero. 
B)  one. 
C)  pi. 
D)  infinity.

Question 6

One kilogram can also be written in powers of ten as

Accepted Answer

A)  10-3 grams. 
B)  101 grams. 
C)  103 grams. 
D)  106 grams. 
A)  10-3 grams. 
B)  101 grams. 
C)  103 grams. 
D)  106 grams.

Question 7

One million times one thousand would equal what written in powers of ten?

Accepted Answer

A)  103 
B)  106 
C)  109 
D)  1012 
A)  103 
B)  106 
C)  109 
D)  1012

Question 8

What is Occam's razor and where can it be used?

Accepted Answer

The idea that the simple and most straig

Question 9

The sidereal period is the time it takes the planet to complete one full orbit of the Sun relative to the very distant background stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

To specify an object's velocity completely,we need to specify

Accepted Answer

A)  its speed. 
B)  the rate of change of its acceleration. 
C)  its direction of travel. 
D)  its speed and direction of travel. 
A)  its speed. 
B)  the rate of change of its acceleration. 
C)  its direction of travel. 
D)  its speed and direction of travel.

Question 11

Greek astronomers knew that Earth was round more than 2000 years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

As seen by an observer on Saturn (or one of its moons),which of the following planets can never pass through inferior conjunction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter 
B)  Venus 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Earth 
A)  Jupiter 
B)  Venus 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Earth

Question 13

Acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is

Accepted Answer

A)  significantly smaller than that on Earth. 
B)  the same as on Earth. 
C)  twice that on Earth because the Moon is smaller than Earth. 
D)  zero. 
A)  significantly smaller than that on Earth. 
B)  the same as on Earth. 
C)  twice that on Earth because the Moon is smaller than Earth. 
D)  zero.

Question 14

A rocket that is accelerated by the force from the ejection of large quantities of hot gases represents an example of which physical law originally stated by Newton?

Accepted Answer

A)  First law of motion,concerned with state of rest or uniform motion 
B)  Law of elliptical motion of planets 
C)  Third law of motion,concerning action and reaction forces 
D)  Law of universal gravitation 
A)  First law of motion,concerned with state of rest or uniform motion 
B)  Law of elliptical motion of planets 
C)  Third law of motion,concerning action and reaction forces 
D)  Law of universal gravitation

Question 15

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Accepted Answer

Speed is the rate change of di

Question 16

To which point in a planetary orbit does the word "perihelion" refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  The "other" focus (the one not occupied by the Sun) 
B)  The precise center of the orbit 
C)  The point closest to the Sun 
D)  The point farthest from the Sun 
A)  The "other" focus (the one not occupied by the Sun) 
B)  The precise center of the orbit 
C)  The point closest to the Sun 
D)  The point farthest from the Sun

Question 17

The person who first showed that planetary orbits are ellipses was

Accepted Answer

A)  Kepler. 
B)  Newton. 
C)  Galileo. 
D)  Copernicus. 
A)  Kepler. 
B)  Newton. 
C)  Galileo. 
D)  Copernicus.

Question 18

The early Copernican system for planetary motions is

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth-centered,with planets,the Sun,and the stars moving in perfect circles. 
B)  Earth-centered,with planets moving in epicycle patterns around Earth. 
C)  Sun-centered,with planets moving in perfect circles around the Sun. 
D)  Sun-centered,with planets moving in elliptical orbits,the Sun being at one focus of the ellipse. 
A)  Earth-centered,with planets,the Sun,and the stars moving in perfect circles. 
B)  Earth-centered,with planets moving in epicycle patterns around Earth. 
C)  Sun-centered,with planets moving in perfect circles around the Sun. 
D)  Sun-centered,with planets moving in elliptical orbits,the Sun being at one focus of the ellipse.

Question 19

Which one of the following does NOT exhibit retrograde motion when observed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  The Moon 
D)  Mars 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  The Moon 
D)  Mars

Question 20

Venus shows changes in angular size and also shows phases similar to those of the Moon.When Galileo first saw these changes,he concluded that

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus orbits the Moon. 
B)  Venus orbits the Sun. 
C)  the Moon really orbits Venus,not Earth,after all. 
D)  Venus,like the Moon,orbits Earth. 
A)  Venus orbits the Moon. 
B)  Venus orbits the Sun. 
C)  the Moon really orbits Venus,not Earth,after all. 
D)  Venus,like the Moon,orbits Earth.

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Venus?

What is retrograde motion and what causes it?

Two of Kepler's laws of planetary motion applied to Earth are that the radius vector from the Sun to Earth sweeps out equal areas in equal times,and that Earth's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus.One consequence of these is that

Kepler's third law,the harmonic law,provides a relationship between a planet's

A perfect circle is an ellipse with an eccentricity of

One kilogram can also be written in powers of ten as

One million times one thousand would equal what written in powers of ten?

What is Occam's razor and where can it be used?

The sidereal period is the time it takes the planet to complete one full orbit of the Sun relative to the very distant background stars.

To specify an object's velocity completely,we need to specify

Greek astronomers knew that Earth was round more than 2000 years ago.

As seen by an observer on Saturn (or one of its moons),which of the following planets can never pass through inferior conjunction?

Acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is

A rocket that is accelerated by the force from the ejection of large quantities of hot gases represents an example of which physical law originally stated by Newton?

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

To which point in a planetary orbit does the word "perihelion" refer?

The person who first showed that planetary orbits are ellipses was

The early Copernican system for planetary motions is

Which one of the following does NOT exhibit retrograde motion when observed from Earth?

Venus shows changes in angular size and also shows phases similar to those of the Moon.When Galileo first saw these changes,he concluded that

Predicting the Motions of the Stars, Sun, and Moon

Decoding the Hidden Messages in Starlight

Exploring Our Evolving Solar System

Uncovering Earths Systems

Exploring Terrestrial Surface Processes and Atmospheres

Observing the Dynamic Giant Planets

Looking for Life Beyond Earth

Probing the Dynamic Sun

Observing Properties of Distant Stars

Inferring Patterns in Star Life Cycles

Predicting the Violent End of the Largest Stars

Exploring Our Galaxy

Investigating Other Galaxies

Observing the Evolution of the Universe

Filters

Exam 3: Analyzing Scales and Motions of the Universe

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Venus?

What is retrograde motion and what causes it?

Two of Kepler's laws of planetary motion applied to Earth are that the radius vector from the Sun to Earth sweeps out equal areas in equal times,and that Earth's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus.One consequence of these is that

Kepler's third law,the harmonic law,provides a relationship between a planet's

A perfect circle is an ellipse with an eccentricity of

One kilogram can also be written in powers of ten as

One million times one thousand would equal what written in powers of ten?

What is Occam's razor and where can it be used?

The sidereal period is the time it takes the planet to complete one full orbit of the Sun relative to the very distant background stars.

To specify an object's velocity completely,we need to specify

Greek astronomers knew that Earth was round more than 2000 years ago.

As seen by an observer on Saturn (or one of its moons),which of the following planets can never pass through inferior conjunction?

Acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is

A rocket that is accelerated by the force from the ejection of large quantities of hot gases represents an example of which physical law originally stated by Newton?

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

To which point in a planetary orbit does the word "perihelion" refer?

The person who first showed that planetary orbits are ellipses was

The early Copernican system for planetary motions is

Which one of the following does NOT exhibit retrograde motion when observed from Earth?

Venus shows changes in angular size and also shows phases similar to those of the Moon.When Galileo first saw these changes,he concluded that

Predicting the Motions of the Stars, Sun, and Moon

Decoding the Hidden Messages in Starlight

Exploring Our Evolving Solar System

Uncovering Earths Systems

Exploring Terrestrial Surface Processes and Atmospheres

Observing the Dynamic Giant Planets

Looking for Life Beyond Earth

Probing the Dynamic Sun

Observing Properties of Distant Stars

Inferring Patterns in Star Life Cycles

Predicting the Violent End of the Largest Stars

Exploring Our Galaxy

Investigating Other Galaxies

Observing the Evolution of the Universe

Filters