Question 1

The principle of Occam's Razor states that

Accepted Answer

A) no scientific theory, no matter how well tested, can ever be proved absolutely true. 
B) in explaining natural phenomena, the simplest explanation consistent with the observations is to be preferred. 
C) scientific explanations may invoke supernatural causes if no other causes are found. 
D) only a model that has survived repeated observational tests deserves to be called a scientific theory. 
E) while personal biases may influence individual scientists, the process of science itself can uncover these biases. 
A) no scientific theory, no matter how well tested, can ever be proved absolutely true. 
B) in explaining natural phenomena, the simplest explanation consistent with the observations is to be preferred. 
C) scientific explanations may invoke supernatural causes if no other causes are found. 
D) only a model that has survived repeated observational tests deserves to be called a scientific theory. 
E) while personal biases may influence individual scientists, the process of science itself can uncover these biases.

Question 2

Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that

Accepted Answer

A) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. 
B) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. 
C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. 
D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. 
E) All of the above are correct. 
A) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. 
B) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. 
C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. 
D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. 
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 3

The names of the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the members of the solar system that are visible to the naked eye.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to _.

Accepted Answer

A) discover four moons orbiting Jupiter, thereby lending strong support to the idea that the Earth is not the center of the universe 
B) observe planetary positions with sufficient accuracy so that Kepler could later use the data to discover the laws of planetary motion 
C) offer the first detailed model of a Sun- centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of overturning the Earth- centered model of the Greeks 
D) discover that planets orbit the Sun in elliptical orbits with varying speed 
A) discover four moons orbiting Jupiter, thereby lending strong support to the idea that the Earth is not the center of the universe 
B) observe planetary positions with sufficient accuracy so that Kepler could later use the data to discover the laws of planetary motion 
C) offer the first detailed model of a Sun- centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of overturning the Earth- centered model of the Greeks 
D) discover that planets orbit the Sun in elliptical orbits with varying speed

Question 5

Which of the following statements expresses what we mean by a scientific theory?

Accepted Answer

A) a simple model that explains a wide variety of phenomena and that has survived repeated tests 
B) an educated guess 
C) an explanation for a physical phenomenon, an explanation that hasn't been tested yet 
A) a simple model that explains a wide variety of phenomena and that has survived repeated tests 
B) an educated guess 
C) an explanation for a physical phenomenon, an explanation that hasn't been tested yet

Question 6

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. 
B) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse. 
C) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out)than an ellipse with a small eccentricity. 
D) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse. 
A) A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse. 
B) The semimajor axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse. 
C) An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out)than an ellipse with a small eccentricity. 
D) The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse.

Question 7

What was the Ptolemaic model?

Accepted Answer

A) the first scientific model to successfully predict solar and lunar eclipses 
B) the Earth- centered model of the cosmos in which the Earth was surrounded by seven perfect spheres, one each for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn 
C) an Earth- centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy 
D) a Sun- centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy 
A) the first scientific model to successfully predict solar and lunar eclipses 
B) the Earth- centered model of the cosmos in which the Earth was surrounded by seven perfect spheres, one each for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn 
C) an Earth- centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy 
D) a Sun- centered model of planetary motion published by Ptolemy

Question 8

Galileo observed which of the following phases of Venus?

Accepted Answer

A) full 
B) new 
C) crescent 
D) gibbous 
E) all of the above 
A) full 
B) new 
C) crescent 
D) gibbous 
E) all of the above

Question 9

Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science?

Accepted Answer

A) A scientific model must make testable predictions. 
B) Scientific explanations should be based solely on natural causes. 
C) Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality. 
D) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models that explain observation as simply as possible. 
A) A scientific model must make testable predictions. 
B) Scientific explanations should be based solely on natural causes. 
C) Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality. 
D) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models that explain observation as simply as possible.

Question 10

Describe what a scientific test of astrology would involve.

Accepted Answer

First of all, science can only test the

Question 11

With which of the following observations could Tycho have demonstrated that a comet must be a celestial phenomenon? (Note: you may want to review Ch. 2)

Accepted Answer

A) measuring changes in its brightness over time 
B) from the comet causing a full solar eclipse across much of Europe 
C) parallax measurements from observing it from two locations on Earth 
A) measuring changes in its brightness over time 
B) from the comet causing a full solar eclipse across much of Europe 
C) parallax measurements from observing it from two locations on Earth

Question 12

Scientific models are used to .

Accepted Answer

A) make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments 
B) make miniature representations of the universe 
C) present the scale of the solar system to the general public 
D) prove that past paradigms no longer hold true 
A) make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments 
B) make miniature representations of the universe 
C) present the scale of the solar system to the general public 
D) prove that past paradigms no longer hold true

Question 13

Scientific thinking developed only in the past few decades.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Occam's Razor: A hallmark of science is the rejection of supernatural causes to explain natural phenomena. Try to justify this position as another way of including Occam's Razor into the process of science.

Accepted Answer

Occam's Razor, a principle attributed to

Question 15

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case?

Accepted Answer

A) A week would have eight days instead of seven. 
B) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. 
C) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. 
D) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. 
E) The discovery that the Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. 
A) A week would have eight days instead of seven. 
B) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. 
C) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. 
D) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. 
E) The discovery that the Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier.

Question 16

Observational Tests: Observations are the ultimate test of physical models and their predictions. Both Tycho Brahe and Galileo Galilei made decisive observations that helped distinguish between the geocentric and heliocentric models for the solar system. Compare and contrast the types of observations that Tycho and Galileo gathered. Which do you think was more persuasive to astronomers at the time? How about to educated members of the public?

Accepted Answer

Tycho Brahe and Galileo Galilei both mad

Question 17

The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world?

Accepted Answer

A) China 
B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East 
C) Southern Asia 
D) North America 
E) Central and South America 
A) China 
B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East 
C) Southern Asia 
D) North America 
E) Central and South America

Question 18

What led Kepler to abandon circular orbits and his discovery that planetary orbits are ellipses?

Accepted Answer

A) the observation of a comet moving on a highly eccentric orbit 
B) a desire to gain prestige by using a more complicated model 
C) a deviation between observed and model values that was much larger than the observation uncertainties 
A) the observation of a comet moving on a highly eccentric orbit 
B) a desire to gain prestige by using a more complicated model 
C) a deviation between observed and model values that was much larger than the observation uncertainties

Question 19

The great contribution of Nicholas Copernicus was to .

Accepted Answer

A) create a detailed model of our solar system with the Sun rather than Earth at the center 
B) prove that the Earth is not the center of the universe 
C) discover the law of gravity 
D) discover the laws of planetary motion 
A) create a detailed model of our solar system with the Sun rather than Earth at the center 
B) prove that the Earth is not the center of the universe 
C) discover the law of gravity 
D) discover the laws of planetary motion

Question 20

How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.?

Accepted Answer

A) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes 
B) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse 
C) by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse 
D) by sending fleets of ships around Earth 
E) We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed. 
A) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes 
B) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse 
C) by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse 
D) by sending fleets of ships around Earth 
E) We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed.

The principle of Occam's Razor states that

Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that

The names of the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the members of the solar system that are visible to the naked eye.

The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to _.

Which of the following statements expresses what we mean by a scientific theory?

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is not true?

What was the Ptolemaic model?

Galileo observed which of the following phases of Venus?

Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science?

Describe what a scientific test of astrology would involve.

With which of the following observations could Tycho have demonstrated that a comet must be a celestial phenomenon? (Note: you may want to review Ch. 2)

Scientific models are used to .

Scientific thinking developed only in the past few decades.

Occam's Razor: A hallmark of science is the rejection of supernatural causes to explain natural phenomena. Try to justify this position as another way of including Occam's Razor into the process of science.

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case?

The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world?

What led Kepler to abandon circular orbits and his discovery that planetary orbits are ellipses?

The great contribution of Nicholas Copernicus was to .

How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

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

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

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 3: The Science of Astronomy

The principle of Occam's Razor states that

Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that

The names of the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the members of the solar system that are visible to the naked eye.

The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to _.

Which of the following statements expresses what we mean by a scientific theory?

Which of the following statements about an ellipse is not true?

What was the Ptolemaic model?

Galileo observed which of the following phases of Venus?

Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science?

Describe what a scientific test of astrology would involve.

With which of the following observations could Tycho have demonstrated that a comet must be a celestial phenomenon? (Note: you may want to review Ch. 2)

Scientific models are used to .

Scientific thinking developed only in the past few decades.

Occam's Razor: A hallmark of science is the rejection of supernatural causes to explain natural phenomena. Try to justify this position as another way of including Occam's Razor into the process of science.

Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case?

The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world?

What led Kepler to abandon circular orbits and his discovery that planetary orbits are ellipses?

The great contribution of Nicholas Copernicus was to .

How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

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

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

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