Question 1

Kepler's third law is a relationship between an orbiting object's:

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational force and mass 
B)  acceleration and mass 
C)  velocity and period 
D)  period and semimajor axis 
E)  semimajor axis and velocity 
A)  gravitational force and mass 
B)  acceleration and mass 
C)  velocity and period 
D)  period and semimajor axis 
E)  semimajor axis and velocity

Question 2

The dwarf planet named Eris orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 68 AU. Using Kepler's third law, Eris's orbital period is:

Accepted Answer

A)  26 years 
B)  130 years 
C)  72 years 
D)  240 years 
E)  560 years 
A)  26 years 
B)  130 years 
C)  72 years 
D)  240 years 
E)  560 years

Question 3

Which of the following is TRUE about a comet that is on an elliptical orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is farthest from the Sun. 
B)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is nearest the Sun. 
C)  This comet's speed is zero. 
D)  The comet's speed is constant because its mass and the Sun's mass stay approximately the same. 
E)  The eccentricity is very low. 
A)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is farthest from the Sun. 
B)  The comet's speed is greatest when it is nearest the Sun. 
C)  This comet's speed is zero. 
D)  The comet's speed is constant because its mass and the Sun's mass stay approximately the same. 
E)  The eccentricity is very low.

Question 4

What acceleration would result from a 5-N force acting on a 3-kg object? (Recall that 1 N= 1 kg m/s2.)

Accepted Answer

a = F/m =

Question 5

Newton's first law states that objects in motion:

Accepted Answer

A)  eventually come to rest 
B)  experience an unbalanced force 
C)  experience a nonzero acceleration 
D)  stay in motion 
E)  must be subject to zero friction 
A)  eventually come to rest 
B)  experience an unbalanced force 
C)  experience a nonzero acceleration 
D)  stay in motion 
E)  must be subject to zero friction

Question 6

If you start from rest and accelerate at 10 mph/s and end up traveling at 60 mph, how long did it take?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 seconds 
B)  6 seconds 
C)  600 seconds 
D)  0.6 seconds 
E)  200 seconds 
A)  1 seconds 
B)  6 seconds 
C)  600 seconds 
D)  0.6 seconds 
E)  200 seconds

Question 7

Figure 3
-Based on Figure 3, explain why, when a superior planet is in opposition, it will be visible from Earth all night long.

Accepted Answer

Opposition means that it is opposite the

Question 8

What do we customarily call the semimajor axis of a circular orbit? What is the value of the eccentricity of a circle? What might the value of the eccentricity be for a comet on a very elliptical orbit around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

The semimajor axis of a circular orbit i

Question 9

The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is called its _________ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  synodic 
B)  sidereal 
C)  prograde 
D)  retrograde 
E)  geocentric 
A)  synodic 
B)  sidereal 
C)  prograde 
D)  retrograde 
E)  geocentric

Question 10

Figure 2
-In Figure 2, a planet orbits the Sun. The line connecting the planet and Sun sweeps out three areas labeled A, B, and C, during three different time intervals. If the duration of the time intervals are the same (meaning t2 -t1 = t4 -t3 = t6 - t5), how are the sizes of these areas related?

Accepted Answer

A)  A  $\gt$ B  $\gt$ C 
B)  C  $\gt$ B $\gt$ A 
C)  A  $\gt$ C  $\gt$ B 
D)  B  $\gt$ A  $\gt$ C 
E)  A, B, and C have the same size. 
A)  A  $\gt$ B  $\gt$ C 
B)  C  $\gt$ B $\gt$ A 
C)  A  $\gt$ C  $\gt$ B 
D)  B  $\gt$ A  $\gt$ C 
E)  A, B, and C have the same size.

Question 11

When the geocentric model of the solar system did not match the observed positions of the planets:

Accepted Answer

A)  Tycho Brahe made measurements of higher accuracy and showed the geocentric model was correct 
B)  Ptolemy added epicycles to the geocentric model to match the observed data 
C)  Galileo argued that the Sun revolved around the Earth 
D)  Kepler was inspired to create the theory of gravity 
E)  Copernicus proposed the heliocentric mode 
A)  Tycho Brahe made measurements of higher accuracy and showed the geocentric model was correct 
B)  Ptolemy added epicycles to the geocentric model to match the observed data 
C)  Galileo argued that the Sun revolved around the Earth 
D)  Kepler was inspired to create the theory of gravity 
E)  Copernicus proposed the heliocentric mode

Question 12

According to Aristotle, what is the natural state of all objects? In practical terms, what does this mean for moving objects? How did Galileo disagree with Aristotle's theory?

Accepted Answer

According to Aristotle, the natural stat

Question 13

In the heliocentric system, retrograde motion is not an actual motion of the planet but appears to occur because of the Earth's movement.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Figure 3
-Based on Figure 3, explain why a superior planet, when it is at conjunction, will not be seen at all from Earth during the night.

Accepted Answer

Conjunction means that the pla

Question 15

Explain how the Occam's razor argument influenced whether people believed in the heliocentric or the geocentric model of the Solar System.

Accepted Answer

Occam's razor is the argument that the s

Question 16

Figure 1
-Based on Figure 1, a superior planet would be seen high overhead at midnight:

Accepted Answer

A)  when at opposition 
B)  when at eastern quadrature 
C)  when at conjunction 
D)  when at western quadrature 
E)  throughout its orbit 
A)  when at opposition 
B)  when at eastern quadrature 
C)  when at conjunction 
D)  when at western quadrature 
E)  throughout its orbit

Question 17

Who of the following was NOT a proponent of the heliocentric model of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Galileo 
B)  Copernicus 
C)  Newton 
D)  Ptolemy 
E)  Aristarchus 
A)  Galileo 
B)  Copernicus 
C)  Newton 
D)  Ptolemy 
E)  Aristarchus

Question 18

You apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart in order to get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2. If you apply a force of 20 N to the same grocery cart, its acceleration will be:

Accepted Answer

A)  10 m/s2 
B)  1 m/s2 
C)  0.5 m/s2 
D)  0.25m/s2 
E)  20 m/s2 
A)  10 m/s2 
B)  1 m/s2 
C)  0.5 m/s2 
D)  0.25m/s2 
E)  20 m/s2

Question 19

If Jupiter has an orbital period of 12 years, what value is closest to its average distance from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  2 AU 
B)  25 AU 
C)  10 AU 
D)  5 AU 
E)  144 AU 
A)  2 AU 
B)  25 AU 
C)  10 AU 
D)  5 AU 
E)  144 AU

Question 20

Explain what is meant by retrograde motion only being an "observational artifact" in the heliocentric system.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde motion is not an ac

Exam 3: Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Kepler's third law is a relationship between an orbiting object's:

The dwarf planet named Eris orbits the Sun with a semimajor axis of 68 AU. Using Kepler's third law, Eris's orbital period is:

Which of the following is TRUE about a comet that is on an elliptical orbit around the Sun?

What acceleration would result from a 5-N force acting on a 3-kg object? (Recall that 1 N= 1 kg m/s2.)

Newton's first law states that objects in motion:

If you start from rest and accelerate at 10 mph/s and end up traveling at 60 mph, how long did it take?

Figure 3 -Based on Figure 3, explain why, when a superior planet is in opposition, it will be visible from Earth all night long.

What do we customarily call the semimajor axis of a circular orbit? What is the value of the eccentricity of a circle? What might the value of the eccentricity be for a comet on a very elliptical orbit around the Sun?

The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is called its _________ period.

Figure 2 -In Figure 2, a planet orbits the Sun. The line connecting the planet and Sun sweeps out three areas labeled A, B, and C, during three different time intervals. If the duration of the time intervals are the same (meaning t2 -t1 = t4 -t3 = t6 - t5), how are the sizes of these areas related?

When the geocentric model of the solar system did not match the observed positions of the planets:

According to Aristotle, what is the natural state of all objects? In practical terms, what does this mean for moving objects? How did Galileo disagree with Aristotle's theory?

In the heliocentric system, retrograde motion is not an actual motion of the planet but appears to occur because of the Earth's movement.

Figure 3 -Based on Figure 3, explain why a superior planet, when it is at conjunction, will not be seen at all from Earth during the night.

Explain how the Occam's razor argument influenced whether people believed in the heliocentric or the geocentric model of the Solar System.

Figure 1 -Based on Figure 1, a superior planet would be seen high overhead at midnight:

Who of the following was NOT a proponent of the heliocentric model of the solar system?

You apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart in order to get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s2. If you apply a force of 20 N to the same grocery cart, its acceleration will be:

If Jupiter has an orbital period of 12 years, what value is closest to its average distance from the Sun?

Explain what is meant by retrograde motion only being an "observational artifact" in the heliocentric system.

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

What acceleration would result from a 5-N force acting on a 3-kg object? (Recall that 1 N= 1 kg m/s².)

You apply a force of 10 N to a grocery cart in order to get an acceleration of 0.5 m/s². If you apply a force of 20 N to the same grocery cart, its acceleration will be: