Question 1

List at least three of the notable exceptions to the general patterns of the solar system.

Accepted Answer

Several possibilities: (a)The rotational

Question 2

Suppose you find a rock that contains 10 micrograms of radioactive potassium- 40, which has a half- life of 1.25 billion years. By measuring the amount of its decay product (argon- 40)present in the rock, you conclude that there must have been 80 micrograms of potassium- 40 when the rock solidified. How old is the rock?

Accepted Answer

A) 1)25 billion years 
B) 5)0 billion years 
C) 2)5 billion years 
D) 3)75 billion years 
A) 1)25 billion years 
B) 5)0 billion years 
C) 2)5 billion years 
D) 3)75 billion years

Question 3

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Our theory is not quite correct because it cannot explain these exceptions. 
B) Most of the exceptions are the result of giant impacts or close gravitational encounters. 
C) The exceptions exist because, even though our theory is as correct as possible, nature never follows rules precisely. 
D) The exceptions probably represent objects that formed recently, rather than early in the history of the solar system. 
E) The exceptions probably represent objects that were captured by our solar system from interstellar space. 
A) Our theory is not quite correct because it cannot explain these exceptions. 
B) Most of the exceptions are the result of giant impacts or close gravitational encounters. 
C) The exceptions exist because, even though our theory is as correct as possible, nature never follows rules precisely. 
D) The exceptions probably represent objects that formed recently, rather than early in the history of the solar system. 
E) The exceptions probably represent objects that were captured by our solar system from interstellar space.

Question 4

In essence, the nebular theory holds that .

Accepted Answer

A) the planets each formed from the collapse of its own separate nebula 
B) The nebular theory is a discarded idea that imagined planets forming as a result of a near- collision between our Sun and another star. 
C) our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust 
D) nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space 
A) the planets each formed from the collapse of its own separate nebula 
B) The nebular theory is a discarded idea that imagined planets forming as a result of a near- collision between our Sun and another star. 
C) our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust 
D) nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space

Question 5

The Solar Nebula as a Scientific Theory: You are describing the solar nebula theory to a friend. You point out that it provides an explanation for the regular motion in our solar system, the division of the planets into terrestrial and jovian types, and an explanation for the origin and nature of comets and asteroids. Your friend agrees that this is all very nice, but that it seems that the solar nebula theory fails the basic criteria for a scientific theory, to make predictions about the natural world that can be observationally tested. In her opinion, all the solar nebula theory does is explain known facts, albeit in a compelling and economical way. How would you answer your friend and make the case that the solar nebula theory is indeed a scientific theory that has passed many observational tests? Can you think of any predictions that the solar nebula theory has made that were confirmed only within the last decade or so?

Accepted Answer

The solar nebula theory is indeed a scie

Question 6

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Their orbits are separated by relatively large distances. 
B) They are primarily made of hydrogen and helium. 
C) They all have rings. 
D) They have very few, if any, satellites. 
E) They all have large quantities of gas. 
A) Their orbits are separated by relatively large distances. 
B) They are primarily made of hydrogen and helium. 
C) They all have rings. 
D) They have very few, if any, satellites. 
E) They all have large quantities of gas.

Question 7

What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?

Accepted Answer

A) hydrogen and helium 
B) ammonia and water 
C) nitrogen and methane 
D) rocky minerals and water, as on Earth 
E) ammonia and methane 
A) hydrogen and helium 
B) ammonia and water 
C) nitrogen and methane 
D) rocky minerals and water, as on Earth 
E) ammonia and methane

Question 8

Which of the following lists the planets of our solar system in the correct order from closest to farthest from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus 
B) Mercury, Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus 
C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune 
D) Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune 
A) Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus 
B) Mercury, Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus 
C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune 
D) Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Question 9

How do we know the mass of Neptune?

Accepted Answer

A) the size and density of Neptune 
B) the periods and sizes of the orbits of the moons around Neptune 
C) the distance of Neptune from the Earth and its rotation period 
D) the period and size of Neptune's orbit around the Sun 
E) the orbital speed of Neptune moving around the Sun 
A) the size and density of Neptune 
B) the periods and sizes of the orbits of the moons around Neptune 
C) the distance of Neptune from the Earth and its rotation period 
D) the period and size of Neptune's orbit around the Sun 
E) the orbital speed of Neptune moving around the Sun

Question 10

Explain why the early Earth did not form with water, and how it gained it later in its formation.

Accepted Answer

Earth, and all terrestrial planets, form

Question 11

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Accepted Answer

A) It is made mostly of rock and ice. 
B) It has a long tail. It has a moon. 
C) It sometimes enters the inner solar system. 
A) It is made mostly of rock and ice. 
B) It has a long tail. It has a moon. 
C) It sometimes enters the inner solar system.

Question 12

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to .

Accepted Answer

A) Earth's Moon 
B) particles in the rings of Saturn 
C) comets 
D) small asteroids 
A) Earth's Moon 
B) particles in the rings of Saturn 
C) comets 
D) small asteroids

Question 13

Suppose that the temperature of the solar nebula had been much colder. How might the Solar System look different today?

Accepted Answer

A) Terrestrial planets may have formed at a larger distance from the Sun. 
B) The gas giant planets might be bigger and farther from the Sun. 
C) More planets would have formed. 
D) The gas giant planets might be bigger and closer to the Sun. 
A) Terrestrial planets may have formed at a larger distance from the Sun. 
B) The gas giant planets might be bigger and farther from the Sun. 
C) More planets would have formed. 
D) The gas giant planets might be bigger and closer to the Sun.

Question 14

About 2% of our solar nebula consisted of elements besides hydrogen and helium. However, the very first generation of star systems in the universe probably consisted only of hydrogen and helium. Which of the following statements is most likely to have been true about these first- generation star systems?

Accepted Answer

A) Like the jovian planets in our solar system, the jovian planets in these first- generation systems were orbited by rings. 
B) There were no comets or asteroids in these first- generation star systems. 
C) These first- generation star systems typically had several terrestrial planets in addition to jovian planets. 
D) Jovian planets in these first- generation star systems had clouds made of water and other hydrogen compounds. 
A) Like the jovian planets in our solar system, the jovian planets in these first- generation systems were orbited by rings. 
B) There were no comets or asteroids in these first- generation star systems. 
C) These first- generation star systems typically had several terrestrial planets in addition to jovian planets. 
D) Jovian planets in these first- generation star systems had clouds made of water and other hydrogen compounds.

Question 15

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following best explains why the solar nebula ended up with a disk shape as it collapsed?

Accepted Answer

A) The force of gravity pulled the material downward into a flat disk. 
B) It was fairly flat to begin with, and retained this flat shape as it collapsed. 
C) The law of conservation of energy 
D) It flattened as a natural consequence of collisions between particles in the nebula. 
A) The force of gravity pulled the material downward into a flat disk. 
B) It was fairly flat to begin with, and retained this flat shape as it collapsed. 
C) The law of conservation of energy 
D) It flattened as a natural consequence of collisions between particles in the nebula.

Question 16

Which jovian planet does not have rings?

Accepted Answer

A) All the jovian planets have rings. 
B) Uranus 
C) Mars 
D) Neptune 
E) Jupiter 
A) All the jovian planets have rings. 
B) Uranus 
C) Mars 
D) Neptune 
E) Jupiter

Question 17

What do we mean by the period of heavy bombardment in the context of the history of our solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) the time before planetesimals finished accreting into planets, during which many growing planetesimals must have shattered in collisions 
B) the time during which heavy elements condensed into rock and metal in the solar nebula 
C) the period about 65 million years ago when an impact is thought to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 
D) the first few hundred million years after the planets formed, which is when most impact craters were formed 
A) the time before planetesimals finished accreting into planets, during which many growing planetesimals must have shattered in collisions 
B) the time during which heavy elements condensed into rock and metal in the solar nebula 
C) the period about 65 million years ago when an impact is thought to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 
D) the first few hundred million years after the planets formed, which is when most impact craters were formed

Question 18

Which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons?

Accepted Answer

A) the moons that orbit their planet "backward" compared to their planet's rotation, such as Neptune's moon Triton 
B) the moons orbiting Uranus, which was once named "planet Galileo" 
C) the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto 
D) the two largest moons in the solar system: Ganymede and Titan 
A) the moons that orbit their planet "backward" compared to their planet's rotation, such as Neptune's moon Triton 
B) the moons orbiting Uranus, which was once named "planet Galileo" 
C) the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto 
D) the two largest moons in the solar system: Ganymede and Titan

Question 19

According to our theory of solar system formation, what are asteroids and comets?

Accepted Answer

A) chunks of rock or ice that were expelled from planets by volcanoes 
B) the shattered remains of collisions between planets 
C) chunks of rock or ice that condensed after the planets and moons finished forming 
D) leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets 
A) chunks of rock or ice that were expelled from planets by volcanoes 
B) the shattered remains of collisions between planets 
C) chunks of rock or ice that condensed after the planets and moons finished forming 
D) leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets

Question 20

According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size?

Accepted Answer

A) the law of universal gravitation 
B) the law of conservation of energy 
C) the law of conservation of angular momentum 
D) Einstein's law E = mc2 
A) the law of universal gravitation 
B) the law of conservation of energy 
C) the law of conservation of angular momentum 
D) Einstein's law E = mc2

List at least three of the notable exceptions to the general patterns of the solar system.

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?

In essence, the nebular theory holds that .

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?

What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?

Which of the following lists the planets of our solar system in the correct order from closest to farthest from the Sun?

How do we know the mass of Neptune?

Explain why the early Earth did not form with water, and how it gained it later in its formation.

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to .

Suppose that the temperature of the solar nebula had been much colder. How might the Solar System look different today?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following best explains why the solar nebula ended up with a disk shape as it collapsed?

Which jovian planet does not have rings?

What do we mean by the period of heavy bombardment in the context of the history of our solar system?

Which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons?

According to our theory of solar system formation, what are asteroids and comets?

According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size?

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

List at least three of the notable exceptions to the general patterns of the solar system.

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?

In essence, the nebular theory holds that .

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?

What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?

Which of the following lists the planets of our solar system in the correct order from closest to farthest from the Sun?

How do we know the mass of Neptune?

Explain why the early Earth did not form with water, and how it gained it later in its formation.

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to .

Suppose that the temperature of the solar nebula had been much colder. How might the Solar System look different today?

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following best explains why the solar nebula ended up with a disk shape as it collapsed?

Which jovian planet does not have rings?

What do we mean by the period of heavy bombardment in the context of the history of our solar system?

Which moons are sometimes called the Galilean moons?

According to our theory of solar system formation, what are asteroids and comets?

According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size?

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