Question 1

What percentage of the surface of Venus could be characterized as continental-sizedhighlands?

Accepted Answer

A) less than 10% 
B) about 30%, like the Earth 
C) 45% 
D) 75% 
E) 100% 
A) less than 10% 
B) about 30%, like the Earth 
C) 45% 
D) 75% 
E) 100% A

Question 2

The clouds of Earth often generate rain storms on the Earth's surface. Is this true of Venus?Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The sulfuric acid droplets from Venus's clouds are evaporated before they can reach thesurface, so the last 20 miles or so down to the surface is surprisingly clear. The greenhouse effectkeeps the surface too hot for any common liquid to exist there, but you might find pools ofmolten lead in places.

Question 3

How was the true rotation rate of Venus determined? Why does this make study of theVenusian surface hard for observers on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Radar studies of Venus finally determined that Venus's rotation rate is 243 days,retrograde. Studies of its entire surface from Earth, using radar, is complicated by the fact thatalmost the same face of Venus appears pointed towards Earth when the two planets are closest.

Question 4

Comparing the clouds of Earth and Venus, we find that:

Accepted Answer

A) both are made chiefly of water vapor. 
B) ours lie in the troposphere, within 10 kilometers of our surface, but Venus has a highertroposphere, with its clouds about 40 kilometers high. 
C) like ours, they rotate around Venus slower than Venus rotates on its axis. 
D) Venus has much more carbon dioxide, so dry ice clouds dominate. 
E) Venus is too hot for clouds to form, so we see only a barren world telescopically. 
A) both are made chiefly of water vapor. 
B) ours lie in the troposphere, within 10 kilometers of our surface, but Venus has a highertroposphere, with its clouds about 40 kilometers high. 
C) like ours, they rotate around Venus slower than Venus rotates on its axis. 
D) Venus has much more carbon dioxide, so dry ice clouds dominate. 
E) Venus is too hot for clouds to form, so we see only a barren world telescopically.

Question 5

Venus's temperature is fairly uniform over the entire planet, both day and night.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Which statement is true of Venus's surface?

Accepted Answer

A) It has remained unchanged for billions of years. 
B) Atmospheric pressure is very low. 
C) There is an extensive hydrosphere. 
D) There are no shield volcanoes. 
E) There are two continent-sized uplands. 
A) It has remained unchanged for billions of years. 
B) Atmospheric pressure is very low. 
C) There is an extensive hydrosphere. 
D) There are no shield volcanoes. 
E) There are two continent-sized uplands.

Question 7

Why is the atmospheric pressure at the surface of Venus so much higher than Earth's?

Accepted Answer

The atmosphere is much more ma

Question 8

How does the rotation of Venus's clouds compare to the rotation of its surface?

Accepted Answer

The clouds

Question 9

Venus's surface temperature is fairly uniform, hot on both day and night sides.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Like our own, the magnetic field of Venus has been seen to reverse polarity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Discuss the evidence that suggests that Venus is still very active volcanically.

Accepted Answer

There are hundreds of volcanoes on the s

Question 12

Contrast the compositions and heights of the clouds of Earth and Venus.

Accepted Answer

Our weather and clouds of water droplets

Question 13

No evidence of impact craters has been found on Venus.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The surface of Venus can be observed with:

Accepted Answer

A) the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. 
B) radar observations from Arecibo. 
C) most amateur telescopes. 
D) the Hubble Space Telescope. 
E) All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet. 
A) the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. 
B) radar observations from Arecibo. 
C) most amateur telescopes. 
D) the Hubble Space Telescope. 
E) All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet.

Question 15

The atmospheric pressure on Venus:

Accepted Answer

A) shows an extreme change with the seasons. 
B) is much lower than on Earth. 
C) is about the same as on Mercury. 
D) is much higher than on Earth. 
E) causes variations in surface temperature. 
A) shows an extreme change with the seasons. 
B) is much lower than on Earth. 
C) is about the same as on Mercury. 
D) is much higher than on Earth. 
E) causes variations in surface temperature.

Question 16

What is thought to have caused the craters on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A) Most are volcanic in origin; some are due to meteoritic impacts. 
B) As in the case of Mercury, all the craters are due to meteorite impacts. 
C) Because meteorites cannot survive passing through the atmosphere of Venus, all craters mustbe volcanic. 
D) Venus has very few craters and their origin is not known. 
E) Venus's craters originated during differentiation. 
A) Most are volcanic in origin; some are due to meteoritic impacts. 
B) As in the case of Mercury, all the craters are due to meteorite impacts. 
C) Because meteorites cannot survive passing through the atmosphere of Venus, all craters mustbe volcanic. 
D) Venus has very few craters and their origin is not known. 
E) Venus's craters originated during differentiation.

Question 17

A characteristic of shield volcanoes is the formation of a crater at the summit which occurswhen:

Accepted Answer

A) the volcano erupts explosively. 
B) the lava withdraws and the surface collapses. 
C) the lava flows melt through the thin crust of the peak. 
D) the underlying hot spot suddenly turns on. 
E) the volcano is impacted by a large meteorite. 
A) the volcano erupts explosively. 
B) the lava withdraws and the surface collapses. 
C) the lava flows melt through the thin crust of the peak. 
D) the underlying hot spot suddenly turns on. 
E) the volcano is impacted by a large meteorite.

Question 18

Discuss the fate of meteoroids upon entering the atmosphere of Venus. How do the impactcraters found on the surface support this idea? How are the numbers of impact craters affected byvolcanism?

Accepted Answer

All small meteoroids burn up in the thic

Question 19

Through radar observations it was found that Venus's:

Accepted Answer

A) orbit around the Sun is speeding up. 
B) atmosphere is changing rapidly. 
C) rotation on its axis is retrograde. 
D) orbit around the Sun is in the clockwise sense. 
E) orbital period is 243 days. 
A) orbit around the Sun is speeding up. 
B) atmosphere is changing rapidly. 
C) rotation on its axis is retrograde. 
D) orbit around the Sun is in the clockwise sense. 
E) orbital period is 243 days.

Question 20

What is the composition of the clouds of Venus?

Accepted Answer

A) water, like Earth's clouds 
B) frozen carbon dioxide, as on Mars 
C) a combination of ammonia and methane, like Uranus 
D) sulfur and sulfuric acid droplets 
E) hydrogen sulfide and ammonia 
A) water, like Earth's clouds 
B) frozen carbon dioxide, as on Mars 
C) a combination of ammonia and methane, like Uranus 
D) sulfur and sulfuric acid droplets 
E) hydrogen sulfide and ammonia

Exam 9: Venus: Earths Sister Planet

What percentage of the surface of Venus could be characterized as continental-sizedhighlands?

The clouds of Earth often generate rain storms on the Earth's surface. Is this true of Venus?Why or why not?

How was the true rotation rate of Venus determined? Why does this make study of theVenusian surface hard for observers on Earth?

Comparing the clouds of Earth and Venus, we find that:

Venus's temperature is fairly uniform over the entire planet, both day and night.

Which statement is true of Venus's surface?

Why is the atmospheric pressure at the surface of Venus so much higher than Earth's?

How does the rotation of Venus's clouds compare to the rotation of its surface?

Venus's surface temperature is fairly uniform, hot on both day and night sides.

Like our own, the magnetic field of Venus has been seen to reverse polarity.

Discuss the evidence that suggests that Venus is still very active volcanically.

Contrast the compositions and heights of the clouds of Earth and Venus.

No evidence of impact craters has been found on Venus.

The surface of Venus can be observed with:

The atmospheric pressure on Venus:

What is thought to have caused the craters on Venus?

A characteristic of shield volcanoes is the formation of a crater at the summit which occurswhen:

Discuss the fate of meteoroids upon entering the atmosphere of Venus. How do the impactcraters found on the surface support this idea? How are the numbers of impact craters affected byvolcanism?

Through radar observations it was found that Venus's:

What is the composition of the clouds of Venus?

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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