Question 1

Contrast the composition of asteroids with that of comets.

Accepted Answer

Asteroids are rocky and/or met

Question 2

The largest asteroid, and probably the only one to be a spherical "world," is:

Accepted Answer

A) Eros. 
B) Ida. 
C) Vesta. 
D) Ceres. 
E) Gaspra. 
A) Eros. 
B) Ida. 
C) Vesta. 
D) Ceres. 
E) Gaspra.

Question 3

Our understanding of the solar system has come in a way that can best be described as:

Accepted Answer

A) constant since prehistoric times. 
B) slow and steady since the discovery of the telescope by Galileo. 
C) erratic, with spurts when new planets were found. 
D) steady until the last decade, when the decline in the space program slowed it a great deal. 
E) explosive, with us learning more in the past few decades than in all previous history. 
A) constant since prehistoric times. 
B) slow and steady since the discovery of the telescope by Galileo. 
C) erratic, with spurts when new planets were found. 
D) steady until the last decade, when the decline in the space program slowed it a great deal. 
E) explosive, with us learning more in the past few decades than in all previous history.

Question 4

A gravitational "sling-shot":

Accepted Answer

A) causes comets to crash into planets, such as Jupiter in 1994. 
B) allowed the Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon in 1969. 
C) is the accepted theory for the formation of the asteroid belt. 
D) changes the speed and direction of a spacecraft nearing a massive planet. 
E) explains how the solar system was formed after a near collision with another star. 
A) causes comets to crash into planets, such as Jupiter in 1994. 
B) allowed the Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon in 1969. 
C) is the accepted theory for the formation of the asteroid belt. 
D) changes the speed and direction of a spacecraft nearing a massive planet. 
E) explains how the solar system was formed after a near collision with another star.

Question 5

Of all the terrestrial planets, Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above theecliptic.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Contrast the densities of the terrestrial planets and comets.

Accepted Answer

Forming close to the Sun, terrestrials a

Question 7

Name several characteristics the orbits of the eight planets share.

Accepted Answer

All orbit in almost circular orbits of l

Question 8

An alternative to the core-accretion theory that explains the formation of the jovian planets isthe:

Accepted Answer

A) differentiation theory. 
B) collision theory. 
C) gravitational instability theory. 
D) Big Bang theory. 
E) nebular contraction theory. 
A) differentiation theory. 
B) collision theory. 
C) gravitational instability theory. 
D) Big Bang theory. 
E) nebular contraction theory.

Question 9

Which of the following is considered "interplanetary matter"?

Accepted Answer

A) Titan 
B) Triton 
C) the Moon 
D) Ganymede 
E) Comet Hale-Bopp 
A) Titan 
B) Triton 
C) the Moon 
D) Ganymede 
E) Comet Hale-Bopp

Question 10

The most detailed look we've had of an asteroid comes from:

Accepted Answer

A) spacecraft sent to an asteroid. 
B) ground-based optical images. 
C) Earth orbital X-ray images. 
D) ground-based radar images. 
E) high-altitude UV spectroscopy. 
A) spacecraft sent to an asteroid. 
B) ground-based optical images. 
C) Earth orbital X-ray images. 
D) ground-based radar images. 
E) high-altitude UV spectroscopy.

Question 11

In terms of ________, all the terrestrials are greater than any of the jovians.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In terms of ________, all the terrestrials...

Question 12

What is true about solar system densities?

Accepted Answer

A) The denser planets lie closer to the Sun. 
B) In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces. 
C) The asteroids all have about the same density. 
D) Saturn has the same density as water. 
E) Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun. 
A) The denser planets lie closer to the Sun. 
B) In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces. 
C) The asteroids all have about the same density. 
D) Saturn has the same density as water. 
E) Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun.

Question 13

Most comets spend the majority of their time beyond the orbit of ________, yet many of themhave perihelions very close to the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most comets spend the majority of their...

Question 14

One characteristic of the terrestrial planets is their extensive moon systems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Any model of solar system formation must explain why terrestrial planets and jovian planetsformed differently.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

All jovian planets in our solar system have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

In order to determine the mass of a planet by applying Newton's laws of motion and gravity,the planet must have:

Accepted Answer

A) rings. 
B) moons. 
C) a solid surface. 
D) a known size and distance from Earth. 
E) planets further from the Sun than itself. 
A) rings. 
B) moons. 
C) a solid surface. 
D) a known size and distance from Earth. 
E) planets further from the Sun than itself.

Question 18

Which objects in the solar system have been least modified since the formation of the solarsystem?

Accepted Answer

A) asteroids 
B) Kuiper Belt objects 
C) meteoroids 
D) terrestrial planets 
E) jovian moons 
A) asteroids 
B) Kuiper Belt objects 
C) meteoroids 
D) terrestrial planets 
E) jovian moons

Question 19

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation, the cloud:

Accepted Answer

A) spins faster. 
B) expands. 
C) becomes more spherical in shape. 
D) changes direction of motion. 
E) begins to cool. 
A) spins faster. 
B) expands. 
C) becomes more spherical in shape. 
D) changes direction of motion. 
E) begins to cool.

Question 20

The rotation periods of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are difficult to determinebecause:

Accepted Answer

A) they rotate so fast. 
B) they are all gas giants. 
C) they are so far away from the Sun. 
D) their surface features are obscured by their atmospheres. 
E) each one has a large satellite that interferes with this measurement. 
A) they rotate so fast. 
B) they are all gas giants. 
C) they are so far away from the Sun. 
D) their surface features are obscured by their atmospheres. 
E) each one has a large satellite that interferes with this measurement.

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

Contrast the composition of asteroids with that of comets.

The largest asteroid, and probably the only one to be a spherical "world," is:

Our understanding of the solar system has come in a way that can best be described as:

A gravitational "sling-shot":

Of all the terrestrial planets, Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above theecliptic.

Contrast the densities of the terrestrial planets and comets.

Name several characteristics the orbits of the eight planets share.

An alternative to the core-accretion theory that explains the formation of the jovian planets isthe:

Which of the following is considered "interplanetary matter"?

The most detailed look we've had of an asteroid comes from:

In terms of ________, all the terrestrials are greater than any of the jovians.

What is true about solar system densities?

Most comets spend the majority of their time beyond the orbit of ________, yet many of themhave perihelions very close to the Sun.

One characteristic of the terrestrial planets is their extensive moon systems.

Any model of solar system formation must explain why terrestrial planets and jovian planetsformed differently.

All jovian planets in our solar system have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

In order to determine the mass of a planet by applying Newton's laws of motion and gravity,the planet must have:

Which objects in the solar system have been least modified since the formation of the solarsystem?

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation, the cloud:

The rotation periods of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are difficult to determinebecause:

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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