Question 1

A meteorite is:

Accepted Answer

A) a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground. 
B) a streak of light in the atmosphere. 
C) an icy body with a long tail extending from it. 
D) a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth. 
E) an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. 
A) a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground. 
B) a streak of light in the atmosphere. 
C) an icy body with a long tail extending from it. 
D) a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth. 
E) an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. A

Question 2

The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass anddividing that by its:

Accepted Answer

A) radius. 
B) diameter. 
C) surface area. 
D) radius squared. 
E) volume. 
A) radius. 
B) diameter. 
C) surface area. 
D) radius squared. 
E) volume. E

Question 3

Use the information in Table 6.1 to compare the angular momentum in Earth's orbitalmotion, Jupiter's orbital motion and Pluto's orbital motion. Which factor seems to be mostsignificant to the orbital angular momentum of these bodies: radius, mass or angular speed?Why?

Accepted Answer

Since looking at the ratios of the angular momentums of these bodies will suffice, wecan leave the units alone. So angular momentum is proportional to mass × angular speed × radiusof the $\text { orbit } ^2 \text {. }$ For Earth, this is $1 \text { Earth mass } \times 1 / ( 1 \text { Earth year } ) \times ( 1 \text { A.U. } ) ^ { 2 } = 1$ Jupiter $318 \times 1 / 11.9 \times ( 11.2 ) ^ { 2 } = 3350$ imes Earth's orbital angular momentumPluto: $0.002 \times 1 / 248 \times ( 39.5 ) ^ { 2 } = 0.013$ imes Earth's orbital angular momentumThe radius of the orbit (approximated by the semi-major axis)is most significant because it issquared in the relationship. We can see this by comparing Pluto and Earth. Even though Pluto isonly 0.2% of the Earth's mass, it has more than 1% of the Earth's orbital angular momentum.

Question 4

What might have made the original solar nebula begin to contract?

Accepted Answer

A) the Big Bang 
B) the formation of our arm of the Milky Way 
C) the shock wave from a nearby exploding star 
D) interstellar magnetism generated by pulsars 
E) the large amount of angular momentum in the nebula 
A) the Big Bang 
B) the formation of our arm of the Milky Way 
C) the shock wave from a nearby exploding star 
D) interstellar magnetism generated by pulsars 
E) the large amount of angular momentum in the nebula

Question 5

What is the goal of comparative planetology?

Accepted Answer

A) to use planetary positions to foretell the future 
B) to find which planets will be most suitable for future colonization 
C) to help plan future visits by unmanned probes, orbiters, and rovers 
D) to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system 
E) to find out how our own solar system compares with extrasolar ones 
A) to use planetary positions to foretell the future 
B) to find which planets will be most suitable for future colonization 
C) to help plan future visits by unmanned probes, orbiters, and rovers 
D) to determine the origin and evolution of the solar system 
E) to find out how our own solar system compares with extrasolar ones

Question 6

What happens when a solar nebula contracts?

Accepted Answer

A) It flattens out. 
B) It spins faster. 
C) It heats up. 
D) All of the above. 
E) None of the above. 
A) It flattens out. 
B) It spins faster. 
C) It heats up. 
D) All of the above. 
E) None of the above.

Question 7

All terrestrial planets have moons.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

A planet's sidereal orbital period can be measured from repeated observations of its location inthe sky (so long as Earth's own motion around the Sun is properly taken into account).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The mass of all the planets combined is about 1% of that of the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which planet by itself contains the majority of mass of all the planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter 
B) Saturn 
C) Earth 
D) Venus 
E) Uranus 
A) Jupiter 
B) Saturn 
C) Earth 
D) Venus 
E) Uranus

Question 11

Earth is nearly twice as large as Venus.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated inspace.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The asteroids are very young and appear to be made from the same material.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The solar system contains the Sun, eight major bodies called planets, and at least thousands ofsmaller bodies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What are the properties of the Sun that any theory of the origin of the solar system mustexplain?

Accepted Answer

The Sun contains most of the m

Question 16

Our solar system contains only 65 moons (as of Summer 2016).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

What physical characteristics of Mercury distinguish it among all the planets in our solarsystem?

Accepted Answer

Mercury has the most eccentric

Question 18

By itself, ________ makes up 70% of the masses of all the planets combined.

Accepted Answer

The answer of By itself, ________ makes up 70% of...

Question 19

Interstellar dust grains start the process of condensation in the early solar nebula.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Which of these spacecraft went into orbit about Saturn in July 2004?

Accepted Answer

A) Galileo 
B) New Horizons 
C) Cassini 
D) Voyager 2 
E) NEAR-Shoemaker 
A) Galileo 
B) New Horizons 
C) Cassini 
D) Voyager 2 
E) NEAR-Shoemaker

Exam 6: The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

A meteorite is:

The average density of each planet in the solar system is determined by taking its mass anddividing that by its:

Use the information in Table 6.1 to compare the angular momentum in Earth's orbitalmotion, Jupiter's orbital motion and Pluto's orbital motion. Which factor seems to be mostsignificant to the orbital angular momentum of these bodies: radius, mass or angular speed?Why?

What might have made the original solar nebula begin to contract?

What is the goal of comparative planetology?

What happens when a solar nebula contracts?

All terrestrial planets have moons.

A planet's sidereal orbital period can be measured from repeated observations of its location inthe sky (so long as Earth's own motion around the Sun is properly taken into account).

The mass of all the planets combined is about 1% of that of the Sun.

Which planet by itself contains the majority of mass of all the planets?

Earth is nearly twice as large as Venus.

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated inspace.

The asteroids are very young and appear to be made from the same material.

The solar system contains the Sun, eight major bodies called planets, and at least thousands ofsmaller bodies.

What are the properties of the Sun that any theory of the origin of the solar system mustexplain?

Our solar system contains only 65 moons (as of Summer 2016).

What physical characteristics of Mercury distinguish it among all the planets in our solarsystem?

By itself, ________ makes up 70% of the masses of all the planets combined.

Interstellar dust grains start the process of condensation in the early solar nebula.

Which of these spacecraft went into orbit about Saturn in July 2004?

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

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

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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