Question 1

Which of the following is not true of Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A) Its surface is heavily cratered. 
B) Mercury has essentially no atmosphere. 
C) It has been studied closely by several NASA spacecraft. 
D) At any given time, about half the planet is colder than Antarctica. 
A) Its surface is heavily cratered. 
B) Mercury has essentially no atmosphere. 
C) It has been studied closely by several NASA spacecraft. 
D) At any given time, about half the planet is colder than Antarctica.

Question 2

Which of the following discoveries would cause us to re- evaluate the nebular theory for forming planets?

Accepted Answer

A) A star's 5 terrestrial planets orbit in the opposite direction of its 3 jovian planets. 
B) Of the star's five terrestrial planets, one has a large moon. 
C) Two of the star's planets are rotating in directions backwards compared to their orbital direction. 
D) A star has zero planets. 
E) A star has 20 planets. 
A) A star's 5 terrestrial planets orbit in the opposite direction of its 3 jovian planets. 
B) Of the star's five terrestrial planets, one has a large moon. 
C) Two of the star's planets are rotating in directions backwards compared to their orbital direction. 
D) A star has zero planets. 
E) A star has 20 planets.

Question 3

According to our present theory of solar system formation, why were solid planetesimals able to grow larger in the outer solar system than in the inner solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) because gas in the outer solar system contained a larger proportion of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds than the gas in the inner solar system 
B) because only metal and rock could condense in the inner solar system, while ice also condensed in the outer solar system 
C) because only the outer planets captured hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula 
D) because the Sun's gravity was stronger in the outer solar system, allowing more solid material to collect 
A) because gas in the outer solar system contained a larger proportion of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds than the gas in the inner solar system 
B) because only metal and rock could condense in the inner solar system, while ice also condensed in the outer solar system 
C) because only the outer planets captured hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula 
D) because the Sun's gravity was stronger in the outer solar system, allowing more solid material to collect

Question 4

What percentage of the solar nebula's mass consisted of rocky material?

Accepted Answer

A) 0)4 percent 
B) 0 percent 
C) 80 percent 
D) 20 percent 
E) 2 percent 
A) 0)4 percent 
B) 0 percent 
C) 80 percent 
D) 20 percent 
E) 2 percent

Question 5

When we say that jovian planets contain significant amounts of hydrogen compounds, we mean all the following chemicals except .

Accepted Answer

A) carbon dioxide 
B) methane 
C) ammonia 
D) water 
A) carbon dioxide 
B) methane 
C) ammonia 
D) water

Question 6

Which of the following statements does not apply to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter, compared to terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A) surface dramatically altered during bombardment 
B) caused icy planetesimals to slingshot away from the Sun, to become Oort cloud comets 
C) formed in regions cold enough for water to freeze 
D) accreted from icy planetesimals 
E) formed in a region with lower orbital speeds 
A) surface dramatically altered during bombardment 
B) caused icy planetesimals to slingshot away from the Sun, to become Oort cloud comets 
C) formed in regions cold enough for water to freeze 
D) accreted from icy planetesimals 
E) formed in a region with lower orbital speeds

Question 7

According to our present theory of solar system formation, how did Earth end up with enough water to make oceans?

Accepted Answer

A) The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted beyond the orbit of Mars. 
B) Earth formed at a distance from the Sun at which liquid water happened to be plentiful in the solar nebula. 
C) The water was formed by chemical reactions among the minerals in the Earth's core. 
D) The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted near Earth's orbit. 
A) The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted beyond the orbit of Mars. 
B) Earth formed at a distance from the Sun at which liquid water happened to be plentiful in the solar nebula. 
C) The water was formed by chemical reactions among the minerals in the Earth's core. 
D) The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted near Earth's orbit.

Question 8

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do all the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?

Accepted Answer

A) The original solar nebula happened to be disk- shaped by chance. 
B) The laws of conservation of energy and conservation of angular momentum ensure that any rotating, collapsing cloud will end up as a spinning disk. 
C) The Sun formed first, and as it grew in size it spread into a disk, rather like the way a ball of dough can be flattened into a pizza by spinning it. 
D) Any planets that once orbited in the opposite direction or a different plane were ejected from the solar system. 
E) Luck explains it, as we would expect that most other solar systems would not have all their planets orbiting in such a pattern. 
A) The original solar nebula happened to be disk- shaped by chance. 
B) The laws of conservation of energy and conservation of angular momentum ensure that any rotating, collapsing cloud will end up as a spinning disk. 
C) The Sun formed first, and as it grew in size it spread into a disk, rather like the way a ball of dough can be flattened into a pizza by spinning it. 
D) Any planets that once orbited in the opposite direction or a different plane were ejected from the solar system. 
E) Luck explains it, as we would expect that most other solar systems would not have all their planets orbiting in such a pattern.

Question 9

The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following lists the ingredients of the solar nebula from highest to lowest percentage of mass of the nebula?

Accepted Answer

A) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), rocks, metals, light gases (H, He) 
B) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), light gases (H, He), rocks, metals 
C) light gases (H, He), hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), rocks, metals 
D) light gases (H, He), hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), metals, rocks 
E) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), light gases (H, He), metals, rocks 
A) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), rocks, metals, light gases (H, He) 
B) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), light gases (H, He), rocks, metals 
C) light gases (H, He), hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), rocks, metals 
D) light gases (H, He), hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), metals, rocks 
E) hydrogen compounds (H2O, CH4, NH3), light gases (H, He), metals, rocks

Question 11

Which of the following is not a major difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) Terrestrial planets orbit much closer to the Sun than jovian planets. 
B) Terrestrial planets contain large quantities of ice, and jovian planets do not. 
C) Jovian planets have rings, and terrestrial planets do not. 
D) Terrestrial planets are higher in average density than jovian planets. 
A) Terrestrial planets orbit much closer to the Sun than jovian planets. 
B) Terrestrial planets contain large quantities of ice, and jovian planets do not. 
C) Jovian planets have rings, and terrestrial planets do not. 
D) Terrestrial planets are higher in average density than jovian planets.

Question 12

Describe the ways in which Pluto is different from the terrestrial and jovian planets in the solar system.

Accepted Answer

Pluto is predominantly composed of ice a

Question 13

In the 1800s, many people assumed that Venus would have tropical temperatures, but instead it is very hot. Explain why tropical temperatures would have made sense given what was known in the 1800s, and why Venus instead turns out to be very hot.

Accepted Answer

If Venus had an atmosphere similar to ou

Question 14

What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula?

Accepted Answer

A) It marks the special distance from the Sun at which hydrogen compounds become abundant; closer to the Sun, there are no hydrogen compounds. 
B) It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense. 
C) It is another way of stating the temperature at which water freezes into ice. 
D) It is the altitude in a planet's atmosphere at which snow can form. 
A) It marks the special distance from the Sun at which hydrogen compounds become abundant; closer to the Sun, there are no hydrogen compounds. 
B) It is a circle at a particular distance from the Sun, beyond which the temperature was low enough for ices to condense. 
C) It is another way of stating the temperature at which water freezes into ice. 
D) It is the altitude in a planet's atmosphere at which snow can form.

Question 15

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Both types of planet begun with planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula. 
B) The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line of the solar nebula and the jovian planets formed beyond it. 
C) The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal. 
D) Swirling disks of gas, like the solar nebula in miniature, formed around the growing jovian planets but not around the growing terrestrial planets. 
A) Both types of planet begun with planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula. 
B) The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line of the solar nebula and the jovian planets formed beyond it. 
C) The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal. 
D) Swirling disks of gas, like the solar nebula in miniature, formed around the growing jovian planets but not around the growing terrestrial planets.

Question 16

Why did the solar nebula flatten into a disk?

Accepted Answer

A) The interstellar cloud from which the solar nebula formed was originally somewhat flat. 
B) It flattened as a natural consequence of collisions between particles in the nebula, changing random motions into more orderly ones. 
C) The force of gravity pulled the material downward into a flat disk. 
D) As the nebula cooled, the gas and dust settled onto a disk. 
A) The interstellar cloud from which the solar nebula formed was originally somewhat flat. 
B) It flattened as a natural consequence of collisions between particles in the nebula, changing random motions into more orderly ones. 
C) The force of gravity pulled the material downward into a flat disk. 
D) As the nebula cooled, the gas and dust settled onto a disk.

Question 17

If the proto star that became our Sun had been hotter and more luminous when it formed, what changes (if any)might have been experienced by our Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter would now be farther from the Sun. 
B) The Moon would not exist. 
C) Terrestrial planes could only have formed closer to the Sun. 
D) Mars would be a gas giant. 
E) No comets could have formed. 
A) Jupiter would now be farther from the Sun. 
B) The Moon would not exist. 
C) Terrestrial planes could only have formed closer to the Sun. 
D) Mars would be a gas giant. 
E) No comets could have formed.

Question 18

A key clue to how the solar system formed is the observation that all the planets orbit close to the same plane.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Exceptions to a Scientific Theory? The solar nebula theory gives compelling explanations for the many regularities of our solar system. Nevertheless, the theory also claims to be perfectly consistent with the many exceptions to its basic predictions. This seems like a glaring contradiction in which the solar nebula theory would be consistent with any observed fact and hence not a scientific theory at all (why not?). Provide a deeper resolution to this apparent paradox by explaining how some of the basic exceptions in our own solar system are incorporated into the solar nebula theory. Is it really true that the theory would be consistent with any observed facts?

Accepted Answer

The solar nebula theory is a widely acce

Question 20

Where did the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium come from?

Accepted Answer

A) They evolved from hydrogen and helium shortly after the Big Bang. 
B) They were produced inside dense interstellar gas. 
C) They were produced in the Big Bang. 
D) They were produced inside stars. 
E) All of the above 
A) They evolved from hydrogen and helium shortly after the Big Bang. 
B) They were produced inside dense interstellar gas. 
C) They were produced in the Big Bang. 
D) They were produced inside stars. 
E) All of the above

Which of the following is not true of Mercury?

Which of the following discoveries would cause us to re- evaluate the nebular theory for forming planets?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, why were solid planetesimals able to grow larger in the outer solar system than in the inner solar system?

What percentage of the solar nebula's mass consisted of rocky material?

When we say that jovian planets contain significant amounts of hydrogen compounds, we mean all the following chemicals except .

Which of the following statements does not apply to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter, compared to terrestrial planets?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, how did Earth end up with enough water to make oceans?

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do all the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?

The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets.

Which of the following lists the ingredients of the solar nebula from highest to lowest percentage of mass of the nebula?

Which of the following is not a major difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets in our solar system?

Describe the ways in which Pluto is different from the terrestrial and jovian planets in the solar system.

In the 1800s, many people assumed that Venus would have tropical temperatures, but instead it is very hot. Explain why tropical temperatures would have made sense given what was known in the 1800s, and why Venus instead turns out to be very hot.

What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?

Why did the solar nebula flatten into a disk?

If the proto star that became our Sun had been hotter and more luminous when it formed, what changes (if any)might have been experienced by our Solar System?

A key clue to how the solar system formed is the observation that all the planets orbit close to the same plane.

Where did the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium come from?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

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Exam 6: Formation of the Solar System

Which of the following is not true of Mercury?

Which of the following discoveries would cause us to re- evaluate the nebular theory for forming planets?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, why were solid planetesimals able to grow larger in the outer solar system than in the inner solar system?

What percentage of the solar nebula's mass consisted of rocky material?

When we say that jovian planets contain significant amounts of hydrogen compounds, we mean all the following chemicals except .

Which of the following statements does not apply to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter, compared to terrestrial planets?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, how did Earth end up with enough water to make oceans?

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do all the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?

The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets.

Which of the following lists the ingredients of the solar nebula from highest to lowest percentage of mass of the nebula?

Which of the following is not a major difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets in our solar system?

Describe the ways in which Pluto is different from the terrestrial and jovian planets in the solar system.

In the 1800s, many people assumed that Venus would have tropical temperatures, but instead it is very hot. Explain why tropical temperatures would have made sense given what was known in the 1800s, and why Venus instead turns out to be very hot.

What do we mean by the frost line when we discuss the formation of planets in the solar nebula?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?

Why did the solar nebula flatten into a disk?

If the proto star that became our Sun had been hotter and more luminous when it formed, what changes (if any)might have been experienced by our Solar System?

A key clue to how the solar system formed is the observation that all the planets orbit close to the same plane.

Where did the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium come from?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters