Question 1

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. 
B) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. 
C) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse. 
D) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out)than an ellipse with a small eccentricity. 
A) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. 
B) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. 
C) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse. 
D) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out)than an ellipse with a small eccentricity. A

Question 2

Process of Science: If any single test of a scientific hypothesis contradicts it,the hypothesis must be revised.(Assume that you've ruled out errors in the testing process;that is,the test result really does contradict the hypothesis. )

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

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

Question 4

Kepler's third law,p² = a³,means that

Accepted Answer

A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. 
B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. 
C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. 
D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. 
E) All of the above are correct. 
A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. 
B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. 
C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. 
D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. 
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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

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

Question 7

Why was a knowledge of the stars so important to Polynesians?

Accepted Answer

The Polynesian people live on a group of

Question 8

The Muslim fast of Ramadan occurs

Accepted Answer

A) on the summer solstice. 
B) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. 
C) on the spring equinox. 
D) during a thirteenth month of the Metonic cycle. 
E) at the end of the Metonic cycle. 
A) on the summer solstice. 
B) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. 
C) on the spring equinox. 
D) during a thirteenth month of the Metonic cycle. 
E) at the end of the Metonic cycle.

Question 9

What is special about the lines in the Nazca Desert of Peru?

Accepted Answer

There are more than 800 lines etched in

Question 10

Scientific models are used to

Accepted Answer

A) present the scale of the solar system to the general public. 
B) make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments. 
C) make miniature representations of the universe. 
D) prove that past paradigms no longer hold true. 
A) present the scale of the solar system to the general public. 
B) make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments. 
C) make miniature representations of the universe. 
D) prove that past paradigms no longer hold true.

Question 11

Which of the following was not observed by Galileo?

Accepted Answer

A) craters on the Moon 
B) stellar parallax 
C) sunspots 
D) Jupiter's moons 
E) phases of Venus 
A) craters on the Moon 
B) stellar parallax 
C) sunspots 
D) Jupiter's moons 
E) phases of Venus

Question 12

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky,so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn.Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case?

Accepted Answer

A) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. 
B) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. 
C) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. 
D) The discovery that Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. 
E) A week would have eight days instead of seven,despite the year length being unchanged. 
A) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. 
B) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. 
C) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. 
D) The discovery that Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. 
E) A week would have eight days instead of seven,despite the year length being unchanged.

Question 13

The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world?

Accepted Answer

A) Central and South America 
B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East 
C) North America 
D) China 
E) Southern Asia 
A) Central and South America 
B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East 
C) North America 
D) China 
E) Southern Asia

Question 14

Process of Science: Assume we have data indicating a strong positive correlation between acupuncture treatments and recovery of patients from,say,cocaine addiction.However,let's also assume that every hypothesis we have for a mechanism of action (i.e. ,how acupuncture could work to help cure addiction)can be shown to be false.The patients,however,all claim to know that the acupuncture is what cured them.Which of the following conclusions are supported by our data?
-Could acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery?

Accepted Answer

A) No.If there is no plausible mechanism of action,then clearly acupuncture cannot be responsible for their healing. 
B) Yes.Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean the process does not occur. 
C) No.Acupuncture is not accepted by most medical doctors,therefore it isn't effective. 
D) Yes.If the patients got better,then the acupuncture must be effective. 
A) No.If there is no plausible mechanism of action,then clearly acupuncture cannot be responsible for their healing. 
B) Yes.Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean the process does not occur. 
C) No.Acupuncture is not accepted by most medical doctors,therefore it isn't effective. 
D) Yes.If the patients got better,then the acupuncture must be effective.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

A) seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations. 
B) seven planets closest to the Sun. 
C) seven brightest stars in the prominent constellation Orion. 
D) most popular Norse gods. 
E) seven largest constellations of the ancient world. 
A) seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations. 
B) seven planets closest to the Sun. 
C) seven brightest stars in the prominent constellation Orion. 
D) most popular Norse gods. 
E) seven largest constellations of the ancient world.

Question 16

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe,it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model.Why not?

Accepted Answer

A) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. 
B) Copernicus misjudged the speeds at which the planets orbit the Sun. 
C) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. 
D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth. 
E) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets,whereas planets actually have elliptical orbits. 
A) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. 
B) Copernicus misjudged the speeds at which the planets orbit the Sun. 
C) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. 
D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth. 
E) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets,whereas planets actually have elliptical orbits.

Question 17

Process of Science: Assume we have data indicating a strong positive correlation between acupuncture treatments and recovery of patients from,say,cocaine addiction.However,let's also assume that every hypothesis we have for a mechanism of action (i.e. ,how acupuncture could work to help cure addiction)can be shown to be false.The patients,however,all claim to know that the acupuncture is what cured them.Which of the following conclusions are supported by our data?
-Must acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery?

Accepted Answer

A) No.Acupuncture may be responsible for the healing,or it may not.Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. 
B) Yes.If the study was run by qualified M.D.s,then we should respect their findings that acupuncture cured these patients. 
C) No.Acupuncture is hippie,new age stuff,and is not respected by reputable doctors. 
D) Yes.The patients stated afterwards that they knew it had helped,and these people know their own bodies better than we do. 
A) No.Acupuncture may be responsible for the healing,or it may not.Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. 
B) Yes.If the study was run by qualified M.D.s,then we should respect their findings that acupuncture cured these patients. 
C) No.Acupuncture is hippie,new age stuff,and is not respected by reputable doctors. 
D) Yes.The patients stated afterwards that they knew it had helped,and these people know their own bodies better than we do.

Question 18

Astronomy and astrology were often practiced together in ancient cultures,and astrology played an important role in the historical development of astronomy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Which ancient culture had the greatest known success in predicting eclipses?

Accepted Answer

A) Aztecs 
B) Mayans 
C) Egyptians 
D) Babylonians 
E) Greeks 
A) Aztecs 
B) Mayans 
C) Egyptians 
D) Babylonians 
E) Greeks

Question 20

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe,it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model.Why not?

Accepted Answer

A) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets,though they are actually ellipses. 
B) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. 
C) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. 
D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center,but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth. 
A) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets,though they are actually ellipses. 
B) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. 
C) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. 
D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center,but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth.

Exam 3: The Science of Astronomy

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is not true?

Process of Science: If any single test of a scientific hypothesis contradicts it,the hypothesis must be revised.(Assume that you've ruled out errors in the testing process;that is,the test result really does contradict the hypothesis. )

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

Kepler's third law,p² = a³,means that

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

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

Why was a knowledge of the stars so important to Polynesians?

The Muslim fast of Ramadan occurs

What is special about the lines in the Nazca Desert of Peru?

Scientific models are used to

Which of the following was not observed by Galileo?

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky,so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn.Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case?

The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world?

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

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe,it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model.Why not?

Astronomy and astrology were often practiced together in ancient cultures,and astrology played an important role in the historical development of astronomy.

Which ancient culture had the greatest known success in predicting eclipses?

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe,it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model.Why not?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

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

Light and Matter: Reading Messages from the Cosmos

Telescopes: Portals of Discovery

Our Planetary System

Formation of the Solar System

Planetary Geology: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Planetary Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

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 Birth

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundations of Modern Cosmology

Galaxy Evolution

The Birth of the Universe

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

Life in the Universe

Celestial Timekeeping and Navigation

Space and Time

Spacetime and Gravity

Building Blocks of the Universe

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