Question 1

A bit of matter that enters Earth's atmosphere and survives to reach the ground is called

Accepted Answer

A)  a meteor. 
B)  a meteoroid. 
C)  a meteorite. 
D)  a minor planet. 
E)  an asteroid. 
A)  a meteor. 
B)  a meteoroid. 
C)  a meteorite. 
D)  a minor planet. 
E)  an asteroid. C

Question 2

A meteor shower is produced when

Accepted Answer

A)  a large number of sporadic meteors are observed. 
B)  Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
C)  massive particles are carried outward from the sun by the solar wind and enter Earth's atmosphere. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet. 
E)  meteors cause condensation in the upper atmosphere that leads to early morning rains. 
A)  a large number of sporadic meteors are observed. 
B)  Earth passes through the asteroid belt. 
C)  massive particles are carried outward from the sun by the solar wind and enter Earth's atmosphere. 
D)  Earth passes through the orbital path of a comet. 
E)  meteors cause condensation in the upper atmosphere that leads to early morning rains. D

Question 3

What evidence do we have that some asteroids have surfaces modified by geological processes?

Accepted Answer

Answer not provided.

Question 4

How is the coma of a comet produced?

Accepted Answer

A)  Rocky material breaks off from the comet to form the coma. 
B)  The coma is a cloud of particles that the comet has swept up in its orbital path. 
C)  Ices vaporize to become gas that form the coma around the comet. 
D)  Particles in the solar wind get caught in the comet's magnetic field to form the coma. 
A)  Rocky material breaks off from the comet to form the coma. 
B)  The coma is a cloud of particles that the comet has swept up in its orbital path. 
C)  Ices vaporize to become gas that form the coma around the comet. 
D)  Particles in the solar wind get caught in the comet's magnetic field to form the coma.

Question 5

The dirty snowball theory suggests that the head of a comet is composed of ices.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

A typical asteroid has an orbital period around the sun of 5.2 years. How far from the sun is this asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  5.2 AU 
B)  10.4 AU 
C)  27.0 AU 
D)  3.0 AU 
E)  2.3 AU 
A)  5.2 AU 
B)  10.4 AU 
C)  27.0 AU 
D)  3.0 AU 
E)  2.3 AU

Question 7

A(n) ____________________ is produced when Earth passes through the debris left by a comet when it passed through the inner solar system.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n) ____________________ is produced when Earth passes...

Question 8

Meteorites seem to come from both the asteroid belt and the comets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The gas tail of a comet

Accepted Answer

A)  is smooth and featureless with a spectrum identical to that of the sun. 
B)  is present even when the comet is located in the region of the Kuiper belt. 
C)  is unaffected by the magnetic field of the sun. 
D)  always points toward the sun. 
E)  is streaked and shows emission lines of ionized atoms. 
A)  is smooth and featureless with a spectrum identical to that of the sun. 
B)  is present even when the comet is located in the region of the Kuiper belt. 
C)  is unaffected by the magnetic field of the sun. 
D)  always points toward the sun. 
E)  is streaked and shows emission lines of ionized atoms.

Question 10

____________________ are regions of the asteroid belt where very few asteroids are found due to gravitational resonance with Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ are regions of the asteroid belt...

Question 11

Chondrites are meteorites that have

Accepted Answer

A)  never been melted since formation from solid particles in the solar nebula. 
B)  totally melted after formation. 
C)  been made from hydrogen and helium. 
D)  never entered Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  entered Earth's atmosphere but will be destroyed before reaching the ground. 
A)  never been melted since formation from solid particles in the solar nebula. 
B)  totally melted after formation. 
C)  been made from hydrogen and helium. 
D)  never entered Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  entered Earth's atmosphere but will be destroyed before reaching the ground.

Question 12

Why might the C-type asteroids be expected to be found in the outer part of the asteroid belt, while the S-type asteroids are found in the inner portion?

Accepted Answer

The distribution of C-type (carbonaceous

Question 13

Meteors strike Earth's atmosphere every day.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The Widmanstätten patterns found in some meteorites show that the material

Accepted Answer

A)  cooled very slowly. 
B)  cooled very rapidly. 
C)  was never heated to the point of being molten. 
D)  was molten just before it entered Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  is composed primarily of organic compounds. 
A)  cooled very slowly. 
B)  cooled very rapidly. 
C)  was never heated to the point of being molten. 
D)  was molten just before it entered Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  is composed primarily of organic compounds.

Question 15

Achondrites are rich in volatiles.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The Kuiper Belt is predicted to be the place where most of the short-period comets formed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Most short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

Accepted Answer

A)  they are affected by the sun's gravity. 
B)  they are affected by the solar wind. 
C)  they formed in the Kuiper Belt, a belt-shaped region in the plane of the solar system. 
D)  their orbits are altered by the drag of their tails in the solar wind. 
E)  they all were originally objects ejected from the asteroid belt. 
A)  they are affected by the sun's gravity. 
B)  they are affected by the solar wind. 
C)  they formed in the Kuiper Belt, a belt-shaped region in the plane of the solar system. 
D)  their orbits are altered by the drag of their tails in the solar wind. 
E)  they all were originally objects ejected from the asteroid belt.

Question 18

The density of Comet Halley was found to be about 0.2 g/cm3. This implies that Comet Halley

Accepted Answer

A)  is composed of about 50% rock and 50% frozen water and methane. 
B)  is loosely packed ices with a small amount of rocky material. 
C)  formed in the inner solar system and was ejected by Jupiter to the Kuiper belt. 
D)  is really an S-type asteroid. 
E)  was once a moon of Neptune and was ripped away by a large impact. 
A)  is composed of about 50% rock and 50% frozen water and methane. 
B)  is loosely packed ices with a small amount of rocky material. 
C)  formed in the inner solar system and was ejected by Jupiter to the Kuiper belt. 
D)  is really an S-type asteroid. 
E)  was once a moon of Neptune and was ripped away by a large impact.

Question 19

What observational evidence do we have that some meteors are caused by debris from comets?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What observational evidence do we have that...

Question 20

The meteors in meteor showers are believed to be the debris left behind in comet orbits.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

A bit of matter that enters Earth's atmosphere and survives to reach the ground is called

A meteor shower is produced when

What evidence do we have that some asteroids have surfaces modified by geological processes?

How is the coma of a comet produced?

The dirty snowball theory suggests that the head of a comet is composed of ices.

A typical asteroid has an orbital period around the sun of 5.2 years. How far from the sun is this asteroid?

A(n) ____________________ is produced when Earth passes through the debris left by a comet when it passed through the inner solar system.

Meteorites seem to come from both the asteroid belt and the comets.

The gas tail of a comet

____________________ are regions of the asteroid belt where very few asteroids are found due to gravitational resonance with Jupiter.

Chondrites are meteorites that have

Why might the C-type asteroids be expected to be found in the outer part of the asteroid belt, while the S-type asteroids are found in the inner portion?

Meteors strike Earth's atmosphere every day.

The Widmanstätten patterns found in some meteorites show that the material

Achondrites are rich in volatiles.

The Kuiper Belt is predicted to be the place where most of the short-period comets formed.

Most short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

The density of Comet Halley was found to be about 0.2 g/cm³. This implies that Comet Halley

What observational evidence do we have that some meteors are caused by debris from comets?

The meteors in meteor showers are believed to be the debris left behind in comet orbits.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

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Exam 19: Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

A bit of matter that enters Earth's atmosphere and survives to reach the ground is called

A meteor shower is produced when

What evidence do we have that some asteroids have surfaces modified by geological processes?

How is the coma of a comet produced?

The dirty snowball theory suggests that the head of a comet is composed of ices.

A typical asteroid has an orbital period around the sun of 5.2 years. How far from the sun is this asteroid?

A(n) ____________________ is produced when Earth passes through the debris left by a comet when it passed through the inner solar system.

Meteorites seem to come from both the asteroid belt and the comets.

The gas tail of a comet

____________________ are regions of the asteroid belt where very few asteroids are found due to gravitational resonance with Jupiter.

Chondrites are meteorites that have

Why might the C-type asteroids be expected to be found in the outer part of the asteroid belt, while the S-type asteroids are found in the inner portion?

Meteors strike Earth's atmosphere every day.

The Widmanstätten patterns found in some meteorites show that the material

Achondrites are rich in volatiles.

The Kuiper Belt is predicted to be the place where most of the short-period comets formed.

Most short-period comets do not have randomly oriented orbits because

The density of Comet Halley was found to be about 0.2 g/cm3. This implies that Comet Halley

What observational evidence do we have that some meteors are caused by debris from comets?

The meteors in meteor showers are believed to be the debris left behind in comet orbits.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Filters

The density of Comet Halley was found to be about 0.2 g/cm³. This implies that Comet Halley