Question 1

Columbus was the first person to discover that Earth is round.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of

Accepted Answer

A) more than 2 Earth years. 
B) 1/2 Earth year. 
C) 2 Earth years. 
D) 1 Earth year. 
E) It depends on the planet's mass. 
A) more than 2 Earth years. 
B) 1/2 Earth year. 
C) 2 Earth years. 
D) 1 Earth year. 
E) It depends on the planet's mass.

Question 3

From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to

Accepted Answer

A) 2 astronomical units. 
B) 16 astronomical units. 
C) 4 astronomical units. 
D) 8 astronomical units. 
E) It depends on the asteroid's mass. 
A) 2 astronomical units. 
B) 16 astronomical units. 
C) 4 astronomical units. 
D) 8 astronomical units. 
E) It depends on the asteroid's mass.

Question 4

Which of the following claims cannot be tested by science?

Accepted Answer

A) This drug will cure cancer. 
B) The Sun goes around the Earth. 
C) The Earth was created by God. 
D) Smoking shortens people's lifespans. 
E) The geometry of the universe is curved. 
A) This drug will cure cancer. 
B) The Sun goes around the Earth. 
C) The Earth was created by God. 
D) Smoking shortens people's lifespans. 
E) The geometry of the universe is curved.

Question 5

The Metonic cycle is the

Accepted Answer

A) 18- year, 11- day period over which the pattern of eclipses repeats. 
B) 19- year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates. 
C) period between successive Easters. 
D) 12- month period of a lunar calendar. 
E) 29 1/2- day period of the lunar cycle. 
A) 18- year, 11- day period over which the pattern of eclipses repeats. 
B) 19- year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates. 
C) period between successive Easters. 
D) 12- month period of a lunar calendar. 
E) 29 1/2- day period of the lunar cycle.

Question 6

Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe?

Accepted Answer

A) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky 
B) to explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax 
C) to explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth 
D) to explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac 
E) to properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth 
A) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky 
B) to explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax 
C) to explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth 
D) to explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac 
E) to properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth

Question 7

Which of the following is not part of a good scientific theory?

Accepted Answer

A) A scientific theory must explain a wide variety of phenomena observed in the natural world. 
B) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt. 
C) A scientific theory should be based on natural processes and should not invoke the supernatural or divine. 
D) A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise. 
A) A scientific theory must explain a wide variety of phenomena observed in the natural world. 
B) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt. 
C) A scientific theory should be based on natural processes and should not invoke the supernatural or divine. 
D) A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise.

Question 8

You want to test how the mass of a ball affects its rate of fall. Which of the following ball drop trials (matched mass and drop heights)would best test this question?

Accepted Answer

A) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m 
B) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 0.5 kg, height 10 m 
C) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 5.0 kg, height 20 m 
D) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 5.0 kg, height 10 m 
A) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m 
B) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 0.5 kg, height 10 m 
C) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 5.0 kg, height 20 m 
D) mass of 0.5 kg, height 20 m/mass of 5.0 kg, height 10 m

Question 9

How does a 12- month lunar calendar differ from our 12- month solar calendar?

Accepted Answer

A) Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1. 
B) It has about 11 fewer days. 
C) It does not have seasons. 
D) It uses a 23- hour rather than a 24- hour day. 
A) Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1. 
B) It has about 11 fewer days. 
C) It does not have seasons. 
D) It uses a 23- hour rather than a 24- hour day.

Question 10

Rival Theories: The idea that Newtonian gravitation might be incorrect was only taken seriously by the scientific community when a powerful rival theory, Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, became available in the early part of the 20th century. Consider the role of rival theories with regard to the pseudoscience of astrology. Astrology purports to "explain" human behavior by celestial influences, such as the position of the Sun and stars in the sky. Consider the social science of psychology. Is it more or less successful in explaining human behavior? Give specific examples if you can. Does your answer play any role in regarding astrology as a pseudoscience?

Accepted Answer

The role of rival theories is crucial in

Question 11

Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real)would be inconsistent with our Sun- centered view of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) We discover an Earth- sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day. 
C) We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy. 
D) We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding. 
A) We discover an Earth- sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day. 
C) We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy. 
D) We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding.

Question 12

The names of the seven days of the week are based on _ .

Accepted Answer

A) the seven most prominent constellations in the summer sky 
B) the names of prophets in the Bible 
C) the seven naked- eye objects that appear to move among the constellations 
D) the names of the seven planets closest to the Sun 
A) the seven most prominent constellations in the summer sky 
B) the names of prophets in the Bible 
C) the seven naked- eye objects that appear to move among the constellations 
D) the names of the seven planets closest to the Sun

Question 13

How did ancient peoples of central Africa predict the weather?

Accepted Answer

They observed the orientation

Question 14

Tycho used his high accuracy observations to conclude that the Earth revolves around the sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in

Accepted Answer

A) Baghdad. 
B) China. 
C) Rome. 
D) India. 
E) Greece. 
A) Baghdad. 
B) China. 
C) Rome. 
D) India. 
E) Greece.

Question 16

All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law (p2 = a3)?

Accepted Answer

A) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. 
B) Venus is more massive than Mercury. 
C) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury. 
D) Venus takes longer to rotate than it does to orbit the Sun. 
A) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. 
B) Venus is more massive than Mercury. 
C) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury. 
D) Venus takes longer to rotate than it does to orbit the Sun.

Question 17

Which of the following is not one of, nor a direct consequence of, Kepler's Laws?

Accepted Answer

A) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. 
B) More distant planets orbit the Sun at slower speeds. 
C) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. 
D) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. 
A) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. 
B) More distant planets orbit the Sun at slower speeds. 
C) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. 
D) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers.

Question 18

The Nature of Astronomical Models: Consider the Aztec structure Templo Mayor described in the text. In what sense can such structures be considered a model of our solar system? How does such a model differ from the models that astronomers use today? Given your answers, to what extent do you think the builders of such ancient structures engaged in a scientific process?

Accepted Answer

The Aztec structure Templo Mayor can be

Question 19

The ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because .

Accepted Answer

A) they were the first people to realize that Earth is a planet orbiting the Sun 
B) they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural 
C) they were the only ancient culture that kept written records of their astronomical observations 
D) the books of every other culture were lost in the destruction of the library of Alexandria 
A) they were the first people to realize that Earth is a planet orbiting the Sun 
B) they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural 
C) they were the only ancient culture that kept written records of their astronomical observations 
D) the books of every other culture were lost in the destruction of the library of Alexandria

Question 20

In the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, Venus should exhibit which of the following phases?

Accepted Answer

A) crescent 
B) new 
C) full 
D) A and B 
E) B and C 
A) crescent 
B) new 
C) full 
D) A and B 
E) B and C

Columbus was the first person to discover that Earth is round.

From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of

From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to

Which of the following claims cannot be tested by science?

The Metonic cycle is the

Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe?

Which of the following is not part of a good scientific theory?

You want to test how the mass of a ball affects its rate of fall. Which of the following ball drop trials (matched mass and drop heights)would best test this question?

How does a 12- month lunar calendar differ from our 12- month solar calendar?

Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real)would be inconsistent with our Sun- centered view of the solar system?

The names of the seven days of the week are based on _ .

How did ancient peoples of central Africa predict the weather?

Tycho used his high accuracy observations to conclude that the Earth revolves around the sun.

During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in

All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law (p2 = a3)?

Which of the following is not one of, nor a direct consequence of, Kepler's Laws?

The ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because .

In the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, Venus should exhibit which of the following phases?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

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

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 3: The Science of Astronomy

Columbus was the first person to discover that Earth is round.

From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of

From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to

Which of the following claims cannot be tested by science?

The Metonic cycle is the

Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe?

Which of the following is not part of a good scientific theory?

You want to test how the mass of a ball affects its rate of fall. Which of the following ball drop trials (matched mass and drop heights)would best test this question?

How does a 12- month lunar calendar differ from our 12- month solar calendar?

Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real)would be inconsistent with our Sun- centered view of the solar system?

The names of the seven days of the week are based on _ .

How did ancient peoples of central Africa predict the weather?

Tycho used his high accuracy observations to conclude that the Earth revolves around the sun.

During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in

All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law (p2 = a3)?

Which of the following is not one of, nor a direct consequence of, Kepler's Laws?

The ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because .

In the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, Venus should exhibit which of the following phases?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

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

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