Question 1

Based on the figure below, explain why an inferior planet is most likely to be seen when it is at one of its greatest elongations.

Accepted Answer

An inferior planet is most easily seen w

Question 2

The dwarf planet named Eris orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 68 AU.Using Kepler's third law, Eris's orbital period is

Accepted Answer

A)  26 years. 
B)  130 years. 
C)  72 years. 
D)  240 years. 
E)  560 years. 
A)  26 years. 
B)  130 years. 
C)  72 years. 
D)  240 years. 
E)  560 years.

Question 3

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun, its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU, and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU.At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

Accepted Answer

A)  35 AU 
B)  17.8 AU 
C)  1.2 AU 
D)  0.6 AU 
E)  The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is. 
A)  35 AU 
B)  17.8 AU 
C)  1.2 AU 
D)  0.6 AU 
E)  The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is.

Question 4

Write out each of Kepler's three laws and provide a short explanation of each law.

Accepted Answer

Kepler's first law: planetary orbits are

Question 5

If a 100-kg asteroid collides with Earth, causing the asteroid to slow down in one second from 1,000 m/s to 0 m/s, what acceleration will Earth experience according to Newton's third law? (For reference, Earth has a mass of approximately 6 *1024 kg.)

Accepted Answer

According to Newton's third law,the forc

Question 6

If you start from rest and accelerate at 10 mph/s, how long would it take you to reach 60 mph?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 second 
B)  6 seconds 
C)  600 seconds 
D)  0.6 seconds 
E)  200 seconds 
A)  1 second 
B)  6 seconds 
C)  600 seconds 
D)  0.6 seconds 
E)  200 seconds

Question 7

Given that the solar system is heliocentric, do you expect any planet besides Venus to have a "new" phase? If so, why?

Accepted Answer

Mercury should also

Question 8

The time it takes for a planet to come back to the same position relative to the Sun is called its ________ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  synodic 
B)  sidereal 
C)  heliocentric 
D)  geocentric 
E)  prograde 
A)  synodic 
B)  sidereal 
C)  heliocentric 
D)  geocentric 
E)  prograde

Question 9

If a superior planet is observed from Earth to have a synodic period of 1.2 years, what is its sidereal period?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.54 years 
B)  1.8 years 
C)  2.3 years 
D)  4.0 years 
E)  6.0 years 
A)  0.54 years 
B)  1.8 years 
C)  2.3 years 
D)  4.0 years 
E)  6.0 years

Question 10

What do we customarily call the semimajor axis of a circular orbit? What is the value of the eccentricity of a circle? What might the value of the eccentricity be for a comet on a very elliptical orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

The semimajor axis of a circul

Question 11

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2, then the mass of the grocery cart is

Accepted Answer

A)  5 kg. 
B)  0.05 kg. 
C)  20 kg. 
D)  50 kg. 
E)  0.20 kg. 
A)  5 kg. 
B)  0.05 kg. 
C)  20 kg. 
D)  50 kg. 
E)  0.20 kg.

Question 12

Newton's first law states that objects in motion

Accepted Answer

A)  eventually come to rest. 
B)  experience an unbalanced force. 
C)  experience a nonzero acceleration. 
D)  stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. 
E)  must be subject to zero friction. 
A)  eventually come to rest. 
B)  experience an unbalanced force. 
C)  experience a nonzero acceleration. 
D)  stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. 
E)  must be subject to zero friction.

Question 13

The natural tendency of an object to resist changes in motion is called

Accepted Answer

A)  inertia. 
B)  weight. 
C)  acceleration. 
D)  mass. 
E)  velocity. 
A)  inertia. 
B)  weight. 
C)  acceleration. 
D)  mass. 
E)  velocity.

Question 14

Saturn has a semimajor axis of 9.6 AU.How long does it take Saturn to orbit once around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Using Kepler's third law,P² @#LAT-DLM&A

Question 15

Which of the following is true about a comet that is on an elliptical orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is farthest from the Sun. 
B)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is nearest the Sun. 
C)  This comet's speed is zero. 
D)  The comet's speed is constant because its mass and the Sun's mass stay approximately the same. 
E)  The eccentricity is very low. 
A)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is farthest from the Sun. 
B)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is nearest the Sun. 
C)  This comet's speed is zero. 
D)  The comet's speed is constant because its mass and the Sun's mass stay approximately the same. 
E)  The eccentricity is very low.

Question 16

Kepler's second law says that if a planet is in an elliptical orbit around a star, then the planet moves fastest when it is

Accepted Answer

A)  farthest from the star. 
B)  closest to the star. 
C)  exceeding the escape velocity. 
D)  experiencing zero acceleration. 
E)  located at one of the foci. 
A)  farthest from the star. 
B)  closest to the star. 
C)  exceeding the escape velocity. 
D)  experiencing zero acceleration. 
E)  located at one of the foci.

Question 17

Explain how the Occam's razor argument influenced whether people believed in the heliocentric or the geocentric model of the Solar System.

Accepted Answer

Occam's razor is the argument that the s

Question 18

Kepler's third law says that a comet with a period of 160 years will have a semimajor axis of

Accepted Answer

A)  30 AU. 
B)  50 AU. 
C)  90 AU. 
D)  140 AU. 
E)  210 AU. 
A)  30 AU. 
B)  50 AU. 
C)  90 AU. 
D)  140 AU. 
E)  210 AU.

Question 19

Draw a diagram showing the relative positions of Earth, Venus, and the Sun that produce a "new" phase of Venus.

Accepted Answer

Venus shou

Exam 3: Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Based on the figure below, explain why an inferior planet is most likely to be seen when it is at one of its greatest elongations.

The dwarf planet named Eris orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 68 AU.Using Kepler's third law, Eris's orbital period is

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun, its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU, and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU.At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

Write out each of Kepler's three laws and provide a short explanation of each law.

If a 100-kg asteroid collides with Earth, causing the asteroid to slow down in one second from 1,000 m/s to 0 m/s, what acceleration will Earth experience according to Newton's third law? (For reference, Earth has a mass of approximately 6 *1024 kg.)

If you start from rest and accelerate at 10 mph/s, how long would it take you to reach 60 mph?

Given that the solar system is heliocentric, do you expect any planet besides Venus to have a "new" phase? If so, why?

The time it takes for a planet to come back to the same position relative to the Sun is called its ________ period.

If a superior planet is observed from Earth to have a synodic period of 1.2 years, what is its sidereal period?

What do we customarily call the semimajor axis of a circular orbit? What is the value of the eccentricity of a circle? What might the value of the eccentricity be for a comet on a very elliptical orbit around the Sun?

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2, then the mass of the grocery cart is

Newton's first law states that objects in motion

The natural tendency of an object to resist changes in motion is called

Saturn has a semimajor axis of 9.6 AU.How long does it take Saturn to orbit once around the Sun?

Which of the following is true about a comet that is on an elliptical orbit around the Sun?

Kepler's second law says that if a planet is in an elliptical orbit around a star, then the planet moves fastest when it is

Explain how the Occam's razor argument influenced whether people believed in the heliocentric or the geocentric model of the Solar System.

Kepler's third law says that a comet with a period of 160 years will have a semimajor axis of

Draw a diagram showing the relative positions of Earth, Venus, and the Sun that produce a "new" phase of Venus.

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Formation of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

Planetary Moons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

The Expanding Universe

Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

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If a 100-kg asteroid collides with Earth, causing the asteroid to slow down in one second from 1,000 m/s to 0 m/s, what acceleration will Earth experience according to Newton's third law? (For reference, Earth has a mass of approximately 6 *10²⁴ kg.)

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s², then the mass of the grocery cart is