Question 1

How do scientists determine the age of the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) radiometric dating of Moon rocks 
B) radiometric dating of meteorites 
C) radiometric dating of the oldest Earth rocks 
D) Theoretical calculations tell us how long it has taken the planets to evolve to their present forms. 
A) radiometric dating of Moon rocks 
B) radiometric dating of meteorites 
C) radiometric dating of the oldest Earth rocks 
D) Theoretical calculations tell us how long it has taken the planets to evolve to their present forms.

Question 2

What kind of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high as 1,500 K, such as existed in the inner regions of the nebula?

Accepted Answer

A) metals 
B) molecules such as methane and ammonia 
C) rocks 
D) hydrogen compounds 
E) silicon- based minerals 
A) metals 
B) molecules such as methane and ammonia 
C) rocks 
D) hydrogen compounds 
E) silicon- based minerals

Question 3

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is _.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

Impacts were extremely common in the young solar system but are less common today.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Which of the following are relatively unchanged fragments from the early period of planet building in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) Kuiper belt comets 
B) Oort cloud comets 
C) asteroids 
D) all of the above 
A) Kuiper belt comets 
B) Oort cloud comets 
C) asteroids 
D) all of the above

Question 6

The Moon probably formed at the same time that Earth formed, rather like the formation of a double planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Briefly summarize the observed patterns of motion in our solar system that are consistent with the nebular theory.

Accepted Answer

(a)All planets orbit the Sun countercloc

Question 8

All four of the giant outer planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-have rings.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?

Accepted Answer

A) Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula. 
B) The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas. 
C) Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat. 
D) Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that heated the nebula. 
E) As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to thermal energy. 
A) Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula. 
B) The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas. 
C) Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat. 
D) Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that heated the nebula. 
E) As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to thermal energy.

Question 10

Where does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) on the surface 
B) just above the visible surface 
C) anywhere below the surface 
D) in its core 
E) all of the above 
A) on the surface 
B) just above the visible surface 
C) anywhere below the surface 
D) in its core 
E) all of the above

Question 11

In what way is Venus most similar to Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) Both planets have similar surface geology. 
B) Both planets have very similar atmospheres. 
C) Both planets have warm days and cool nights. 
D) Both planets are nearly the same size. 
A) Both planets have similar surface geology. 
B) Both planets have very similar atmospheres. 
C) Both planets have warm days and cool nights. 
D) Both planets are nearly the same size.

Question 12

What do we mean by accretion in the context of planet formation?

Accepted Answer

A) the solidification of ices, rocks, and metal from the gas of the solar nebular 
B) the growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together 
C) the growth of the Sun as the density of gas increased in the center of the solar nebula 
D) the formation of moons around planets 
A) the solidification of ices, rocks, and metal from the gas of the solar nebular 
B) the growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together 
C) the growth of the Sun as the density of gas increased in the center of the solar nebula 
D) the formation of moons around planets

Question 13

Which of the following types of material can condense into what we call ice at low temperatures?

Accepted Answer

A) hydrogen and helium 
B) metal 
C) rock 
D) hydrogen compounds 
A) hydrogen and helium 
B) metal 
C) rock 
D) hydrogen compounds

Question 14

A rock sample from the moon includes a mineral that contains small amounts of the radioactive isotope Potassium- 40 and its daughter element Argon- 40 (half- life of 1.3 billion years). This mineral would not form with any Argon- 40. Consider a crystal with 7 atoms of Argon- 40 for every 1 atom of Potassium- 40. How many half- lives has this sample existed?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4 
A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4

Question 15

The heavy bombardment phase of the solar system lasted

Accepted Answer

A) about a billion years. 
B) to the present time. 
C) several tens of millions of years. 
D) several million years. 
E) several hundreds of millions of years. 
A) about a billion years. 
B) to the present time. 
C) several tens of millions of years. 
D) several million years. 
E) several hundreds of millions of years.

Question 16

Imagine a planet like Earth orbiting the Sun, at an average distance of 1 AU but with a highly eccentric orbit. Which of the following statements about this orbit is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) The planet does not maintain a constant speed around the Sun. 
B) The period is longer than a year. 
C) The planet is sometimes very close to the Sun, and sometimes very far. 
D) The seasons are very extreme. 
A) The planet does not maintain a constant speed around the Sun. 
B) The period is longer than a year. 
C) The planet is sometimes very close to the Sun, and sometimes very far. 
D) The seasons are very extreme.

Question 17

Briefly summarize the differences between terrestrial and jovian planets.

Accepted Answer

Terrestrial planets are metallic or rock

Question 18

The region of our solar system between Mercury and Mars has very few asteroids, while the region between Mars and Jupiter has many asteroids. Based on what you have learned, what is the most likely explanation for the lack of asteroids between Mercury and Mars?

Accepted Answer

A) It was too hot for asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. 
B) There were very few planetary leftovers in this region because most of the solid material was accreted by the terrestrial planets as the planets formed. 
C) Gravity was too weak to allow asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. 
D) All the asteroids that formed between Mercury and Mars later migrated to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 
A) It was too hot for asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. 
B) There were very few planetary leftovers in this region because most of the solid material was accreted by the terrestrial planets as the planets formed. 
C) Gravity was too weak to allow asteroids to form in this part of the solar system. 
D) All the asteroids that formed between Mercury and Mars later migrated to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Question 19

The terrestrial planets are made almost entirely of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. According to modern science, where did these elements come from?

Accepted Answer

A) They were produced by stars that lived and died before our solar system was born. 
B) They have been present in the universe since its birth. 
C) They were made by chemical reactions in interstellar gas. 
D) They were produced by gravity in the solar nebula as it collapsed. 
A) They were produced by stars that lived and died before our solar system was born. 
B) They have been present in the universe since its birth. 
C) They were made by chemical reactions in interstellar gas. 
D) They were produced by gravity in the solar nebula as it collapsed.

Question 20

Suppose you view the solar system from high above Earth's North Pole. Which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true?

Accepted Answer

A) All the planets except Uranus orbit the Sun counterclockwise; Uranus orbits in the opposite direction. 
B) All the planets orbit counterclockwise around the Sun. 
C) The inner planets orbit the Sun clockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise. 
D) The inner planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun clockwise. 
A) All the planets except Uranus orbit the Sun counterclockwise; Uranus orbits in the opposite direction. 
B) All the planets orbit counterclockwise around the Sun. 
C) The inner planets orbit the Sun clockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise. 
D) The inner planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise while the outer planets orbit the Sun clockwise.

How do scientists determine the age of the solar system?

What kind of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high as 1,500 K, such as existed in the inner regions of the nebula?

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is _.

Impacts were extremely common in the young solar system but are less common today.

Which of the following are relatively unchanged fragments from the early period of planet building in the solar system?

The Moon probably formed at the same time that Earth formed, rather like the formation of a double planet.

Briefly summarize the observed patterns of motion in our solar system that are consistent with the nebular theory.

All four of the giant outer planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-have rings.

Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?

Where does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?

In what way is Venus most similar to Earth?

What do we mean by accretion in the context of planet formation?

Which of the following types of material can condense into what we call ice at low temperatures?

The heavy bombardment phase of the solar system lasted

Imagine a planet like Earth orbiting the Sun, at an average distance of 1 AU but with a highly eccentric orbit. Which of the following statements about this orbit is not true?

Briefly summarize the differences between terrestrial and jovian planets.

The region of our solar system between Mercury and Mars has very few asteroids, while the region between Mars and Jupiter has many asteroids. Based on what you have learned, what is the most likely explanation for the lack of asteroids between Mercury and Mars?

The terrestrial planets are made almost entirely of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. According to modern science, where did these elements come from?

Suppose you view the solar system from high above Earth's North Pole. Which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true?

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

Exam 6: Formation of the Solar System

How do scientists determine the age of the solar system?

What kind of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high as 1,500 K, such as existed in the inner regions of the nebula?

The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is _.

Impacts were extremely common in the young solar system but are less common today.

Which of the following are relatively unchanged fragments from the early period of planet building in the solar system?

The Moon probably formed at the same time that Earth formed, rather like the formation of a double planet.

Briefly summarize the observed patterns of motion in our solar system that are consistent with the nebular theory.

All four of the giant outer planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-have rings.

Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?

Where does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?

In what way is Venus most similar to Earth?

What do we mean by accretion in the context of planet formation?

Which of the following types of material can condense into what we call ice at low temperatures?

The heavy bombardment phase of the solar system lasted

Imagine a planet like Earth orbiting the Sun, at an average distance of 1 AU but with a highly eccentric orbit. Which of the following statements about this orbit is not true?

Briefly summarize the differences between terrestrial and jovian planets.

The region of our solar system between Mercury and Mars has very few asteroids, while the region between Mars and Jupiter has many asteroids. Based on what you have learned, what is the most likely explanation for the lack of asteroids between Mercury and Mars?

The terrestrial planets are made almost entirely of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. According to modern science, where did these elements come from?

Suppose you view the solar system from high above Earth's North Pole. Which of the following statements about planetary orbits will be true?

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