Question 1

A fatal flaw with Ptolemy's model is its inability to predict the observed phases of:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun during an eclipse. 
B)  the Moon in its monthly cycle. 
C)  Mercury and Venus. 
D)  Mars and Jupiter. 
E)  Jupiter and Saturn. 
A)  the Sun during an eclipse. 
B)  the Moon in its monthly cycle. 
C)  Mercury and Venus. 
D)  Mars and Jupiter. 
E)  Jupiter and Saturn.

Question 2

A planet whose distance from the Sun is 3 A.U.would have an orbital period of how many Earth-years?

Accepted Answer

A)  3 
B)  $ \sqrt{27} $ 
C)  $ \sqrt{3} $ 
D)  9 
E)  81 
A)  3 
B)  $ \sqrt{27} $ 
C)  $ \sqrt{3} $ 
D)  9 
E)  81

Question 3

Which of the following was NOT a contribution of Galileo to astronomy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sunspots showed the Sun was rotating on its axis, like the Earth does. 
B)  The four moons of Jupiter are a model for the solar system motions in general. 
C)  The phases of Venus prove it orbits completely around the Sun. 
D)  The changing appearance of Saturn's rings corresponds to our seasons. 
E)  The craters and mare of the Moon prove it a world in its own right. 
A)  Sunspots showed the Sun was rotating on its axis, like the Earth does. 
B)  The four moons of Jupiter are a model for the solar system motions in general. 
C)  The phases of Venus prove it orbits completely around the Sun. 
D)  The changing appearance of Saturn's rings corresponds to our seasons. 
E)  The craters and mare of the Moon prove it a world in its own right.

Question 4

Scientists today do not accept the Ptolemaic model because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is ancient history. 
B)  it was too complicated, compared to Copernicus' heliocentric model. 
C)  it has been shown that Ptolemy faked his data. 
D)  it had no explanation for retrograde motion. 
E)  the work of Tycho and Kepler showed the heliocentric model was more accurate. 
A)  it is ancient history. 
B)  it was too complicated, compared to Copernicus' heliocentric model. 
C)  it has been shown that Ptolemy faked his data. 
D)  it had no explanation for retrograde motion. 
E)  the work of Tycho and Kepler showed the heliocentric model was more accurate.

Question 5

Transits of Venus were critical in early determinations of the A.U.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Newton's Law of Gravity would explain why Saturn,so far from the Sun,moves so slowly across the sky.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Explain how Copernicus would account for the retrograde loops of superior planets.

Accepted Answer

The Earth moves faster than th

Question 8

The Ptolemaic model of the universe:

Accepted Answer

A)  explained and predicted the motions of the planets with deferents and epicycles. 
B)  is the basis of our modern cosmology. 
C)  could not account for the stellar parallax observed by Hipparchus. 
D)  describes the orbits of the planets as being ellipses, not circles. 
E)  always kept Mars and Mercury between the Earth and Sun. 
A)  explained and predicted the motions of the planets with deferents and epicycles. 
B)  is the basis of our modern cosmology. 
C)  could not account for the stellar parallax observed by Hipparchus. 
D)  describes the orbits of the planets as being ellipses, not circles. 
E)  always kept Mars and Mercury between the Earth and Sun.

Question 9

The Law of Universal Gravitation was developed by:

Accepted Answer

A)  Kepler. 
B)  Galileo. 
C)  Newton. 
D)  Copernicus. 
E)  Einstein. 
A)  Kepler. 
B)  Galileo. 
C)  Newton. 
D)  Copernicus. 
E)  Einstein.

Question 10

The greatest contribution of the Greeks to modern thought was:

Accepted Answer

A)  the idea that all the planets orbited the Sun. 
B)  that their mythology was the basis for the naming of the constellations. 
C)  that their observation of stellar parallax proved the Earth orbited the Sun. 
D)  the development of scientific inquiry and model building. 
E)  the invention of the telescope. 
A)  the idea that all the planets orbited the Sun. 
B)  that their mythology was the basis for the naming of the constellations. 
C)  that their observation of stellar parallax proved the Earth orbited the Sun. 
D)  the development of scientific inquiry and model building. 
E)  the invention of the telescope.

Question 11

When a planet retrogrades,it appears to move westward for weeks at a time.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Like the Sun and the Moon,the stars appear to move from west to east from one day to the next.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Compared to orbital velocity,escape velocity is about:

Accepted Answer

A)  the same. 
B)  70% less. 
C)  40% more. 
D)  twice as large. 
E)  four times greater. 
A)  the same. 
B)  70% less. 
C)  40% more. 
D)  twice as large. 
E)  four times greater.

Question 14

A planet (or comet)will speed up as it approaches the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

According to Copernicus,retrograde motion for Venus must occur around:

Accepted Answer

A)  inferior conjunction, when it passes between us and the Sun. 
B)  quadrature, when the planet is 90 degrees away from the Sun. 
C)  greatest elongation, when the planet is farthest from the Sun. 
D)  superior conjunction, when the planet is on the far side of the Sun. 
E)  opposition, when the planet lies opposite the Sun in the sky. 
A)  inferior conjunction, when it passes between us and the Sun. 
B)  quadrature, when the planet is 90 degrees away from the Sun. 
C)  greatest elongation, when the planet is farthest from the Sun. 
D)  superior conjunction, when the planet is on the far side of the Sun. 
E)  opposition, when the planet lies opposite the Sun in the sky.

Question 16

What does Kepler's third law imply about planetary motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  All planets orbit the Sun at the same speed. 
B)  Planets closer to the Sun orbit at a slower speed than planets further from the Sun. 
C)  Planets further from the Sun orbit at a slower speed than planets closer to the Sun. 
D)  Planets further from the Sun orbit at a faster speed than planets closer to the Sun. 
E)  This law implies nothing about a planet's motion. 
A)  All planets orbit the Sun at the same speed. 
B)  Planets closer to the Sun orbit at a slower speed than planets further from the Sun. 
C)  Planets further from the Sun orbit at a slower speed than planets closer to the Sun. 
D)  Planets further from the Sun orbit at a faster speed than planets closer to the Sun. 
E)  This law implies nothing about a planet's motion.

Question 17

According to Kepler's third law,the square of the planet's period in years is:

Accepted Answer

A)  equal to its perihelion distance from the Sun in A.U. 
B)  inversely proportional to its mass in kilograms. 
C)  equal to the fourth power of its average temperature in degrees Kelvin. 
D)  proportional to the cube of its semimajor axis in A.U. 
E)  equal to the square of its aphelion distance in A.U. 
A)  equal to its perihelion distance from the Sun in A.U. 
B)  inversely proportional to its mass in kilograms. 
C)  equal to the fourth power of its average temperature in degrees Kelvin. 
D)  proportional to the cube of its semimajor axis in A.U. 
E)  equal to the square of its aphelion distance in A.U.

Question 18

Newton's Laws completely replaced the incorrect work of Kepler.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

On which of these assumptions do Ptolemy and Copernicus agree?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Earth must be the center of all motion in the Cosmos. 
B)  All orbits must be perfect circles. 
C)  The Sun was bigger than the Earth. 
D)  Venus must always stay between us and the Sun. 
E)  The Sun must orbit us, but the planets do orbit the Sun. 
A)  The Earth must be the center of all motion in the Cosmos. 
B)  All orbits must be perfect circles. 
C)  The Sun was bigger than the Earth. 
D)  Venus must always stay between us and the Sun. 
E)  The Sun must orbit us, but the planets do orbit the Sun.

Question 20

Which of the statements below is part of both the Ptolemaic and Copernican models?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Earth orbits the Sun once a year. 
B)  The Sun lies in the center of the Cosmos. 
C)  The Moon orbits the Earth once a month. 
D)  Epicycles are needed to explain retrograde motion of the planets. 
E)  Venus' epicycle must always lie between us and the Sun. 
A)  The Earth orbits the Sun once a year. 
B)  The Sun lies in the center of the Cosmos. 
C)  The Moon orbits the Earth once a month. 
D)  Epicycles are needed to explain retrograde motion of the planets. 
E)  Venus' epicycle must always lie between us and the Sun.

Exam 2: The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

A fatal flaw with Ptolemy's model is its inability to predict the observed phases of:

A planet whose distance from the Sun is 3 A.U.would have an orbital period of how many Earth-years?

Which of the following was NOT a contribution of Galileo to astronomy?

Scientists today do not accept the Ptolemaic model because:

Transits of Venus were critical in early determinations of the A.U.

Newton's Law of Gravity would explain why Saturn,so far from the Sun,moves so slowly across the sky.

Explain how Copernicus would account for the retrograde loops of superior planets.

The Ptolemaic model of the universe:

The Law of Universal Gravitation was developed by:

The greatest contribution of the Greeks to modern thought was:

When a planet retrogrades,it appears to move westward for weeks at a time.

Like the Sun and the Moon,the stars appear to move from west to east from one day to the next.

Compared to orbital velocity,escape velocity is about:

A planet (or comet)will speed up as it approaches the Sun.

According to Copernicus,retrograde motion for Venus must occur around:

What does Kepler's third law imply about planetary motion?

According to Kepler's third law,the square of the planet's period in years is:

Newton's Laws completely replaced the incorrect work of Kepler.

On which of these assumptions do Ptolemy and Copernicus agree?

Which of the statements below is part of both the Ptolemaic and Copernican models?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants,Dwarfs,and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae,Supernovae,and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

Filters