Question 1

The Kuiper Belt is located beyond the orbit of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Kuiper Belt is located beyond the...

Question 2

Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if:

Accepted Answer

A)  they are terrestrial and the extra size of the planet's disk can be measured. 
B)  they are jovian and their oblateness can be found. 
C)  they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured. 
D)  they are dense and easily deflect the path of passing spacecraft. 
E)  they move rapidly and their periods are easily measured. 
A)  they are terrestrial and the extra size of the planet's disk can be measured. 
B)  they are jovian and their oblateness can be found. 
C)  they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured. 
D)  they are dense and easily deflect the path of passing spacecraft. 
E)  they move rapidly and their periods are easily measured.

Question 3

Our solar system contains only 65 moons (as of Summer 2007).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

As a result of the ejection of planetesimals into the Oort Cloud,simulations indicate that Uranus and Neptune moved:

Accepted Answer

A)  closer to the Sun. 
B)  further from the Sun. 
C)  along their orbits at a different rate. 
D)  from the inner solar system to the outer solar system. 
E)  from the outer solar system to the inner solar system. 
A)  closer to the Sun. 
B)  further from the Sun. 
C)  along their orbits at a different rate. 
D)  from the inner solar system to the outer solar system. 
E)  from the outer solar system to the inner solar system.

Question 5

A meteorite is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground. 
B)  a streak of light in the atmosphere. 
C)  an icy body with a long tail extending from it. 
D)  a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth. 
E)  an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. 
A)  a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground. 
B)  a streak of light in the atmosphere. 
C)  an icy body with a long tail extending from it. 
D)  a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth. 
E)  an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

Question 6

All jovian planets have rings around their equators and at least eight moons.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

What form of interplanetary debris did mankind discover first? Why?

Accepted Answer

Comets that come close to Eart

Question 8

Conservation of angular momentum explains why the contracting solar nebula's rotation rate increased as it contracted.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation,the cloud:

Accepted Answer

A)  spins faster. 
B)  expands. 
C)  becomes more spherical in shape. 
D)  changes direction of motion. 
E)  begins to cool. 
A)  spins faster. 
B)  expands. 
C)  becomes more spherical in shape. 
D)  changes direction of motion. 
E)  begins to cool.

Question 10

An alternative to the core-accretion theory that explains the formation of the jovian planets is the:

Accepted Answer

A)  differentiation theory. 
B)  collision theory. 
C)  gravitational instability theory. 
D)  Big Bang theory. 
E)  nebular contraction theory. 
A)  differentiation theory. 
B)  collision theory. 
C)  gravitational instability theory. 
D)  Big Bang theory. 
E)  nebular contraction theory.

Question 11

How do the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds compare with the jovians?

Accepted Answer

The Jovian atmospheres are ric

Question 12

What is the goal of comparative planetology?

Accepted Answer

A)  to use planetary positions to foretell the future 
B)  to find which planets will be most suitable for future colonization 
C)  to help plan future visits by unmanned probes, orbiters, and rovers 
D)  to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system 
E)  to find out how our own solar system compares with extrasolar ones 
A)  to use planetary positions to foretell the future 
B)  to find which planets will be most suitable for future colonization 
C)  to help plan future visits by unmanned probes, orbiters, and rovers 
D)  to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system 
E)  to find out how our own solar system compares with extrasolar ones

Question 13

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated in space.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

All jovians have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What physical characteristics of Mercury distinguish it among all the planets in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

Mercury has the most eccentric

Question 16

The Pioneer and Voyager space probes passed near the jovian planets without landing or crashing into them.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

While all planet orbits are ellipses,the eight large planets have fairly ________ eccentricities.

Accepted Answer

The answer of While all planet orbits are ellipses,the eight...

Question 18

The least dense form of interplanetary debris are ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The least dense form of interplanetary debris...

Question 19

In terms of ________,all the terrestrials are greater than any of the jovians.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In terms of ________,all the terrestrials are...

Question 20

Which of the characteristics below describes the terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  having rings 
B)  large and gaseous 
C)  small, dark and icy 
D)  possessing weak magnetic fields 
E)  widely spaced through the outer solar system 
A)  having rings 
B)  large and gaseous 
C)  small, dark and icy 
D)  possessing weak magnetic fields 
E)  widely spaced through the outer solar system

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

The Kuiper Belt is located beyond the orbit of ________.

Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if:

Our solar system contains only 65 moons (as of Summer 2007).

As a result of the ejection of planetesimals into the Oort Cloud,simulations indicate that Uranus and Neptune moved:

A meteorite is:

All jovian planets have rings around their equators and at least eight moons.

What form of interplanetary debris did mankind discover first? Why?

Conservation of angular momentum explains why the contracting solar nebula's rotation rate increased as it contracted.

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation,the cloud:

An alternative to the core-accretion theory that explains the formation of the jovian planets is the:

How do the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds compare with the jovians?

What is the goal of comparative planetology?

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated in space.

All jovians have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

What physical characteristics of Mercury distinguish it among all the planets in our solar system?

The Pioneer and Voyager space probes passed near the jovian planets without landing or crashing into them.

While all planet orbits are ellipses,the eight large planets have fairly ________ eccentricities.

The least dense form of interplanetary debris are ________.

In terms of ________,all the terrestrials are greater than any of the jovians.

Which of the characteristics below describes the terrestrial planets?

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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