Question 1

A comet is visible because___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  it is a small object, but it ejects gas and dust that at is dispersed by the solar wind to form a tail thousands of km long 
B)  it boils off steam that streams outward along the comet's path 
C)  it is composed of white material, mostly ice 
D)  it is a very large object that get stretched out by interaction with the Sun's gravity 
A)  it is a small object, but it ejects gas and dust that at is dispersed by the solar wind to form a tail thousands of km long 
B)  it boils off steam that streams outward along the comet's path 
C)  it is composed of white material, mostly ice 
D)  it is a very large object that get stretched out by interaction with the Sun's gravity

Question 2

Large impact craters and large, domal features probably representing viscous lava flows. have been imaged on the surface of ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Saturn 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Saturn

Question 3

Jupiter's moon Io is thought to be the volcanically active world in our solar system. What is the inferred source of heat?

Accepted Answer

A)  Io has a strong magnetic field as does Jupiter, so as Io moves through Jupiter's magnetic field, large electrical currents are generated, which heat the planet. 
B)  It is a mystery; it should be very cold because it is the same size as the moon but far from the sun. 
C)  Io is close to Jupiter, and the strong tidal forces on planet produce frictional heating of the planet. 
D)  Very high abundances of radioactive elements have been detected on the planet. 
A)  Io has a strong magnetic field as does Jupiter, so as Io moves through Jupiter's magnetic field, large electrical currents are generated, which heat the planet. 
B)  It is a mystery; it should be very cold because it is the same size as the moon but far from the sun. 
C)  Io is close to Jupiter, and the strong tidal forces on planet produce frictional heating of the planet. 
D)  Very high abundances of radioactive elements have been detected on the planet.

Question 4

Mercury reflects___________ percent of the sunlight that hits it into space.

Accepted Answer

A)  31 
B)  6 
C)  2 
D)  13 
A)  31 
B)  6 
C)  2 
D)  13

Question 5

Impact craters are common on the surface of all of the terrestrial planets except___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Earth 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Earth 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars

Question 6

Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars 
B)  Uranus 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Venus 
A)  Mars 
B)  Uranus 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Venus

Question 7

In 2012 scientists discovered that Mercury has an___________that is about 100 times weaker than that on Earth.

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational attraction 
B)  gaseous atmosphere 
C)  magnetic field 
D)  atmosphere 
A)  gravitational attraction 
B)  gaseous atmosphere 
C)  magnetic field 
D)  atmosphere

Question 8

___________is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system.

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune 
A)  Saturn 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune

Question 9

Why might a moon's orbit be used to evaluate if it was a primary moon, formed at the same time as the planet or a feature asteroid or comet. that was captured by the planet's gravity?

Accepted Answer

Because all of the planets rotate in app

Question 10

The two most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere are___________ and___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon dioxide; oxygen 
B)  sulfur; methane 
C)  nitrogen; oxygen 
D)  oxygen; water vapor 
A)  carbon dioxide; oxygen 
B)  sulfur; methane 
C)  nitrogen; oxygen 
D)  oxygen; water vapor

Question 11

Venus has dense clouds and thick atmosphere, yet there is no evidence for water on the surface. Why?

Accepted Answer

A)  The water has all been taken up in minerals on the surface due to weather long ago because of high chemical weathering rates. 
B)  Water could not survive as liquid water on the surface because it is too hot. 
C)  It is hard to know because the clouds obscure the surface and only a few probes have survived landing. 
D)  The water is bound up as sulfuric acids and other acids in the atmosphere. 
A)  The water has all been taken up in minerals on the surface due to weather long ago because of high chemical weathering rates. 
B)  Water could not survive as liquid water on the surface because it is too hot. 
C)  It is hard to know because the clouds obscure the surface and only a few probes have survived landing. 
D)  The water is bound up as sulfuric acids and other acids in the atmosphere.

Question 12

___________are found both on Mars and Earth.

Accepted Answer

A)  Heavily cratered landscapes preserved from early in the planets' histories 
B)  Active volcanoes 
C)  Erosional features related to flowing water 
D)  Oceans 
A)  Heavily cratered landscapes preserved from early in the planets' histories 
B)  Active volcanoes 
C)  Erosional features related to flowing water 
D)  Oceans

Question 13

Carefully examine the telescopic view of the lunar surface near side. below and the features labeled A, B, and C.
   a. Give a brief description that characterizes the bright area around C.
b. Notice the features like those labeled A. What are such features called?
c. How are craters like the one labeled B different from the craters of the area labeled C?
d. In what order from first to latest. did the features form that are labeled A, B, and C?

Accepted Answer

a. Area C is heavily cratered lunar high

Question 14

Consider the below image of a crater on the Moon.   Why would you not expect to see a similar landscape on Earth? Earth has ___________and___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  a much weaker atmosphere; is covered with regolith 
B)  a much stronger atmosphere; is not covered with regolith 
C)  a much stronger atmosphere; is covered with regolith 
D)  a much weaker atmosphere; is not covered with regolith 
A)  a much weaker atmosphere; is covered with regolith 
B)  a much stronger atmosphere; is not covered with regolith 
C)  a much stronger atmosphere; is covered with regolith 
D)  a much weaker atmosphere; is not covered with regolith

Question 15

Jupiter contains a number of small moons that are thought to be captured comets or material ejected by collisions with larger objects. What is the evidence for this theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spacecraft have sampled them, and they are known to be comets. 
B)  Analyses from spacecraft show they have compositions completely different than Jupiter or its moons. 
C)  They are too big to have been formed during planetary accretion. 
D)  Their orbits are highly elliptical, off the plane of the ecliptic, and many are retrograde, which is unlikely for satellite formed during planetary accretion. 
A)  Spacecraft have sampled them, and they are known to be comets. 
B)  Analyses from spacecraft show they have compositions completely different than Jupiter or its moons. 
C)  They are too big to have been formed during planetary accretion. 
D)  Their orbits are highly elliptical, off the plane of the ecliptic, and many are retrograde, which is unlikely for satellite formed during planetary accretion.

Question 16

A popular modern theory for the origin of the Earth- Moon system is that the early Earth collided with another planet the size of___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Venus 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Mars 
C)  Jupiter 
D)  Venus

Question 17

___________are small, extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mesocoronas 
B)  Microcomets 
C)  Meteoroids 
D)  Asteroids 
A)  Mesocoronas 
B)  Microcomets 
C)  Meteoroids 
D)  Asteroids

Question 18

Which planet rotates the opposite direction it revolves around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Earth 
C)  Mars 
D)  Venus 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Earth 
C)  Mars 
D)  Venus

Question 19

The lunar maria are large impact craters filled with ___________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  pumice 
B)  basalt 
C)  granite 
D)  anorthosite 
A)  pumice 
B)  basalt 
C)  granite 
D)  anorthosite

Question 20

Of the terrestrial planets,___________ exhibits the greatest lateral variations in surface temperatures.

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Mercury 
A)  Venus 
B)  Mars 
C)  Earth 
D)  Mercury

Exam 22: Touring Our Solar System

A comet is visible because___________ .

Large impact craters and large, domal features probably representing viscous lava flows. have been imaged on the surface of ___________.

Jupiter's moon Io is thought to be the volcanically active world in our solar system. What is the inferred source of heat?

Mercury reflects___________ percent of the sunlight that hits it into space.

Impact craters are common on the surface of all of the terrestrial planets except___________ .

Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?

In 2012 scientists discovered that Mercury has an___________that is about 100 times weaker than that on Earth.

___________is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system.

Why might a moon's orbit be used to evaluate if it was a primary moon, formed at the same time as the planet or a feature asteroid or comet. that was captured by the planet's gravity?

The two most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere are___________ and___________ .

Venus has dense clouds and thick atmosphere, yet there is no evidence for water on the surface. Why?

___________are found both on Mars and Earth.

Consider the below image of a crater on the Moon. Why would you not expect to see a similar landscape on Earth? Earth has ___________and___________ .

Jupiter contains a number of small moons that are thought to be captured comets or material ejected by collisions with larger objects. What is the evidence for this theory?

A popular modern theory for the origin of the Earth- Moon system is that the early Earth collided with another planet the size of___________ .

___________are small, extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth's atmosphere.

Which planet rotates the opposite direction it revolves around the Sun?

The lunar maria are large impact craters filled with ___________ .

Of the terrestrial planets,___________ exhibits the greatest lateral variations in surface temperatures.

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters

The two most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere are_ and_ .

Consider the below image of a crater on the Moon. Why would you not expect to see a similar landscape on Earth? Earth has _and_ .