Question 1

Describe how the observable properties of the solar system are related to its process of formation.

Accepted Answer

All the orbital and rotational motions can be explained as preserving the original rotation of the nebula from which the solar system formed.Accretion explains planetary isolation.Temperature differences explain differentiation.Asteroids and comets are left over debris.And irregularities can be explained by collisions during the planetesimal era.

Question 2

Planetary orbits:

Accepted Answer

A)  are evenly spaced throughout the solar system. 
B)  are highly inclined to the ecliptic. 
C)  are almost circular, with low eccentricities. 
D)  have the Sun at their exact center. 
E)  are spaced more closely together as they get further from the Sun. 
A)  are evenly spaced throughout the solar system. 
B)  are highly inclined to the ecliptic. 
C)  are almost circular, with low eccentricities. 
D)  have the Sun at their exact center. 
E)  are spaced more closely together as they get further from the Sun. C

Question 3

What support for the solar nebula theory has come from observations of nearby young stars?

Accepted Answer

Many show dusty disks,with large infrared excesses,forming around the stars' equators as the stars condense.In some cases,these disks are seen as dark profiles in front of the star,such as in the Orion Nebula.

Question 4

Which of the following have an icy composition?

Accepted Answer

A)  most asteroids 
B)  meteoroids 
C)  comets 
D)  the surface of Mars 
E)  meteorites and most asteroids 
A)  most asteroids 
B)  meteoroids 
C)  comets 
D)  the surface of Mars 
E)  meteorites and most asteroids

Question 5

At what point does the accretion process turn a clump of debris into a planetesimal?

Accepted Answer

When its gravity and

Question 6

The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass and dividing that by its:

Accepted Answer

A)  radius. 
B)  diameter. 
C)  surface area. 
D)  radius squared. 
E)  volume. 
A)  radius. 
B)  diameter. 
C)  surface area. 
D)  radius squared. 
E)  volume.

Question 7

Jupiter and the other jovian planets may have formed significantly closer to the Sun than their current orbits.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What are the properties of the Sun that any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain?

Accepted Answer

The Sun contains most of the m

Question 9

Most asteroids are found:

Accepted Answer

A)  beyond the orbit of Neptune. 
B)  between the Earth and Sun. 
C)  between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D)  in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead of or behind it. 
E)  orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits. 
A)  beyond the orbit of Neptune. 
B)  between the Earth and Sun. 
C)  between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D)  in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead of or behind it. 
E)  orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits.

Question 10

All of the jovian planets rotate more rapidly than any of the terrestrial planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The ________ theory describes the origin of the planets as having been formed by accretion of small particles into progressively larger and larger bodies.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ theory describes the origin of...

Question 12

All the planets orbit the Sun in the ________ plane.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All the planets orbit the Sun in...

Question 13

________ is the only planet with a mean density less than water.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ is the only planet with a...

Question 14

By itself,________ makes up 70% of the masses of all the planets combined.

Accepted Answer

The answer of By itself,________ makes up 70% of the...

Question 15

One possible way that future scientists may determine whether the core-accretion model or the gravitational instability theory better explains the formation of the jovian planet is:

Accepted Answer

A)  measuring the mass of the rocky material in the jovian planets' cores. 
B)  measuring the metallic hydrogen layer in the jovian planets. 
C)  observing the changes in the rings around the jovian planets. 
D)  observing the changes in the magnetic fields of the jovian planets. 
A)  measuring the mass of the rocky material in the jovian planets' cores. 
B)  measuring the metallic hydrogen layer in the jovian planets. 
C)  observing the changes in the rings around the jovian planets. 
D)  observing the changes in the magnetic fields of the jovian planets.

Question 16

What aspects of the planets orbits are nearly the same for most planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  orbital period and shape 
B)  shape and tilt from the ecliptic 
C)  shape and distance from the Sun 
D)  orbital period and distance from the Sun 
E)  tilt from the ecliptic and distance from the Sun 
A)  orbital period and shape 
B)  shape and tilt from the ecliptic 
C)  shape and distance from the Sun 
D)  orbital period and distance from the Sun 
E)  tilt from the ecliptic and distance from the Sun

Question 17

In composition,asteroids and meteoroids are most like:

Accepted Answer

A)  jovian planets. 
B)  Kuiper Belt objects. 
C)  comets. 
D)  terrestrial planets. 
E)  the moons of Jupiter. 
A)  jovian planets. 
B)  Kuiper Belt objects. 
C)  comets. 
D)  terrestrial planets. 
E)  the moons of Jupiter.

Question 18

Which of these bodies has the lowest density?

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  a comet 
D)  an asteroid 
E)  a Kuiper Belt object 
A)  Saturn 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  a comet 
D)  an asteroid 
E)  a Kuiper Belt object

Question 19

What is true about solar system densities?

Accepted Answer

A)  The denser planets lie closer to the Sun. 
B)  In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces. 
C)  The asteroids all have about the same density. 
D)  Saturn has the same density as water. 
E)  Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun. 
A)  The denser planets lie closer to the Sun. 
B)  In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces. 
C)  The asteroids all have about the same density. 
D)  Saturn has the same density as water. 
E)  Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun.

Question 20

As the solar nebula contracts it:

Accepted Answer

A)  flattens out into the ecliptic plane around the Sun's poles. 
B)  spins faster due to conservation of angular momentum. 
C)  cools due to condensation. 
D)  loses angular momentum. 
E)  reverses it direction of rotation. 
A)  flattens out into the ecliptic plane around the Sun's poles. 
B)  spins faster due to conservation of angular momentum. 
C)  cools due to condensation. 
D)  loses angular momentum. 
E)  reverses it direction of rotation.

Exam 6: The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Describe how the observable properties of the solar system are related to its process of formation.

Planetary orbits:

What support for the solar nebula theory has come from observations of nearby young stars?

Which of the following have an icy composition?

At what point does the accretion process turn a clump of debris into a planetesimal?

The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass and dividing that by its:

Jupiter and the other jovian planets may have formed significantly closer to the Sun than their current orbits.

What are the properties of the Sun that any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain?

Most asteroids are found:

All of the jovian planets rotate more rapidly than any of the terrestrial planets.

The ________ theory describes the origin of the planets as having been formed by accretion of small particles into progressively larger and larger bodies.

All the planets orbit the Sun in the ________ plane.

________ is the only planet with a mean density less than water.

By itself,________ makes up 70% of the masses of all the planets combined.

One possible way that future scientists may determine whether the core-accretion model or the gravitational instability theory better explains the formation of the jovian planet is:

What aspects of the planets orbits are nearly the same for most planets?

In composition,asteroids and meteoroids are most like:

Which of these bodies has the lowest density?

What is true about solar system densities?

As the solar nebula contracts it:

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

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?

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