Question 1

Outline a simple model of planet building.

Accepted Answer

Planetary development in the solar nebula began with the formation of dust grains by condensation. A particle grows by condensation when it adds matter one atom or one molecule at a time, producing a larger body called a planetesimal that contains both rock and metal. A planet grows from accretion and collision of the uniform planetesimals, resulting planet is of homogenous composition. Heat from radioactive decay and planetesimal in-fall causes differentiation, resulting planet has a metal core and low-density crust.

Question 2

The _______________ of a radioactive substance is the time it takes for half of the parent isotope atoms to decay into daughter isotope atoms.

Accepted Answer

half-life

Question 3

According to solar nebula theory, what is the first step in planetesimal formation?

Accepted Answer

A)  heating 
B)  flattening 
C)  accretion 
D)  condensation 
E)  gravitational collapse 
A)  heating 
B)  flattening 
C)  accretion 
D)  condensation 
E)  gravitational collapse D

Question 4

Kuiper belt objects are small, rocky bodies orbiting beyond Mars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Descartes' hypothesis of solar system formation was problematic because he did not understand the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  involvement of condensation 
B)  involvement of contraction 
C)  difference in the planets 
D)  involvement of gravity 
E)  gaseous properties of the Sun 
A)  involvement of condensation 
B)  involvement of contraction 
C)  difference in the planets 
D)  involvement of gravity 
E)  gaseous properties of the Sun

Question 6

Which element represented most of the atoms in the early Universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  helium 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  carbon 
E)  nitrogen 
A)  helium 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  carbon 
E)  nitrogen

Question 7

Once a protoplanet reached a large mass, what is the next step for it to formally grow into a planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational collapse 
B)  expanding 
C)  accretion 
D)  condensation 
E)  slowing momentum 
A)  gravitational collapse 
B)  expanding 
C)  accretion 
D)  condensation 
E)  slowing momentum

Question 8

Explain why the passing star hypothesis was problematic.

Accepted Answer

First, stars are very far apart in relat

Question 9

During the growth of planetesimals to protoplanets, could the planetesimals have collided into one another? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

If planetesimals had collided at orbital

Question 10

Which term is described as small, icy bodies that orbit the Sun just beyond Neptune?

Accepted Answer

A)  Kuiper belt objects 
B)  asteroid belt objects 
C)  Oort cloud objects 
D)  Jovian belt objects 
E)  Neptunian belt objects 
A)  Kuiper belt objects 
B)  asteroid belt objects 
C)  Oort cloud objects 
D)  Jovian belt objects 
E)  Neptunian belt objects

Question 11

Which best describes the transit method?

Accepted Answer

A)  observing changes in the brightness of the star when the orbiting planet crosses in front of the star 
B)  observing the magnification of a distant star's brightness by gravitational lensing when an extrasolar planet passes precisely between Earth and a background star 
C)  observing the back-and-forth motion that can be measured from Doppler shifts in a star's spectrum 
D)  observing the intensity of brightness from a newborn distant star 
E)  observing the magnification of a distant planet when it passes closely to our Solar System 
A)  observing changes in the brightness of the star when the orbiting planet crosses in front of the star 
B)  observing the magnification of a distant star's brightness by gravitational lensing when an extrasolar planet passes precisely between Earth and a background star 
C)  observing the back-and-forth motion that can be measured from Doppler shifts in a star's spectrum 
D)  observing the intensity of brightness from a newborn distant star 
E)  observing the magnification of a distant planet when it passes closely to our Solar System

Question 12

Explain the Jovian problem and some possible answers to why there are so many Jovian planets found around stars.

Accepted Answer

There are lots of Jovian planets around

Question 13

A collection of small, icy bodies are found in the _______________ orbiting in the outer fringes of our Solar System

Accepted Answer

The answer of A collection of small, icy bodies are...

Question 14

Which space observatory uses the transit method to detect extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hubble 
B)  Kepler 
C)  Spitzer 
D)  Chandra 
E)  Voyager 
A)  Hubble 
B)  Kepler 
C)  Spitzer 
D)  Chandra 
E)  Voyager

Question 15

Kuiper belt objects appear to be ancient planetesimals that formed in the outer Solar System but were never incorporated into a planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The passing star hypothesis suggests that planets form in the rotating disks of gas and dust around young stars.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which method does the Kepler space telescope use to detect extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Doppler method 
B)  microlensing method 
C)  wobble method 
D)  transit method 
E)  astrometric method 
A)  Doppler method 
B)  microlensing method 
C)  wobble method 
D)  transit method 
E)  astrometric method

Question 18

The Kepler mission has found a lot more of ______________ than Earth-like extrasolar planets.

Accepted Answer

hot Jupiters,Jovian

Question 19

Numerous meteorites found on Earth originated from which planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Jupiter 
E)  Saturn 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Jupiter 
E)  Saturn

Question 20

The process of _______________ depends partly on the presence of short-lived radioactive elements whose rapid decay would have released enough heat to melt the interior of planets.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The process of _______________ depends partly on...

Exam 19: Origin of the Solar System and Extrasolar Planets

Outline a simple model of planet building.

The _______________ of a radioactive substance is the time it takes for half of the parent isotope atoms to decay into daughter isotope atoms.

According to solar nebula theory, what is the first step in planetesimal formation?

Kuiper belt objects are small, rocky bodies orbiting beyond Mars.

Descartes' hypothesis of solar system formation was problematic because he did not understand the ____.

Which element represented most of the atoms in the early Universe?

Once a protoplanet reached a large mass, what is the next step for it to formally grow into a planet?

Explain why the passing star hypothesis was problematic.

During the growth of planetesimals to protoplanets, could the planetesimals have collided into one another? Why or why not?

Which term is described as small, icy bodies that orbit the Sun just beyond Neptune?

Which best describes the transit method?

Explain the Jovian problem and some possible answers to why there are so many Jovian planets found around stars.

A collection of small, icy bodies are found in the _______________ orbiting in the outer fringes of our Solar System

Which space observatory uses the transit method to detect extrasolar planets?

Kuiper belt objects appear to be ancient planetesimals that formed in the outer Solar System but were never incorporated into a planet.

The passing star hypothesis suggests that planets form in the rotating disks of gas and dust around young stars.

Which method does the Kepler space telescope use to detect extrasolar planets?

The Kepler mission has found a lot more of ______________ than Earth-like extrasolar planets.

Numerous meteorites found on Earth originated from which planet?

The process of _______________ depends partly on the presence of short-lived radioactive elements whose rapid decay would have released enough heat to melt the interior of planets.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Gravity

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Interstellar Medium

Formation and Structure of Stars

Stellar Evolution

Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Supermassive Black Holes and Active Galaxies

Modern Cosmology

Earth the Active Planet

The Moon and Mercury

Venus and Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus Neptune Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

Meteorites Asteroids and Comets

Astrobiology

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