Question 1

What do scientists mean when they say Jupiter's moon Io orbits in a "plasma torus," as shown in the figure below, and what causes this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Jupiter's strong magnetic fiel

Question 2

If we measure the spectrum of radiation coming from different clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere and we find that a cloud that appears white in visible light emits the largest number of photons at a wavelength of 3 *10-5 m, whereas a cloud that appears brown in visible light emits the largest number of photons at a wavelength of 1.9 * 10-5 m, how do the temperatures of the clouds compare?

Accepted Answer

Wien's law states that @#IMG-DLM& _peak

Question 3

Saturn has a large magnetosphere similar to Jupiter's, yet it is much harder to detect than Jupiter's magnetosphere.Why?

Accepted Answer

Unlike Jupiter,Saturn has an extensive a

Question 4

Neptune and Uranus probably took longer to form than Jupiter and Saturn because the solar nebula was ________ at the radius of Neptune and Uranus.

Accepted Answer

A)  rotating faster 
B)  composed of rockier planetesimals 
C)  not as dense 
D)  hotter 
E)  colder 
A)  rotating faster 
B)  composed of rockier planetesimals 
C)  not as dense 
D)  hotter 
E)  colder

Question 5

Why do we find methane clouds above water clouds in the atmosphere of Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  Methane clouds are less dense than water clouds. 
B)  Methane is far more plentiful than water on Saturn. 
C)  Methane is in a gas state at lower temperatures than water. 
D)  We can't observe the methane clouds that are deeper in the atmosphere. 
E)  all of these 
A)  Methane clouds are less dense than water clouds. 
B)  Methane is far more plentiful than water on Saturn. 
C)  Methane is in a gas state at lower temperatures than water. 
D)  We can't observe the methane clouds that are deeper in the atmosphere. 
E)  all of these

Question 6

As you move from the top atmospheric layer toward the center of a gas planet, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  increases; decreases 
B)  increases; increases 
C)  decreases; decreases 
D)  decreases; increases 
E)  increases; stays the same 
A)  increases; decreases 
B)  increases; increases 
C)  decreases; decreases 
D)  decreases; increases 
E)  increases; stays the same

Question 7

Why are Jupiter and Saturn not perfectly spherical?

Accepted Answer

A)  They formed from the collision of two large planetesimals. 
B)  They rotate rapidly. 
C)  They have storms that develop preferentially along their equators. 
D)  They have very active auroras that heat the atmospheres along the poles. 
E)  They have so much more gravity that the poles get pulled harder than the equators. 
A)  They formed from the collision of two large planetesimals. 
B)  They rotate rapidly. 
C)  They have storms that develop preferentially along their equators. 
D)  They have very active auroras that heat the atmospheres along the poles. 
E)  They have so much more gravity that the poles get pulled harder than the equators.

Question 8

Despite the high temperatures deep in the interior of giant planets, their cores remain liquid because

Accepted Answer

A)  they are under very high pressures. 
B)  gravitational potential energy is being converted into thermal energy in the cores. 
C)  they are composed of heavy materials like rock and water. 
D)  their rotations are rapid compared to those of the terrestrial planets. 
E)  the giant planets have strong magnetic fields. 
A)  they are under very high pressures. 
B)  gravitational potential energy is being converted into thermal energy in the cores. 
C)  they are composed of heavy materials like rock and water. 
D)  their rotations are rapid compared to those of the terrestrial planets. 
E)  the giant planets have strong magnetic fields.

Question 9

Each giant planet has a core made of ________ that is 5 to 10 times the mass of Earth.

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen 
B)  rocky material 
C)  water 
D)  hydrocarbons 
E)  methane 
A)  hydrogen 
B)  rocky material 
C)  water 
D)  hydrocarbons 
E)  methane

Question 10

Compare the flux of sunlight at Earth's orbit to that at Saturn's orbit.Note that Saturn's average distance from the Sun is 9.5 AU.

Accepted Answer

The flux of sunlight is proportional to

Question 11

Why are winds on the giant planets far faster than those on Earth?

Accepted Answer

The gas giants are r

Question 12

Which giant planet has the most prominent band structures?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune 
E)  All of these have prominent band structures. 
A)  Jupiter 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune 
E)  All of these have prominent band structures.

Question 13

A diagram of the interior of Jupiter is shown the figure below, with layers labeled A-D.Describe what each of the four labeled layers is made of.

Accepted Answer

A: MOLECULAR HYDROGEN AND HELI

Question 14

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 * 107 m, what is the average speed of an equatorial cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)

Accepted Answer

The cloud will complete one orbit and tr

Question 15

Why aren't all clouds on Jupiter white, like on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter's clouds are made of methane. 
B)  Jupiter's clouds are made of carbon dioxide. 
C)  There are chemical impurities in the ice crystals in Jupiter's clouds. 
D)  The Sun is not as bright when viewed from Jupiter compared to what it looks like from Earth. 
E)  For the same reason that we see colors in rainbows on Earth. 
A)  Jupiter's clouds are made of methane. 
B)  Jupiter's clouds are made of carbon dioxide. 
C)  There are chemical impurities in the ice crystals in Jupiter's clouds. 
D)  The Sun is not as bright when viewed from Jupiter compared to what it looks like from Earth. 
E)  For the same reason that we see colors in rainbows on Earth.

Question 16

In addition to the visible light that we can see with our own eyes, Jupiter emits a large amount of radio waves.Explain the processes that allow Jupiter to give off each of these types of light.

Accepted Answer

The visible light we see from

Question 17

The figure below shows a drawing of bands in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and the arrows indicate the direction the winds are blowing in those bands.At which of the labeled locations would you be most likely to find a vortex storm?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E

Question 18

Describe the process of planetary migration, and the effects it has on planetary systems.

Accepted Answer

Planetary migration is the effect of pla

Question 19

Aside from Jupiter, which giant planets have atmospheric bands and storms?

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn only 
B)  Uranus only 
C)  Neptune only 
D)  all of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune 
E)  none of these 
A)  Saturn only 
B)  Uranus only 
C)  Neptune only 
D)  all of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune 
E)  none of these

Question 20

Would we expect to find cloud bands on giant planets in other solar systems? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Cloud bands are caused by vertical conve

Exam 10: Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

What do scientists mean when they say Jupiter's moon Io orbits in a "plasma torus," as shown in the figure below, and what causes this phenomenon?

Saturn has a large magnetosphere similar to Jupiter's, yet it is much harder to detect than Jupiter's magnetosphere.Why?

Neptune and Uranus probably took longer to form than Jupiter and Saturn because the solar nebula was ________ at the radius of Neptune and Uranus.

Why do we find methane clouds above water clouds in the atmosphere of Saturn?

As you move from the top atmospheric layer toward the center of a gas planet, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________.

Why are Jupiter and Saturn not perfectly spherical?

Despite the high temperatures deep in the interior of giant planets, their cores remain liquid because

Each giant planet has a core made of ________ that is 5 to 10 times the mass of Earth.

Compare the flux of sunlight at Earth's orbit to that at Saturn's orbit.Note that Saturn's average distance from the Sun is 9.5 AU.

Why are winds on the giant planets far faster than those on Earth?

Which giant planet has the most prominent band structures?

A diagram of the interior of Jupiter is shown the figure below, with layers labeled A-D.Describe what each of the four labeled layers is made of.

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 * 107 m, what is the average speed of an equatorial cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)

Why aren't all clouds on Jupiter white, like on Earth?

In addition to the visible light that we can see with our own eyes, Jupiter emits a large amount of radio waves.Explain the processes that allow Jupiter to give off each of these types of light.

The figure below shows a drawing of bands in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and the arrows indicate the direction the winds are blowing in those bands.At which of the labeled locations would you be most likely to find a vortex storm?

Describe the process of planetary migration, and the effects it has on planetary systems.

Aside from Jupiter, which giant planets have atmospheric bands and storms?

Would we expect to find cloud bands on giant planets in other solar systems? Why or why not?

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

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial 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

As you move from the top atmospheric layer toward the center of a gas planet, the temperature and the pressure .

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 * 10⁷ m, what is the average speed of an equatorial cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)