Question 1

Describe how the observable properties of the solar system are related to its process offormation.

Accepted Answer

All the orbital and rotational motions c

Question 2

For what reasons do we consider the planets of the solar system to be of two fundamentallydifferent types?

Accepted Answer

The jovian planets are made up mainly of

Question 3

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

Accepted Answer

A) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto 
B) only Jupiter 
C) only Jupiter and Saturn 
D) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only 
E) everything past Mars and the asteroid belt 
A) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto 
B) only Jupiter 
C) only Jupiter and Saturn 
D) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only 
E) everything past Mars and the asteroid belt

Question 4

Accretion occurred sooner in the inner part of the solar system than it did in the outerregions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Discuss the role that gravity assist played in Voyager 2 and its Grand Tour.

Accepted Answer

By using the gravities of the

Question 6

Name three properties of the solar nebula still seen in planet orbits.

Accepted Answer

The planets still orbit in the common co

Question 7

One possible way that future scientists may determine whether the core-accretion model orthe gravitational instability theory better explains the formation of the jovian planet is:

Accepted Answer

A) measuring the mass of the rocky material in the jovian planets' cores. 
B) measuring the metallic hydrogen layer in the jovian planets. 
C) observing the changes in the rings around the jovian planets. 
D) observing the changes in the magnetic fields of the jovian planets. 
A) measuring the mass of the rocky material in the jovian planets' cores. 
B) measuring the metallic hydrogen layer in the jovian planets. 
C) observing the changes in the rings around the jovian planets. 
D) observing the changes in the magnetic fields of the jovian planets.

Question 8

The principal difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets is the absence of ________and helium close to the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The principal difference between the terrestrial and...

Question 9

All the planets orbit the Sun in the ________ plane.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All the planets orbit the Sun in...

Question 10

A successful theory of the formation of the solar system must explain:

Accepted Answer

A) that all planets rotate in a prograde sense. 
B) that all planets have elliptical orbits with high eccentricities. 
C) the existence of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Neptune. 
D) that the inner planets have more hydrogen and helium in their atmospheres than do the outerplanets. 
E) all observed properties of the solar system. 
A) that all planets rotate in a prograde sense. 
B) that all planets have elliptical orbits with high eccentricities. 
C) the existence of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Neptune. 
D) that the inner planets have more hydrogen and helium in their atmospheres than do the outerplanets. 
E) all observed properties of the solar system.

Question 11

According to the planetary migration model, the jovian planets are thought to have formed:

Accepted Answer

A) in the orbit where they are now. 
B) further from the Sun than they are now. 
C) in another solar system. 
D) closer to the Sun than they are now. 
E) none of the above 
A) in the orbit where they are now. 
B) further from the Sun than they are now. 
C) in another solar system. 
D) closer to the Sun than they are now. 
E) none of the above

Question 12

How do the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds compare with the jovians?

Accepted Answer

The Jovian atmospheres are ric

Question 13

In composition and density, the asteroids most resemble:

Accepted Answer

A) comets. 
B) the Sun. 
C) jovian moons. 
D) pieces of terrestrial planets. 
E) Kuiper Belt objects like Pluto. 
A) comets. 
B) the Sun. 
C) jovian moons. 
D) pieces of terrestrial planets. 
E) Kuiper Belt objects like Pluto.

Question 14

Briefly outline the theory or hypothesis which best explains the origin of the solar system.

Accepted Answer

A large nebula began to collapse gravita

Question 15

In composition, mass, and density, Jupiter is most like:

Accepted Answer

A) a huge comet. 
B) a gigantic asteroid. 
C) the Sun. 
D) a huge Kuiper belt Object. 
E) a large terrestrial planet. 
A) a huge comet. 
B) a gigantic asteroid. 
C) the Sun. 
D) a huge Kuiper belt Object. 
E) a large terrestrial planet.

Question 16

Asteroids are the densest form of interplanetary debris.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

What support for the solar nebula theory has come from observations of nearby young stars?

Accepted Answer

Many show dusty disks, with large infrar

Question 18

What form of interplanetary debris did humans discover first? Why?

Accepted Answer

Comets that come close to Eart

Question 19

At what point does the accretion process turn a clump of debris into a planetesimal?

Accepted Answer

When its gravity and

Question 20

Our solar system contains more than 100 Kuiper Belt objects larger than 300 km in diameter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

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

Describe how the observable properties of the solar system are related to its process offormation.

For what reasons do we consider the planets of the solar system to be of two fundamentallydifferent types?

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

Accretion occurred sooner in the inner part of the solar system than it did in the outerregions.

Discuss the role that gravity assist played in Voyager 2 and its Grand Tour.

Name three properties of the solar nebula still seen in planet orbits.

One possible way that future scientists may determine whether the core-accretion model orthe gravitational instability theory better explains the formation of the jovian planet is:

The principal difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets is the absence of ________and helium close to the Sun.

All the planets orbit the Sun in the ________ plane.

A successful theory of the formation of the solar system must explain:

According to the planetary migration model, the jovian planets are thought to have formed:

How do the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds compare with the jovians?

In composition and density, the asteroids most resemble:

Briefly outline the theory or hypothesis which best explains the origin of the solar system.

In composition, mass, and density, Jupiter is most like:

Asteroids are the densest form of interplanetary debris.

What support for the solar nebula theory has come from observations of nearby young stars?

What form of interplanetary debris did humans discover first? Why?

At what point does the accretion process turn a clump of debris into a planetesimal?

Our solar system contains more than 100 Kuiper Belt objects larger than 300 km in diameter.

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

Filters