Question 1

The Kuiper Belt is an "outer asteroid belt" consisting of what types of solar system bodies?

Accepted Answer

A)  icy cometlike bodies 
B)  asteroids 
C)  meteoroids 
D)  jovian planets 
E)  terrestrial planets 
A)  icy cometlike bodies 
B)  asteroids 
C)  meteoroids 
D)  jovian planets 
E)  terrestrial planets

Question 2

Objects in the Kuiper belt:

Accepted Answer

A)  are in random orbits at all inclinations to the ecliptic. 
B)  lie beyond the orbit of Neptune, and close to the ecliptic. 
C)  are the sources of long-period comets. 
D)  are dense, like the iron meteorites. 
E)  lie beyond the orbit of Neptune and perpendicular to the ecliptic. 
A)  are in random orbits at all inclinations to the ecliptic. 
B)  lie beyond the orbit of Neptune, and close to the ecliptic. 
C)  are the sources of long-period comets. 
D)  are dense, like the iron meteorites. 
E)  lie beyond the orbit of Neptune and perpendicular to the ecliptic.

Question 3

Contrast the orbits of comets and asteroids.

Accepted Answer

Comet orbits are high in eccentricity an

Question 4

What were the first celestial bodies added to our solar system inventory by Galileo and his telescope? Why were they important?

Accepted Answer

The four moons of Jupiter show

Question 5

What is the role of irregularities in the solar system in terms of theories of its origin?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are too minor to play a role; astronomers ignore them. 
B)  They introduce a need for flexibility in theories of the solar system's origin. 
C)  Theories of the solar system are entirely based on the many irregularities found among the planets and moons. 
D)  The solar system has no irregularities; it is perfectly regular and orderly. 
E)  The solar system is chaotic, with irregularities the rule. 
A)  They are too minor to play a role; astronomers ignore them. 
B)  They introduce a need for flexibility in theories of the solar system's origin. 
C)  Theories of the solar system are entirely based on the many irregularities found among the planets and moons. 
D)  The solar system has no irregularities; it is perfectly regular and orderly. 
E)  The solar system is chaotic, with irregularities the rule.

Question 6

Discuss the role that gravity assist played in Voyager 2 and its Grand Tour.

Accepted Answer

By using the gravities of the

Question 7

The difference between a meteoroid and an asteroid is the object's:

Accepted Answer

A)  size. 
B)  shape. 
C)  composition. 
D)  orbital period. 
E)  location in the solar system. 
A)  size. 
B)  shape. 
C)  composition. 
D)  orbital period. 
E)  location in the solar system.

Question 8

According to the planetary migration model,the jovian planets are thought to have formed:

Accepted Answer

A)  in the orbit where they are now. 
B)  further from the Sun than they are now. 
C)  in another solar system. 
D)  closer to the Sun than they are now. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  in the orbit where they are now. 
B)  further from the Sun than they are now. 
C)  in another solar system. 
D)  closer to the Sun than they are now. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 9

Of all the terrestrial planets,Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above the ecliptic.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

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 11

What factor caused different planets to form out of different types of material?

Accepted Answer

A)  The angular momentum of the forming planet; faster rotating planets lost the lightest elements. 
B)  The quantity of dust particles in the solar nebula; more dust caused some planets to contain heavier elements. 
C)  The variation in temperature throughout the solar nebula; the higher the temperature, the lower the percentage of light elements in the forming planet. 
D)  The angular momentum of the solar nebula pushed the heavy elements towards the outer regions of the nebula. 
E)  The innate variation of chemical composition of the original nebula; the outer parts of the nebula contained a greater abundance of heavy elements. 
A)  The angular momentum of the forming planet; faster rotating planets lost the lightest elements. 
B)  The quantity of dust particles in the solar nebula; more dust caused some planets to contain heavier elements. 
C)  The variation in temperature throughout the solar nebula; the higher the temperature, the lower the percentage of light elements in the forming planet. 
D)  The angular momentum of the solar nebula pushed the heavy elements towards the outer regions of the nebula. 
E)  The innate variation of chemical composition of the original nebula; the outer parts of the nebula contained a greater abundance of heavy elements.

Question 12

How is density determined,and how do the densities of the terrestrial and jovian worlds relate to their distances from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Density is mass per unit volume; all ter

Question 13

Briefly outline the theory or hypothesis which best explains the origin of the solar system.

Accepted Answer

A large nebula began to collapse gravita

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Many show dusty disks,with large infrare

Question 15

The gravitational slingshot effect can increase the speed of a spacecraft,but not decrease it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Comets are not actually members of the solar system,but captured by the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT icy in composition?

Accepted Answer

A)  comet nuclei 
B)  Kuiper Belt Objects 
C)  the polar cap of Mars 
D)  asteroids 
E)  most Jovian satellites 
A)  comet nuclei 
B)  Kuiper Belt Objects 
C)  the polar cap of Mars 
D)  asteroids 
E)  most Jovian satellites

Question 18

All the terrestrial planets lie inside the asteroid belt.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The planet's orbital period is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the time it takes it to rotate and have the same face toward us again. 
B)  the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun. 
C)  the time it takes for a satellite to orbit it. 
D)  the time it takes for it to retrograde back to the same position as we pass it. 
E)  the time its magnetic field takes to spin once. 
A)  the time it takes it to rotate and have the same face toward us again. 
B)  the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun. 
C)  the time it takes for a satellite to orbit it. 
D)  the time it takes for it to retrograde back to the same position as we pass it. 
E)  the time its magnetic field takes to spin once.

Question 20

What is the process of accretion?

Accepted Answer

A)  the separation of materials in a protoplanet by density, with dense material in core 
B)  growth of an object by the accumulation of matter 
C)  the breakup of large objects by violent collisions with other similar-sized objects 
D)  the period of time during which the Sun swept away all the excess material in the solar nebula 
E)  the process by which the solar nebula became heated during its collapse 
A)  the separation of materials in a protoplanet by density, with dense material in core 
B)  growth of an object by the accumulation of matter 
C)  the breakup of large objects by violent collisions with other similar-sized objects 
D)  the period of time during which the Sun swept away all the excess material in the solar nebula 
E)  the process by which the solar nebula became heated during its collapse

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

The Kuiper Belt is an "outer asteroid belt" consisting of what types of solar system bodies?

Objects in the Kuiper belt:

Contrast the orbits of comets and asteroids.

What were the first celestial bodies added to our solar system inventory by Galileo and his telescope? Why were they important?

What is the role of irregularities in the solar system in terms of theories of its origin?

Discuss the role that gravity assist played in Voyager 2 and its Grand Tour.

The difference between a meteoroid and an asteroid is the object's:

According to the planetary migration model,the jovian planets are thought to have formed:

Of all the terrestrial planets,Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above the ecliptic.

What is true about solar system densities?

What factor caused different planets to form out of different types of material?

How is density determined,and how do the densities of the terrestrial and jovian worlds relate to their distances from the Sun?

Briefly outline the theory or hypothesis which best explains the origin of the solar system.

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

The gravitational slingshot effect can increase the speed of a spacecraft,but not decrease it.

Comets are not actually members of the solar system,but captured by the Sun.

Which of the following is NOT icy in composition?

All the terrestrial planets lie inside the asteroid belt.

The planet's orbital period is:

What is the process of accretion?

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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