Question 1

Which of the following planets,at the same distance from the Sun,would be the coolest?

Accepted Answer

A) Poorly reflecting in the visible,radiates well in the infrared 
B) Poorly reflecting in the visible,radiates poorly in the infrared 
C) Highly reflecting in the visible,radiates poorly in the infrared 
D) Highly reflecting in the visible,radiates well in the infrared 
A) Poorly reflecting in the visible,radiates well in the infrared 
B) Poorly reflecting in the visible,radiates poorly in the infrared 
C) Highly reflecting in the visible,radiates poorly in the infrared 
D) Highly reflecting in the visible,radiates well in the infrared

Question 2

The temperature of the Sun is 6000 K.The temperature of Mercury's sunlit side is about 600 K.The Sun's radiation is brightest at a wavelength of about 5000 Angstroms.At what wavelength is Mercury's radiation brightest?

Accepted Answer

A) 500 Angstroms 
B) 6000 Angstroms 
C) 50,000 Angstroms 
D) 540 Angstroms 
A) 500 Angstroms 
B) 6000 Angstroms 
C) 50,000 Angstroms 
D) 540 Angstroms

Question 3

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a terrestrial planet?

Accepted Answer

A) Mean density greater than 3000 kg per cubic meter 
B) Made primarily of iron and silicates 
C) Mass less than or equal to that of the Earth 
D) Extensive methane-ammonia atmosphere 
A) Mean density greater than 3000 kg per cubic meter 
B) Made primarily of iron and silicates 
C) Mass less than or equal to that of the Earth 
D) Extensive methane-ammonia atmosphere

Question 4

Blackbodies A and B have the same size.A is 4 times hotter than  B.What is the ratio of the rate of energy emitted by A to the rate of energy emitted by B?

Accepted Answer

A) 256 
B) 64 
C) 16 
D) 4 
A) 256 
B) 64 
C) 16 
D) 4

Question 5

The radiation emitted by the sun is brightest at a wavelength of about 5000 Å (1 Å is 10-10 m).At what wavelength would the Sun be brightest if its temperature were doubled?

Accepted Answer

A) 2500 Å 
B) 5000 Å 
C) 10,000 Å 
D) 20,000 Å 
A) 2500 Å 
B) 5000 Å 
C) 10,000 Å 
D) 20,000 Å

Question 6

The orbital distances of Venus and Jupiter are 0.7 AU and 5 AU,respectively.About how many times brighter is the sun viewed from Venus's distance than from Jupiter's distance?

Accepted Answer

A) 7 
B) 14 
C) 50 
D) 10 
A) 7 
B) 14 
C) 50 
D) 10

Question 7

Suppose a number of planets all have the same mass,but different sizes and temperatures.Which of the following planets is most likely to retain a thick atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) Small,hot 
B) Small,cool 
C) Large,hot 
D) Large,cool 
A) Small,hot 
B) Small,cool 
C) Large,hot 
D) Large,cool

Question 8

The half-life for radioactive decay of potassium into argon is 1.3 billion years.A rock is found with 10 atoms of potassium and 90 of argon.What can we say about the age of the rock?

Accepted Answer

A) It formed less than a billion years ago 
B) It formed about 1.3 billion years ago 
C) It is much older than 1.3 billion years 
D) It is much older than 20 billion years 
A) It formed less than a billion years ago 
B) It formed about 1.3 billion years ago 
C) It is much older than 1.3 billion years 
D) It is much older than 20 billion years

Question 9

If the temperature of the Sun were to decrease while its size remained the same,it would become

Accepted Answer

A) Redder and brighter 
B) Redder and fainter 
C) Bluer and brighter 
D) Bluer and fainter 
A) Redder and brighter 
B) Redder and fainter 
C) Bluer and brighter 
D) Bluer and fainter

Question 10

Suppose the Sun doubled its temperature while its size remained unchanged.The Sun would become

Accepted Answer

A) Redder and dimmer 
B) Redder and brighter 
C) Bluer and dimmer 
D) Bluer and brighter 
A) Redder and dimmer 
B) Redder and brighter 
C) Bluer and dimmer 
D) Bluer and brighter

Question 11

The energy transport process in which energy is transported through the collisions of electrons with one another is

Accepted Answer

A) Conduction 
B) Convection 
C) Radiation 
D) Radial drift 
A) Conduction 
B) Convection 
C) Radiation 
D) Radial drift

Question 12

If the Earth's distance from the Sun were tripled,the amount of radiant solar energy received by the Earth would

Accepted Answer

A) Decrease 9 times 
B) Decrease 6 times 
C) Decrease 3 times 
D) Remain about the same 
A) Decrease 9 times 
B) Decrease 6 times 
C) Decrease 3 times 
D) Remain about the same

Question 13

If the temperature of an object doubles,the amount of radiant energy it produces will increase by

Accepted Answer

A) 2 times 
B) 4 times 
C) 8 times 
D) 16 times 
A) 2 times 
B) 4 times 
C) 8 times 
D) 16 times

Question 14

An X-ray burst source is an explosion on the surface of a neutron star.Temperatures in the explosion are about 100 million K.In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum would you expect the emission to be brightest?

Accepted Answer

A) Radio waves 
B) Visible light 
C) Ultraviolet light 
D) X-rays 
A) Radio waves 
B) Visible light 
C) Ultraviolet light 
D) X-rays

Question 15

In the Earth's atmosphere,the pressure is cut in half for each increase of what height?

Accepted Answer

A) 2.1 km 
B) 4.2 km 
C) 5.5 km 
D) 8.4 km 
A) 2.1 km 
B) 4.2 km 
C) 5.5 km 
D) 8.4 km

Exam 7: Overview of the Solar System

Which of the following planets,at the same distance from the Sun,would be the coolest?

The temperature of the Sun is 6000 K.The temperature of Mercury's sunlit side is about 600 K.The Sun's radiation is brightest at a wavelength of about 5000 Angstroms.At what wavelength is Mercury's radiation brightest?

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a terrestrial planet?

Blackbodies A and B have the same size.A is 4 times hotter than B.What is the ratio of the rate of energy emitted by A to the rate of energy emitted by B?

The radiation emitted by the sun is brightest at a wavelength of about 5000 Å (1 Å is 10-10 m).At what wavelength would the Sun be brightest if its temperature were doubled?

The orbital distances of Venus and Jupiter are 0.7 AU and 5 AU,respectively.About how many times brighter is the sun viewed from Venus's distance than from Jupiter's distance?

Suppose a number of planets all have the same mass,but different sizes and temperatures.Which of the following planets is most likely to retain a thick atmosphere?

The half-life for radioactive decay of potassium into argon is 1.3 billion years.A rock is found with 10 atoms of potassium and 90 of argon.What can we say about the age of the rock?

If the temperature of the Sun were to decrease while its size remained the same,it would become

Suppose the Sun doubled its temperature while its size remained unchanged.The Sun would become

The energy transport process in which energy is transported through the collisions of electrons with one another is

If the Earth's distance from the Sun were tripled,the amount of radiant solar energy received by the Earth would

If the temperature of an object doubles,the amount of radiant energy it produces will increase by

An X-ray burst source is an explosion on the surface of a neutron star.Temperatures in the explosion are about 100 million K.In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum would you expect the emission to be brightest?

In the Earth's atmosphere,the pressure is cut in half for each increase of what height?

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The radiation emitted by the sun is brightest at a wavelength of about 5000 Å (1 Å is 10^-10 m).At what wavelength would the Sun be brightest if its temperature were doubled?