Question 1

Based on the figure below, an inferior planet would be farthest from the Sun and therefore most easily visible at:

Accepted Answer

A)  inferior conjunction 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  greatest eastern elongation 
D)  greatest western elongation 
E)  at either greatest eastern or western elongation 
A)  inferior conjunction 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  greatest eastern elongation 
D)  greatest western elongation 
E)  at either greatest eastern or western elongation E

Question 2

Name the two ways in which an object's motion (meaning its velocity) can experience a nonzero acceleration.

Accepted Answer

The object can have a nonzero acceleration if the speed of its velocity changes or if the direction of the velocity changes.

Question 3

Based on his observations of the planets, Copernicus calculated the relative distance of the planets from the Sun using the heliocentric model, and these distances were:

Accepted Answer

A)  10 times too large 
B)  exactly correct 
C)  close to the correct values, with errors less than 0.5 AU 
D)  accurate, but not as accurate as Ptolemy's values 
E)  two times too small 
A)  10 times too large 
B)  exactly correct 
C)  close to the correct values, with errors less than 0.5 AU 
D)  accurate, but not as accurate as Ptolemy's values 
E)  two times too small C

Question 4

Galileo's telescopic observations of _________ led him to conclude that the heliocentric model of the Solar System was correct.

Accepted Answer

A)  motion of Jupiter and Saturn 
B)  motion of Venus 
C)  moons of Jupiter and phases of Venus 
D)  phases of the Moon 
E)  epicycles of Mars 
A)  motion of Jupiter and Saturn 
B)  motion of Venus 
C)  moons of Jupiter and phases of Venus 
D)  phases of the Moon 
E)  epicycles of Mars

Question 5

The natural tendency of an object to resist changes in motion is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  inertia 
B)  weight 
C)  acceleration 
D)  mass 
E)  velocity 
A)  inertia 
B)  weight 
C)  acceleration 
D)  mass 
E)  velocity

Question 6

What is your acceleration if you go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds?

Accepted Answer

A)  60 mph/s 
B)  30 mph/s 
C)  15 mph/s 
D)  8.5 mph/s 
E)  240 mph/s 
A)  60 mph/s 
B)  30 mph/s 
C)  15 mph/s 
D)  8.5 mph/s 
E)  240 mph/s

Question 7

Newton's second law says that more massive objects are accelerated more than less massive objects when the same force is applied.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

When the Sun, the Earth, and a planet all lie along a straight line, the planet is at:

Accepted Answer

A)  quadrature 
B)  opposition 
C)  greatest elongation 
D)  conjunction 
E)  either opposition or conjunction 
A)  quadrature 
B)  opposition 
C)  greatest elongation 
D)  conjunction 
E)  either opposition or conjunction

Question 9

When the Earth catches up to a slower moving outer planet and passes it like a faster runner overtaking a slower runner in an outside lane, the planet:

Accepted Answer

A)  exhibits retrograde motion 
B)  slows down because it feels the Earth's gravitational pull 
C)  decreases in brightness as it passes through the Earth's shadow 
D)  moves into a more elliptical orbit 
E)  exhibits prograde motion 
A)  exhibits retrograde motion 
B)  slows down because it feels the Earth's gravitational pull 
C)  decreases in brightness as it passes through the Earth's shadow 
D)  moves into a more elliptical orbit 
E)  exhibits prograde motion

Question 10

Saturn has a semimajor axis of 9.6 AU. How long does it take Saturn to orbit once around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Using Kepler's third law, P²

Question 11

The eccentricity of the majority of the planetary orbits in our Solar System is approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  0 
B)  1 
C)  0.5 
D)  0.2 
E)  infinity 
A)  0 
B)  1 
C)  0.5 
D)  0.2 
E)  infinity

Question 12

If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s2, what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?

Accepted Answer

A)  5 m/s2 
B)  10 m/s2 
C)  50 m/s2 
D)  0.1 m/s2 
E)  1000 m/s2 
A)  5 m/s2 
B)  10 m/s2 
C)  50 m/s2 
D)  0.1 m/s2 
E)  1000 m/s2

Question 13

In the heliocentric model of the Solar System, does retrograde motion occur for superior or inferior planets? (It might help you to draw some illustrations to answer this question.)

Accepted Answer

Retrograde motion occurs for both superi

Question 14

A comet orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 90 AU. Using Kepler's third law, the comet's orbital period is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  850 years 
B)  630 years 
C)  410 years 
D)  180 years 
E)  90 years 
A)  850 years 
B)  630 years 
C)  410 years 
D)  180 years 
E)  90 years

Question 15

Based on the figure shown below, explain why an inferior planet would not be able to be seen at all from Earth when it is in conjunction.

Accepted Answer

Conjunction means that the pla

Question 16

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2, then the mass of the grocery cart is:

Accepted Answer

A)  5 kg 
B)  0.05 kg 
C)  20 kg 
D)  50 kg 
E)  0.20 kg 
A)  5 kg 
B)  0.05 kg 
C)  20 kg 
D)  50 kg 
E)  0.20 kg

Question 17

Johannes Kepler obtained accurate data on the positions of the planets in the sky over time, which Galileo used to prove that planets revolved around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun, its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU, and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU. At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

Accepted Answer

A)  35 AU 
B)  17.8 AU 
C)  1.2 AU 
D)  0.6 AU 
E)  The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is. 
A)  35 AU 
B)  17.8 AU 
C)  1.2 AU 
D)  0.6 AU 
E)  The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is.

Question 19

A planet travels fastest in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Which of the following are superior planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars 
B)  Earth and Venus 
C)  Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn 
D)  Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn 
E)  Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn 
A)  Mars 
B)  Earth and Venus 
C)  Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn 
D)  Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn 
E)  Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

Exam 3: Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Based on the figure below, an inferior planet would be farthest from the Sun and therefore most easily visible at:

Name the two ways in which an object's motion (meaning its velocity) can experience a nonzero acceleration.

Based on his observations of the planets, Copernicus calculated the relative distance of the planets from the Sun using the heliocentric model, and these distances were:

Galileo's telescopic observations of _________ led him to conclude that the heliocentric model of the Solar System was correct.

The natural tendency of an object to resist changes in motion is called:

What is your acceleration if you go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds?

Newton's second law says that more massive objects are accelerated more than less massive objects when the same force is applied.

When the Sun, the Earth, and a planet all lie along a straight line, the planet is at:

When the Earth catches up to a slower moving outer planet and passes it like a faster runner overtaking a slower runner in an outside lane, the planet:

Saturn has a semimajor axis of 9.6 AU. How long does it take Saturn to orbit once around the Sun?

The eccentricity of the majority of the planetary orbits in our Solar System is approximately:

If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s2, what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?

In the heliocentric model of the Solar System, does retrograde motion occur for superior or inferior planets? (It might help you to draw some illustrations to answer this question.)

A comet orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 90 AU. Using Kepler's third law, the comet's orbital period is approximately

Based on the figure shown below, explain why an inferior planet would not be able to be seen at all from Earth when it is in conjunction.

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2, then the mass of the grocery cart is:

Johannes Kepler obtained accurate data on the positions of the planets in the sky over time, which Galileo used to prove that planets revolved around the Sun.

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun, its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU, and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU. At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

A planet travels fastest in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun.

Which of the following are superior planets?

Why Learn Astronomy

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquid the Giant Planets

Planetary Adornmentsmoons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

The Expanding Universe

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

Modern Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s², what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?

If you apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart and get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s², then the mass of the grocery cart is: