Question 1

Approximately where is it currently high tide on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) wherever it is currently noon 
B) only on the portion of the Earth facing directly toward the Moon 
C) on the portion of Earth facing directly toward the Moon and on the portion of Earth facing directly away from the Moon 
D) anywhere that ocean water laps upon the shore 
A) wherever it is currently noon 
B) only on the portion of the Earth facing directly toward the Moon 
C) on the portion of Earth facing directly toward the Moon and on the portion of Earth facing directly away from the Moon 
D) anywhere that ocean water laps upon the shore

Question 2

According to the universal law of gravitation, the force due to gravity is

Accepted Answer

A) directly proportional to the distance between objects. 
B) not dependent on the distance between objects. 
C) inversely proportional to the square of the distance between objects. 
D) inversely proportional to the distance between objects. 
E) directly proportional to the square of the distance between objects. 
A) directly proportional to the distance between objects. 
B) not dependent on the distance between objects. 
C) inversely proportional to the square of the distance between objects. 
D) inversely proportional to the distance between objects. 
E) directly proportional to the square of the distance between objects.

Question 3

0 degrees Kelvin is

Accepted Answer

A) the temperature at which all random particle motion stops. 
B) the temperature at which all particles move at the speed of light. 
C) meaningless, a temperature outside the range defined for the Kelvin scale. 
D) the temperature at which all particles transform into light. 
A) the temperature at which all random particle motion stops. 
B) the temperature at which all particles move at the speed of light. 
C) meaningless, a temperature outside the range defined for the Kelvin scale. 
D) the temperature at which all particles transform into light.

Question 4

There is no gravity in space.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Give an example in which kinetic energy can be converted to thermal energy.

Accepted Answer

The brakes on a car: applying the brakes

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the origin of ocean tides on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) Tides are caused on the side of the Earth nearest the Moon because the Moon's gravity attracts the water. 
B) Tides are caused by the 23.5- degree tilt of the Earth's rotational axis to the ecliptic plane. 
C) The Moon's gravity pulls harder on water than on land, because water is less dense than rock. 
D) Tides are caused by the difference in the force of gravity exerted by the Moon across the sphere of the Earth. 
A) Tides are caused on the side of the Earth nearest the Moon because the Moon's gravity attracts the water. 
B) Tides are caused by the 23.5- degree tilt of the Earth's rotational axis to the ecliptic plane. 
C) The Moon's gravity pulls harder on water than on land, because water is less dense than rock. 
D) Tides are caused by the difference in the force of gravity exerted by the Moon across the sphere of the Earth.

Question 7

If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) 10 lb 
B) 60 kg 
C) 10 kg 
D) 60 lb 
E) 50 kg 
A) 10 lb 
B) 60 kg 
C) 10 kg 
D) 60 lb 
E) 50 kg

Question 8

What quantities does angular momentum depend upon?

Accepted Answer

A) force and radius 
B) mass and velocity 
C) mass, velocity, and radius 
D) force, velocity, and radius 
E) momentum and angular velocity 
A) force and radius 
B) mass and velocity 
C) mass, velocity, and radius 
D) force, velocity, and radius 
E) momentum and angular velocity

Question 9

The escape velocity from Earth is greater for larger rockets than for small ones.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states: In this equation, what do M1 and M2 represent?

Accepted Answer

A) the orbital period 
B) the average distance between the two objects 
C) the masses of the two objects 
D) the universal gravitational constant 
A) the orbital period 
B) the average distance between the two objects 
C) the masses of the two objects 
D) the universal gravitational constant

Question 11

When energy is converted from one form to another, a tiny amount is inevitably lost.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

What is the acceleration of gravity at the surface of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 9)8 km/s2 downward 
B) 9)8 km/s downward 
C) 9)8 m2/s downward 
D) 9)8 m/s2 downward 
E) 9)8 m/s downward 
A) 9)8 km/s2 downward 
B) 9)8 km/s downward 
C) 9)8 m2/s downward 
D) 9)8 m/s2 downward 
E) 9)8 m/s downward

Question 13

A planet is orbiting a star. Which of the following statements is true for the acceleration and gravitational forces experienced by the star and the planet?

Accepted Answer

A) The force on the star is much smaller than the force on the planet, but the accelerations are about equal. 
B) The acceleration of the planet is much more than the acceleration of the star, but the force on the star is the same but opposite the force on the planet. 
C) The acceleration of the planet is much more than the acceleration of the star, and the force on the planet is much more than the force on the star. 
A) The force on the star is much smaller than the force on the planet, but the accelerations are about equal. 
B) The acceleration of the planet is much more than the acceleration of the star, but the force on the star is the same but opposite the force on the planet. 
C) The acceleration of the planet is much more than the acceleration of the star, and the force on the planet is much more than the force on the star.

Question 14

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states According to this, what observational information does one need in order to calculate the combined mass of a planet and its moon?

Accepted Answer

A) the orbital period and the density of the two objects 
B) the radius of the two planets in meters and the average distance between them 
C) the average distance between the two objects and the orbital period 
D) It is impossible to determine the mass of any astronomical object. 
A) the orbital period and the density of the two objects 
B) the radius of the two planets in meters and the average distance between them 
C) the average distance between the two objects and the orbital period 
D) It is impossible to determine the mass of any astronomical object.

Question 15

The gravitational force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is equal and opposite to that which the Moon exerts on the Earth. Therefore, according to Newton's second law of motion,

Accepted Answer

A) the Moon and the Earth both have equal accelerations, because the forces are equal. 
B) the Earth has a larger acceleration than the Moon, because it has a larger mass. 
C) the Moon has a larger acceleration than the Earth, because it has a smaller mass. 
A) the Moon and the Earth both have equal accelerations, because the forces are equal. 
B) the Earth has a larger acceleration than the Moon, because it has a larger mass. 
C) the Moon has a larger acceleration than the Earth, because it has a smaller mass.

Question 16

Momentum is defined as .

Accepted Answer

A) force times velocity 
B) mass times speed 
C) mass times acceleration 
D) mass times velocity 
A) force times velocity 
B) mass times speed 
C) mass times acceleration 
D) mass times velocity

Question 17

A popular end for many cartoon characters is to fall into a "bottomless pit" in which the unfortunate character will fall forever. Consider the space shuttle in orbit around the Earth. Argue that there is a strong analogy between the cartoon "bottomless pit" and the orbital motion of the shuttle.

Accepted Answer

The orbital motion o

Question 18

Which statement must be true in order for a rocket to travel from Earth to another planet?

Accepted Answer

A) It must be launched from space, rather than from the ground. 
B) It must have very large engines. 
C) It must attain escape velocity from Earth. 
D) It must carry a lot of extra fuel. 
A) It must be launched from space, rather than from the ground. 
B) It must have very large engines. 
C) It must attain escape velocity from Earth. 
D) It must carry a lot of extra fuel.

Question 19

Explain what synchronous rotation is. What is it caused by? Give an example.

Accepted Answer

Synchronous rotation is when the rotatio

Question 20

Do Things We Cannot Directly Detect Exist? In the early part of the 20th century, physicists experimentally discovered that a certain type of radioactive decay did not seem to conserve either energy or momentum. These experiments were "explained" by postulating the existence of an undetected (and potentially undetectable)particle, dubbed the neutrino, that carried away the missing energy and momentum. It was argued that neutrinos interacted so weakly with matter that they were extremely hard to detect. If you were a scientist at this time, how would you evaluate the reasonableness this solution given Occam's razor?

Accepted Answer

As a scientist at that time, I would eva

Approximately where is it currently high tide on Earth?

According to the universal law of gravitation, the force due to gravity is

0 degrees Kelvin is

There is no gravity in space.

Give an example in which kinetic energy can be converted to thermal energy.

Which of the following best describes the origin of ocean tides on Earth?

If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon?

What quantities does angular momentum depend upon?

The escape velocity from Earth is greater for larger rockets than for small ones.

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states: In this equation, what do M1 and M2 represent?

When energy is converted from one form to another, a tiny amount is inevitably lost.

What is the acceleration of gravity at the surface of Earth?

A planet is orbiting a star. Which of the following statements is true for the acceleration and gravitational forces experienced by the star and the planet?

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states According to this, what observational information does one need in order to calculate the combined mass of a planet and its moon?

The gravitational force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is equal and opposite to that which the Moon exerts on the Earth. Therefore, according to Newton's second law of motion,

Momentum is defined as .

A popular end for many cartoon characters is to fall into a "bottomless pit" in which the unfortunate character will fall forever. Consider the space shuttle in orbit around the Earth. Argue that there is a strong analogy between the cartoon "bottomless pit" and the orbital motion of the shuttle.

Which statement must be true in order for a rocket to travel from Earth to another planet?

Explain what synchronous rotation is. What is it caused by? Give an example.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 4: Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Approximately where is it currently high tide on Earth?

According to the universal law of gravitation, the force due to gravity is

0 degrees Kelvin is

There is no gravity in space.

Give an example in which kinetic energy can be converted to thermal energy.

Which of the following best describes the origin of ocean tides on Earth?

If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon?

What quantities does angular momentum depend upon?

The escape velocity from Earth is greater for larger rockets than for small ones.

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states: In this equation, what do M1 and M2 represent?

When energy is converted from one form to another, a tiny amount is inevitably lost.

What is the acceleration of gravity at the surface of Earth?

A planet is orbiting a star. Which of the following statements is true for the acceleration and gravitational forces experienced by the star and the planet?

Newton's version of Kepler's third law states According to this, what observational information does one need in order to calculate the combined mass of a planet and its moon?

The gravitational force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is equal and opposite to that which the Moon exerts on the Earth. Therefore, according to Newton's second law of motion,

Momentum is defined as .

A popular end for many cartoon characters is to fall into a "bottomless pit" in which the unfortunate character will fall forever. Consider the space shuttle in orbit around the Earth. Argue that there is a strong analogy between the cartoon "bottomless pit" and the orbital motion of the shuttle.

Which statement must be true in order for a rocket to travel from Earth to another planet?

Explain what synchronous rotation is. What is it caused by? Give an example.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters