Question 1

Why does Earth have an ultraviolet-absorbing stratosphere,while Venus and Mars do not?

Accepted Answer

Life and oxygen also explain the presenc

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the nature and origin of the atmospheres of the Moon and Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A) They have thin tropospheres only,with gas coming from evaporation and sublimation. 
B) They have thin exospheres only,with gas coming from impacts of subatomic particles and photons. 
C) They have only small amounts of gas,all of which is leftover from outgassing long ago. 
D) They have very thin atmospheres produced by outgassing,but still have the layers of a troposphere,thermosphere,and exosphere. 
A) They have thin tropospheres only,with gas coming from evaporation and sublimation. 
B) They have thin exospheres only,with gas coming from impacts of subatomic particles and photons. 
C) They have only small amounts of gas,all of which is leftover from outgassing long ago. 
D) They have very thin atmospheres produced by outgassing,but still have the layers of a troposphere,thermosphere,and exosphere.

Question 3

Your first airless world! (The life-support belt seems somewhat out of adjustment,so you constantly feel as if you're going to explode. )Because of the lack of atmosphere,you must be very careful not to look at the Sun so that you will not be blinded by the ultraviolet and X-ray radiation;however,you are able to determine that the Sun has about the same angular size that you are used to on Earth.Also,because there is no air,you notice that the shadows are completely pitch-dark and there are no sounds at all.Although this world is clearly lifeless,you are surprised to find footprints and car tracks etched in the surface.

Accepted Answer

You are on the Moon.The presen

Question 4

Which of the following worlds has the most substantial atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) Mercury 
B) Venus 
C) the Moon 
D) Mars 
E) Earth 
A) Mercury 
B) Venus 
C) the Moon 
D) Mars 
E) Earth

Question 5

From where did the molecular oxygen in Earth's atmosphere originate?

Accepted Answer

A) photosynthesis from plant life 
B) photosynthesis from single-celled organisms 
C) outgassing from volcanoes 
D) atmospheric bombardment 
E) oxidation of surface rocks 
A) photosynthesis from plant life 
B) photosynthesis from single-celled organisms 
C) outgassing from volcanoes 
D) atmospheric bombardment 
E) oxidation of surface rocks

Question 6

Which of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Without the naturally occurring greenhouse effect,Earth would be too cold to have liquid oceans. 
B) A weak greenhouse effect operates on Mars. 
C) The burning of fossil fuels increases the greenhouse effect on Earth because of the release of carbon dioxide. 
D) One result of an increased greenhouse effect on Earth may be an increased number of severe storms. 
E) All of the above are true. 
A) Without the naturally occurring greenhouse effect,Earth would be too cold to have liquid oceans. 
B) A weak greenhouse effect operates on Mars. 
C) The burning of fossil fuels increases the greenhouse effect on Earth because of the release of carbon dioxide. 
D) One result of an increased greenhouse effect on Earth may be an increased number of severe storms. 
E) All of the above are true.

Question 7

You are walking around on a solid surface;the surface gravity is comfortable,but it is "hot as hell." It feels as if your eyeballs are being squeezed,and your insides are queasy (due to the high pressure-almost like being deep in the ocean).Your life-support belt is corroding.The Sun,barely visible through the haze,is near your meridian;you hope for nightfall (unaware that it would provide no substantial relief),but you already have been stuck on this planet for 72 hours,and the Sun seems not to have moved through the sky (and,if it moved at all,it moved eastward from the meridian).

Accepted Answer

You are on Venus,of course! Th

Question 8

Which of the following statements about ozone (in Earth's stratosphere)is not true?

Accepted Answer

A) Ozone is a form of oxygen. 
B) The presence of ozone was crucial to the origin of life some 4 billion years ago. 
C) Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. 
D) The origin of the "ozone hole" over Antarctic has been traced to human-made CFCs. 
A) Ozone is a form of oxygen. 
B) The presence of ozone was crucial to the origin of life some 4 billion years ago. 
C) Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. 
D) The origin of the "ozone hole" over Antarctic has been traced to human-made CFCs.

Question 9

What is the "runaway greenhouse effect"?

Accepted Answer

The runaway greenhouse effect is an unst

Question 10

One bar of atmosphere is roughly equal to Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Earth outgassed as much carbon dioxide as Venus,but it is locked up in the oceans and rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Use these processes for the following questions.
-Which process explains why the atmospheric pressure on Mars is greater during its southern hemisphere summer than at other times of its year?

Accepted Answer

A) outgassing from volcanoes 
B) evaporation and vaporization 
C) bombardment 
D) thermal escape 
E) chemical reactions with surface material 
A) outgassing from volcanoes 
B) evaporation and vaporization 
C) bombardment 
D) thermal escape 
E) chemical reactions with surface material

Question 13

How do clouds form?

Accepted Answer

Clouds form when gases in the

Question 14

What are fossil fuels?

Accepted Answer

A) any fuel that releases CO₂ into the atmosphere upon burning 
B) any fuel that is extracted from the interior of Earth 
C) mineral-rich deposits from ancient seabeds 
D) the carbon-rich remains of plants that died millions of years ago 
E) carbonate-rich deposits from ancient seabeds 
A) any fuel that releases CO₂ into the atmosphere upon burning 
B) any fuel that is extracted from the interior of Earth 
C) mineral-rich deposits from ancient seabeds 
D) the carbon-rich remains of plants that died millions of years ago 
E) carbonate-rich deposits from ancient seabeds

Question 15

The Moon has no detectable atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Accepted Answer

A) Weather refers to atmospheric conditions in the troposphere,while climate refers to atmospheric conditions in the stratosphere. 
B) Weather is something that we can control,and climate is not. 
C) Weather refers to small storms and climate refers to large storms. 
D) Weather refers to short-term changes in wind,rain,and temperature,while climate refers to the long-term average of weather. 
A) Weather refers to atmospheric conditions in the troposphere,while climate refers to atmospheric conditions in the stratosphere. 
B) Weather is something that we can control,and climate is not. 
C) Weather refers to small storms and climate refers to large storms. 
D) Weather refers to short-term changes in wind,rain,and temperature,while climate refers to the long-term average of weather.

Question 17

Why is Mars red?

Accepted Answer

A) Chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface. 
B) Martian volcanoes released a much redder lava than volcanoes on Earth. 
C) The red color of Mars is a result of the scattering of light in the Martian sky. 
D) The red color is caused by water ice chemically bound in surface rock. 
A) Chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface. 
B) Martian volcanoes released a much redder lava than volcanoes on Earth. 
C) The red color of Mars is a result of the scattering of light in the Martian sky. 
D) The red color is caused by water ice chemically bound in surface rock.

Question 18

What would happen to a planet's thermosphere and exosphere if the Sun had a higher output of X-rays?

Accepted Answer

With greater X-ray o

Question 19

Suppose that Earth's atmosphere had no greenhouse gases.Then Earth's average surface temperature would be

Accepted Answer

A) about the same as it is now. 
B) slightly cooler,but still above freezing. 
C) well below the freezing point of water. 
D) slightly warmer,but still well below the boiling point of water. 
A) about the same as it is now. 
B) slightly cooler,but still above freezing. 
C) well below the freezing point of water. 
D) slightly warmer,but still well below the boiling point of water.

Question 20

Winter and summer differ in length on Mars because of its elliptical orbit.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 10: Planetary Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Why does Earth have an ultraviolet-absorbing stratosphere,while Venus and Mars do not?

Which of the following best describes the nature and origin of the atmospheres of the Moon and Mercury?

Which of the following worlds has the most substantial atmosphere?

From where did the molecular oxygen in Earth's atmosphere originate?

Which of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is true?

Which of the following statements about ozone (in Earth's stratosphere)is not true?

What is the "runaway greenhouse effect"?

One bar of atmosphere is roughly equal to Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Earth outgassed as much carbon dioxide as Venus,but it is locked up in the oceans and rocks.

Use these processes for the following questions. -Which process explains why the atmospheric pressure on Mars is greater during its southern hemisphere summer than at other times of its year?

How do clouds form?

What are fossil fuels?

The Moon has no detectable atmosphere.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Why is Mars red?

What would happen to a planet's thermosphere and exosphere if the Sun had a higher output of X-rays?

Suppose that Earth's atmosphere had no greenhouse gases.Then Earth's average surface temperature would be

Winter and summer differ in length on Mars because of its elliptical orbit.

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light and Matter: Reading Messages from the Cosmos

Telescopes: Portals of Discovery

Our Planetary System

Formation of the Solar System

Planetary Geology: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Birth

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundations of Modern Cosmology

Galaxy Evolution

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Celestial Timekeeping and Navigation

Space and Time

Spacetime and Gravity

Building Blocks of the Universe

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