Question 1

Discuss the apparent conflict between the nebulae hypothesis and the rotations of planets.

Accepted Answer

Planets revolve around the Sun in the sa

Question 2

The process that formed the structure of the Earth and other terrestrial planets is

Accepted Answer

A)  convection. 
B)  gravity. 
C)  differentiation 
D)  acceleration. 
E)  tectonics. 
A)  convection. 
B)  gravity. 
C)  differentiation 
D)  acceleration. 
E)  tectonics.

Question 3

What two elements comprise most of a nebula?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen and helium 
B)  hydrogen and nitrogen 
C)  oxygen and lithium 
D)  carbon and hydrogen 
E)  helium and lithium 
A)  hydrogen and helium 
B)  hydrogen and nitrogen 
C)  oxygen and lithium 
D)  carbon and hydrogen 
E)  helium and lithium

Question 4

Both the Earth and Moon have craters but the smaller Moon has millions more than the Earth. If they both formed at the same time and under similar conditions, how can you account for this discrepancy?

Accepted Answer

The Earth, being the larger target, prob

Question 5

In our solar system, we can say that moons

Accepted Answer

A)  were most likely formed by spinning planets throwing off big chunks of material. 
B)  are all about the same size. 
C)  have less gravitational pull than that found on any planet. 
D)  usually have active volcanoes. 
E)  have been found orbiting all planets except for Mercury and Venus. 
A)  were most likely formed by spinning planets throwing off big chunks of material. 
B)  are all about the same size. 
C)  have less gravitational pull than that found on any planet. 
D)  usually have active volcanoes. 
E)  have been found orbiting all planets except for Mercury and Venus.

Question 6

Explain how the 'seasons' would be represented on Uranus.

Accepted Answer

With the northern hemisphere always poin

Question 7

After the Earth was formed

Accepted Answer

A)  it was bombarded by huge chunks of rock. 
B)  outgassing ended. 
C)  its atmosphere remained virtually unchanged. 
D)  the densest materials collected as the Earth's crust. 
E)  its temperature was too cold to support life. 
A)  it was bombarded by huge chunks of rock. 
B)  outgassing ended. 
C)  its atmosphere remained virtually unchanged. 
D)  the densest materials collected as the Earth's crust. 
E)  its temperature was too cold to support life.

Question 8

Compare the surface of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa.

Accepted Answer

Io is a volcanically active moon that ha

Question 9

Explain the relationship between meteor showers and comets.

Accepted Answer

Meteor showers are the result

Question 10

Why are the Jovian planets formed from materials different from the terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Terrestrial planets were protected by the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 
B)  The composition of elements in a planet was a random process after the Big Bang. 
C)  When the solar system first formed, the heaviest elements sank toward the center of the nebulae and the lightest elements floated out. 
D)  Gaseous Jovian planets, formed farther away from the heat of the Sun, are formed from light weight nebulae "dust." 
E)  Only the terrestrial planets formed from planetesimals. 
A)  Terrestrial planets were protected by the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 
B)  The composition of elements in a planet was a random process after the Big Bang. 
C)  When the solar system first formed, the heaviest elements sank toward the center of the nebulae and the lightest elements floated out. 
D)  Gaseous Jovian planets, formed farther away from the heat of the Sun, are formed from light weight nebulae "dust." 
E)  Only the terrestrial planets formed from planetesimals.

Question 11

The Earth's atmosphere has probably been affected by all of the following except for

Accepted Answer

A)  volcanoes. 
B)  strong solar winds. 
C)  steam from the tropical jungles. 
D)  the number of living things on Earth. 
E)  increased amounts of hydrogen and helium. 
A)  volcanoes. 
B)  strong solar winds. 
C)  steam from the tropical jungles. 
D)  the number of living things on Earth. 
E)  increased amounts of hydrogen and helium.

Question 12

Describe the Galileo mission to Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

Galileo began study of Jupiter after its

Question 13

Explain the processes in the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere beginning with Earth as an airless, molten ball.

Accepted Answer

Early on in Earth's history, volcanoes p

Question 14

What is the consensus view today about the question of life on Mars?

Accepted Answer

The view is that life probably

Question 15

Which scientist is credited with the discovery of Pluto?

Accepted Answer

A)  Percival Lowell 
B)  Isaac Newton 
C)  Clyde Tombaugh 
D)  Galileo Galilei 
E)  Pierre Laplace 
A)  Percival Lowell 
B)  Isaac Newton 
C)  Clyde Tombaugh 
D)  Galileo Galilei 
E)  Pierre Laplace

Question 16

The mantle of the Earth can be described as

Accepted Answer

A)  resembling a metallic core. 
B)  containing hot, melted rock. 
C)  being like the surface of the Earth. 
D)  primarily gaseous. 
E)  helium, oxygen, magnesium, silicon. 
A)  resembling a metallic core. 
B)  containing hot, melted rock. 
C)  being like the surface of the Earth. 
D)  primarily gaseous. 
E)  helium, oxygen, magnesium, silicon.

Question 17

How are asteroids different from comets?

Accepted Answer

Asteroids are small rocky bodies that ar

Question 18

If only Newton's laws of motion affected motion in our solar system, then

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus's orbit could be the reverse of Earth's orbit. 
B)  Earth's Moon could rise in the west and set in the east. 
C)  Mars's orbit could be perpendicular to Jupiter's orbit. 
D)  Saturn's rings could be at random angles to their current plane. 
E)  all of these are correct. 
A)  Venus's orbit could be the reverse of Earth's orbit. 
B)  Earth's Moon could rise in the west and set in the east. 
C)  Mars's orbit could be perpendicular to Jupiter's orbit. 
D)  Saturn's rings could be at random angles to their current plane. 
E)  all of these are correct.

Question 19

The impact collision theory of the Moon's formation

Accepted Answer

A)  was disproved by samples from the Apollo lunar missions. 
B)  states that the Moon was formed elsewhere in the Solar System and was captured by Earth's gravitational force. 
C)  suggests that the Moon was thrown from a spinning Earth. 
D)  states that the Earth was struck by a huge object, causing a large amount of mantle material to be blown into orbit. 
E)  suggests that the Moon was formed by light, less dense materials that floated into the orbit around the Earth. 
A)  was disproved by samples from the Apollo lunar missions. 
B)  states that the Moon was formed elsewhere in the Solar System and was captured by Earth's gravitational force. 
C)  suggests that the Moon was thrown from a spinning Earth. 
D)  states that the Earth was struck by a huge object, causing a large amount of mantle material to be blown into orbit. 
E)  suggests that the Moon was formed by light, less dense materials that floated into the orbit around the Earth.

Question 20

If the nebular hypothesis is correct, then what physical and chemical aspects of the solar system does it account for?

Accepted Answer

This hypothesis accounts for the mechani

Exam 16: Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Discuss the apparent conflict between the nebulae hypothesis and the rotations of planets.

The process that formed the structure of the Earth and other terrestrial planets is

What two elements comprise most of a nebula?

Both the Earth and Moon have craters but the smaller Moon has millions more than the Earth. If they both formed at the same time and under similar conditions, how can you account for this discrepancy?

In our solar system, we can say that moons

Explain how the 'seasons' would be represented on Uranus.

After the Earth was formed

Compare the surface of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa.

Explain the relationship between meteor showers and comets.

Why are the Jovian planets formed from materials different from the terrestrial planets?

The Earth's atmosphere has probably been affected by all of the following except for

Describe the Galileo mission to Jupiter.

Explain the processes in the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere beginning with Earth as an airless, molten ball.

What is the consensus view today about the question of life on Mars?

Which scientist is credited with the discovery of Pluto?

The mantle of the Earth can be described as

How are asteroids different from comets?

If only Newton's laws of motion affected motion in our solar system, then

The impact collision theory of the Moon's formation

If the nebular hypothesis is correct, then what physical and chemical aspects of the solar system does it account for?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

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