Question 1

Why did the terrestrial planets lose the majority of the gases in their primary atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

A)  They were too hot and their escape velocities too low to hold onto them. 
B)  The solar wind was too strong and destroyed the planets' magnetospheres. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made the gas chemically react with the rock. 
D)  The initial gases were so heavy when the planet differentiated that they sank to the core. 
E)  There wasn't much gas to begin with. 
A)  They were too hot and their escape velocities too low to hold onto them. 
B)  The solar wind was too strong and destroyed the planets' magnetospheres. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made the gas chemically react with the rock. 
D)  The initial gases were so heavy when the planet differentiated that they sank to the core. 
E)  There wasn't much gas to begin with.

Question 2

If an average hydrogen atom in Earth's atmosphere has a velocity of 2.5 km/s, what would be the average velocity of an oxygen molecule in Earth's atmosphere? Note that the atomic mass of an oxygen atom is 16 times that of a hydrogen atom.

Accepted Answer

A)  0.16 km/s 
B)  2.5 km/s 
C)  0.62 km/s 
D)  0.44 km/s 
E)  0.25 km/s 
A)  0.16 km/s 
B)  2.5 km/s 
C)  0.62 km/s 
D)  0.44 km/s 
E)  0.25 km/s

Question 3

In the Southern Hemisphere, hurricanes ________ compared to hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere because of the Coriolis effect.

Accepted Answer

A)  rotate in the same direction 
B)  rotate in the opposite direction 
C)  move from east to west 
D)  have larger wind speeds 
E)  cause more damage 
A)  rotate in the same direction 
B)  rotate in the opposite direction 
C)  move from east to west 
D)  have larger wind speeds 
E)  cause more damage

Question 4

If photosynthesis were to disappear on Earth,

Accepted Answer

A)  the atmosphere would become less dense. 
B)  oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
C)  the atmosphere would become hotter. 
D)  nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
E)  the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere would decrease. 
A)  the atmosphere would become less dense. 
B)  oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
C)  the atmosphere would become hotter. 
D)  nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
E)  the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere would decrease.

Question 5

Describe how the lack of a strong magnetic field on Mars may lead to loss of its atmosphere over time.

Accepted Answer

The lack of global magnetic field on Mar

Question 6

The terrestrial planets, ranked in order of decreasing atmospheric density, are

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

By examining the three images in the following figure, what can you conclude?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus is covered with clouds. 
B)  Earth has a large amount of liquid water. 
C)  Some form of ice does exist on Mars, but it does not have large amounts of liquid water. 
D)  The planets in order from the least to most dense atmospheres are Mars, Earth, and Venus. 
E)  all of these 
A)  Venus is covered with clouds. 
B)  Earth has a large amount of liquid water. 
C)  Some form of ice does exist on Mars, but it does not have large amounts of liquid water. 
D)  The planets in order from the least to most dense atmospheres are Mars, Earth, and Venus. 
E)  all of these

Question 8

Describe how the closer location of Venus to the Sun compared to Earth led to the runaway greenhouse effect observed on Venus today.

Accepted Answer

Because of its closer location to the Su

Question 9

Why does the temperature decrease as you go higher in altitude in the troposphere on Earth?

Accepted Answer

The temperature decreases as y

Question 10

When the Martian springtime arrives and the daytime temperature reaches 20°C, what occurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  Water melts and forms large pools of liquid. 
B)  The polar ice caps disappear. 
C)  large planet-wide dust storms 
D)  The planet's surface changes color. 
E)  Small plants bloom in direct sunlight. 
A)  Water melts and forms large pools of liquid. 
B)  The polar ice caps disappear. 
C)  large planet-wide dust storms 
D)  The planet's surface changes color. 
E)  Small plants bloom in direct sunlight.

Question 11

By approximately ________ years ago, ________ had produced oxygen in enough amounts for it to make up a significant fraction of Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A)  100 million; trees and plants 
B)  1 billion; trees and plants 
C)  250 million; bacteria and algae 
D)  2.5 billion; bacteria and algae 
E)  2,000; animals and humans 
A)  100 million; trees and plants 
B)  1 billion; trees and plants 
C)  250 million; bacteria and algae 
D)  2.5 billion; bacteria and algae 
E)  2,000; animals and humans

Question 12

Approximately how long after the Solar System formed did it take for oxygen to get to within 80 percent of its present abundance in Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  4 billion years 
B)  1 billion years 
C)  400 million years 
D)  1 million years 
E)  Oxygen was always a primary component of Earth's atmosphere. 
A)  4 billion years 
B)  1 billion years 
C)  400 million years 
D)  1 million years 
E)  Oxygen was always a primary component of Earth's atmosphere.

Question 13

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, what would happen?

Accepted Answer

A)  It would rapidly escape into space. 
B)  It would dissociate into carbon and oxygen. 
C)  It would collect as ice on the north and south poles. 
D)  It would cause a runaway greenhouse effect. 
E)  There would be no effect. 
A)  It would rapidly escape into space. 
B)  It would dissociate into carbon and oxygen. 
C)  It would collect as ice on the north and south poles. 
D)  It would cause a runaway greenhouse effect. 
E)  There would be no effect.

Question 14

We do not find asteroids with thick atmospheres because

Accepted Answer

A)  they are too close to the Sun, on average. 
B)  they are too far from the Sun, on average. 
C)  they do not have volcanoes. 
D)  they are too small. 
E)  they rotate too quickly. 
A)  they are too close to the Sun, on average. 
B)  they are too far from the Sun, on average. 
C)  they do not have volcanoes. 
D)  they are too small. 
E)  they rotate too quickly.

Question 15

The variations in sulfuric acid in Venus's atmosphere are thought to be evidence that

Accepted Answer

A)  it has a liquid surface. 
B)  it is volcanically active. 
C)  it has a strong magnetosphere. 
D)  there are strong winds on the surface. 
E)  there is life on Venus's surface. 
A)  it has a liquid surface. 
B)  it is volcanically active. 
C)  it has a strong magnetosphere. 
D)  there are strong winds on the surface. 
E)  there is life on Venus's surface.

Question 16

What is the greenhouse effect, and what causes it?

Accepted Answer

The greenhouse effect is the warming of

Question 17

Weather is the ________ state of the atmosphere, while climate is the ________ state of the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A)  average; day-to-day 
B)  day-to-day; average 
C)  year-to-year; millennium-to-millennium 
D)  average; average 
E)  current; past 
A)  average; day-to-day 
B)  day-to-day; average 
C)  year-to-year; millennium-to-millennium 
D)  average; average 
E)  current; past

Question 18

How does a planet's mass affect its atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

The size of a planet determines the stre

Question 19

Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere have been rising by about 4 percent per decade because of the use of fossil fuels.Describe at least two major changes that would take place on Earth if this trend continues.

Accepted Answer

Increased concentration of carbon dioxid

Question 20

The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has been increasing over the last 50 years because of

Accepted Answer

A)  global warming. 
B)  the growth of the ozone hole. 
C)  the burning of fossil fuels. 
D)  increased energy output from the Sun. 
E)  increased magnetic activity in the Sun. 
A)  global warming. 
B)  the growth of the ozone hole. 
C)  the burning of fossil fuels. 
D)  increased energy output from the Sun. 
E)  increased magnetic activity in the Sun.

Exam 9: Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Why did the terrestrial planets lose the majority of the gases in their primary atmospheres?

If an average hydrogen atom in Earth's atmosphere has a velocity of 2.5 km/s, what would be the average velocity of an oxygen molecule in Earth's atmosphere? Note that the atomic mass of an oxygen atom is 16 times that of a hydrogen atom.

In the Southern Hemisphere, hurricanes ________ compared to hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere because of the Coriolis effect.

If photosynthesis were to disappear on Earth,

Describe how the lack of a strong magnetic field on Mars may lead to loss of its atmosphere over time.

The terrestrial planets, ranked in order of decreasing atmospheric density, are

By examining the three images in the following figure, what can you conclude?

Describe how the closer location of Venus to the Sun compared to Earth led to the runaway greenhouse effect observed on Venus today.

Why does the temperature decrease as you go higher in altitude in the troposphere on Earth?

When the Martian springtime arrives and the daytime temperature reaches 20°C, what occurs?

By approximately ________ years ago, ________ had produced oxygen in enough amounts for it to make up a significant fraction of Earth's atmosphere.

Approximately how long after the Solar System formed did it take for oxygen to get to within 80 percent of its present abundance in Earth's atmosphere?

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, what would happen?

We do not find asteroids with thick atmospheres because

The variations in sulfuric acid in Venus's atmosphere are thought to be evidence that

What is the greenhouse effect, and what causes it?

Weather is the ________ state of the atmosphere, while climate is the ________ state of the atmosphere.

How does a planet's mass affect its atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere have been rising by about 4 percent per decade because of the use of fossil fuels.Describe at least two major changes that would take place on Earth if this trend continues.

The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has been increasing over the last 50 years because of

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Formation of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

Planetary Moons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

The Expanding Universe

Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

By approximately years ago, had produced oxygen in enough amounts for it to make up a significant fraction of Earth's atmosphere.

Weather is the state of the atmosphere, while climate is the state of the atmosphere.