Question 1

In science, if new and reliable observations disagree with a particular theory, then the

Accepted Answer

A)  observations must be discarded. 
B)  theory must be modified. 
C)  the observations and the theory should both be retained. 
D)  theory must be discarded. 
A)  observations must be discarded. 
B)  theory must be modified. 
C)  the observations and the theory should both be retained. 
D)  theory must be discarded.

Question 2

The planets that were known before the telescope was invented were

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune. 
B)  Saturn, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. 
C)  Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, and Venus. 
D)  Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Pluto. 
A)  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune. 
B)  Saturn, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. 
C)  Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, and Venus. 
D)  Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Pluto.

Question 3

Tycho Brahe

Accepted Answer

A)  developed a reflecting telescope, which used a curved mirror to focus the light. 
B)  developed the first detailed heliocentric model for the solar system, which replaced the geocentric model of Ptolemy. 
C)  improved the refracting telescope, which allowed him to extend Galileo's observations of the sky. 
D)  made accurate measurements of planetary positions, which Kepler later used to find the shapes of planetary orbits. 
A)  developed a reflecting telescope, which used a curved mirror to focus the light. 
B)  developed the first detailed heliocentric model for the solar system, which replaced the geocentric model of Ptolemy. 
C)  improved the refracting telescope, which allowed him to extend Galileo's observations of the sky. 
D)  made accurate measurements of planetary positions, which Kepler later used to find the shapes of planetary orbits.

Question 4

Suppose that a planet of 10 times the mass of Earth were orbiting the Sun at the same distance as Earth (1 au). The gravitational force on this planet due to the Sun would be

Accepted Answer

A)  10 times the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
B)  100 times the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
C)  1/100 of the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
D)  1/10 of the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
A)  10 times the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
B)  100 times the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
C)  1/100 of the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth. 
D)  1/10 of the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth.

Question 5

Consider the synodic period for Jupiter. Which planet (or planets) will be in the same place in its orbit at the beginning and at the end of one synodic period of Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

A)  neither Jupiter nor Earth 
B)  Earth but not Jupiter 
C)  Jupiter but not Earth 
D)  both Jupiter and Earth 
A)  neither Jupiter nor Earth 
B)  Earth but not Jupiter 
C)  Jupiter but not Earth 
D)  both Jupiter and Earth

Question 6

If the mass of the Sun were doubled and Jupiter remained at its present distance, the gravitational force the Sun exerted on Jupiter would

Accepted Answer

A)  be 16 times its present value. 
B)  stay the same. 
C)  be 4 times its present value. 
D)  be twice its present value. 
A)  be 16 times its present value. 
B)  stay the same. 
C)  be 4 times its present value. 
D)  be twice its present value.

Question 7

Which of these is a critical component of the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

A)  belief that a theory accepted by leading scientists is correct 
B)  rejection of new scientific results when they disagree with the presently accepted theory 
C)  automatic rejection of a theory when new results disagree with its predictions 
D)  testing of predictions from a scientific theory or theoretical model 
A)  belief that a theory accepted by leading scientists is correct 
B)  rejection of new scientific results when they disagree with the presently accepted theory 
C)  automatic rejection of a theory when new results disagree with its predictions 
D)  testing of predictions from a scientific theory or theoretical model

Question 8

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of

Accepted Answer

A)  weight. 
B)  velocity. 
C)  position. 
D)  mass. 
A)  weight. 
B)  velocity. 
C)  position. 
D)  mass.

Question 9

When Jupiter is at opposition, it will rise at

Accepted Answer

A)  sunrise. 
B)  noon. 
C)  sunset. 
D)  midnight. 
A)  sunrise. 
B)  noon. 
C)  sunset. 
D)  midnight.

Question 10

If a person sent a radio message toward the star nearest to the Sun, and intelligent beings from a planet near the star sent back a reply immediately on receipt of the message, how long after the transmission would this person have to wait for a reply?

Accepted Answer

A)  8.4 years 
B)  1 light-year 
C)  1 year 
D)  20,000 years 
A)  8.4 years 
B)  1 light-year 
C)  1 year 
D)  20,000 years

Question 11

The direction of retrograde motion for a planet as seen by an observer on Earth is

Accepted Answer

A)  west to east relative to the background stars. 
B)  east to west relative to the background stars. 
C)  east to west relative to objects on the person's horizon. 
D)  west to east relative to objects on the person's horizon. 
A)  west to east relative to the background stars. 
B)  east to west relative to the background stars. 
C)  east to west relative to objects on the person's horizon. 
D)  west to east relative to objects on the person's horizon.

Question 12

The semimajor axis of an ellipse is

Accepted Answer

A)  the distance from the center of the ellipse to one end, along the largest diameter of the ellipse. 
B)  the distance from the center to one side of the ellipse, along the shortest diameter of the ellipse. 
C)  the distance from one focus to any point on the circumference of the ellipse. 
D)  half the distance between the foci of the ellipse. 
A)  the distance from the center of the ellipse to one end, along the largest diameter of the ellipse. 
B)  the distance from the center to one side of the ellipse, along the shortest diameter of the ellipse. 
C)  the distance from one focus to any point on the circumference of the ellipse. 
D)  half the distance between the foci of the ellipse.

Question 13

The planet Venus can never reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  opposition 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  greatest elongation 
A)  opposition 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  greatest elongation

Question 14

Retrograde motion was important in the development of our understanding of the solar system because

Accepted Answer

A)  it was not discovered until 1920. 
B)  it cannot be described with the geocentric model. 
C)  its description in terms of the heliocentric model is a great simplification in comparison to its description in terms of the geocentric model. 
D)  it happens only about once per century. 
A)  it was not discovered until 1920. 
B)  it cannot be described with the geocentric model. 
C)  its description in terms of the heliocentric model is a great simplification in comparison to its description in terms of the geocentric model. 
D)  it happens only about once per century.

Question 15

The strength of gravity on Mars is about 40% of that on Earth. If an astronaut's mass on Earth is 60 kg, what would their mass be on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  150 kg 
B)  zero 
C)  24 kg 
D)  60 kg 
A)  150 kg 
B)  zero 
C)  24 kg 
D)  60 kg

Question 16

The orbits of asteroids in the asteroid belt have typical semimajor axes of 2.8 au. According to Kepler's law, the approximate sidereal period of these asteroids is

Accepted Answer

A)  2.8 years. 
B)  46.8 years. 
C)  1.99 years. 
D)  4.68 years. 
A)  2.8 years. 
B)  46.8 years. 
C)  1.99 years. 
D)  4.68 years.

Question 17

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion, when viewed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  setting of the planet in the west to any observer, caused by Earth rotation 
B)  eastward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
C)  southward motion of the planet as it moves away from the northern sky 
D)  westward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
A)  setting of the planet in the west to any observer, caused by Earth rotation 
B)  eastward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
C)  southward motion of the planet as it moves away from the northern sky 
D)  westward apparent motion with respect to the stars

Question 18

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

Accepted Answer

A)  approaching the closest distance to the Sun 
B)  at aphelion 
C)  at perihelion 
D)  at the focus of its orbit 
A)  approaching the closest distance to the Sun 
B)  at aphelion 
C)  at perihelion 
D)  at the focus of its orbit

Question 19

In any one day, the line joining a planet to the Sun will sweep through some particular angle as seen from the Sun. Where is the planet when this angle has its smallest value?

Accepted Answer

A)  at aphelion 
B)  at perihelion 
C)  at greatest elongation 
D)  at inferior conjunction 
A)  at aphelion 
B)  at perihelion 
C)  at greatest elongation 
D)  at inferior conjunction

Question 20

An unbalanced force acting on an object will always cause it to change its

Accepted Answer

A)  direction of travel. 
B)  speed or direction of travel or both. 
C)  direction of acceleration. 
D)  speed. 
A)  direction of travel. 
B)  speed or direction of travel or both. 
C)  direction of acceleration. 
D)  speed.

In science, if new and reliable observations disagree with a particular theory, then the

The planets that were known before the telescope was invented were

Tycho Brahe

Suppose that a planet of 10 times the mass of Earth were orbiting the Sun at the same distance as Earth (1 au). The gravitational force on this planet due to the Sun would be

Consider the synodic period for Jupiter. Which planet (or planets) will be in the same place in its orbit at the beginning and at the end of one synodic period of Jupiter?

If the mass of the Sun were doubled and Jupiter remained at its present distance, the gravitational force the Sun exerted on Jupiter would

Which of these is a critical component of the scientific method?

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of

When Jupiter is at opposition, it will rise at

If a person sent a radio message toward the star nearest to the Sun, and intelligent beings from a planet near the star sent back a reply immediately on receipt of the message, how long after the transmission would this person have to wait for a reply?

The direction of retrograde motion for a planet as seen by an observer on Earth is

The semimajor axis of an ellipse is

The planet Venus can never reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

Retrograde motion was important in the development of our understanding of the solar system because

The strength of gravity on Mars is about 40% of that on Earth. If an astronaut's mass on Earth is 60 kg, what would their mass be on Mars?

The orbits of asteroids in the asteroid belt have typical semimajor axes of 2.8 au. According to Kepler's law, the approximate sidereal period of these asteroids is

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion, when viewed from Earth?

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

In any one day, the line joining a planet to the Sun will sweep through some particular angle as seen from the Sun. Where is the planet when this angle has its smallest value?

An unbalanced force acting on an object will always cause it to change its

Discovering the Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 2: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

In science, if new and reliable observations disagree with a particular theory, then the

The planets that were known before the telescope was invented were

Tycho Brahe

Suppose that a planet of 10 times the mass of Earth were orbiting the Sun at the same distance as Earth (1 au). The gravitational force on this planet due to the Sun would be

Consider the synodic period for Jupiter. Which planet (or planets) will be in the same place in its orbit at the beginning and at the end of one synodic period of Jupiter?

If the mass of the Sun were doubled and Jupiter remained at its present distance, the gravitational force the Sun exerted on Jupiter would

Which of these is a critical component of the scientific method?

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of

When Jupiter is at opposition, it will rise at

If a person sent a radio message toward the star nearest to the Sun, and intelligent beings from a planet near the star sent back a reply immediately on receipt of the message, how long after the transmission would this person have to wait for a reply?

The direction of retrograde motion for a planet as seen by an observer on Earth is

The semimajor axis of an ellipse is

The planet Venus can never reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

Retrograde motion was important in the development of our understanding of the solar system because

The strength of gravity on Mars is about 40% of that on Earth. If an astronaut's mass on Earth is 60 kg, what would their mass be on Mars?

The orbits of asteroids in the asteroid belt have typical semimajor axes of 2.8 au. According to Kepler's law, the approximate sidereal period of these asteroids is

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion, when viewed from Earth?

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

In any one day, the line joining a planet to the Sun will sweep through some particular angle as seen from the Sun. Where is the planet when this angle has its smallest value?

An unbalanced force acting on an object will always cause it to change its

Discovering the Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters