Question 1

Of the four gases CO₂,H₂O,N₂,and O₂,which are greenhouse gases?

Accepted Answer

A) only CO₂ 
B) CO₂ and H₂O 
C) CO₂ and N₂ 
D) all except O₂ 
E) all four 
A) only CO₂ 
B) CO₂ and H₂O 
C) CO₂ and N₂ 
D) all except O₂ 
E) all four

Question 2

The Coriolis effect is very important to the weather of Venus.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following best describes rain on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A) It does not have rain. 
B) It has sulfuric acid rain that causes erosion on the surface. 
C) It has sulfuric acid rain in its atmosphere,but the drops evaporate before hitting the surface. 
D) It has liquid water rain that causes erosion on the surface. 
E) It has liquid water rain in its atmosphere,but the drops evaporate before hitting the surface. 
A) It does not have rain. 
B) It has sulfuric acid rain that causes erosion on the surface. 
C) It has sulfuric acid rain in its atmosphere,but the drops evaporate before hitting the surface. 
D) It has liquid water rain that causes erosion on the surface. 
E) It has liquid water rain in its atmosphere,but the drops evaporate before hitting the surface.

Question 4

Briefly describe how the greenhouse effect makes a planetary surface warmer than it would be otherwise.

Accepted Answer

Sunlight that is not absorbed by the atm

Question 5

Clouds,snow,and ice have higher albedos than rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Briefly describe at least three likely consequences of continued human burning of fossil fuels adding to Earth's greenhouse effect.

Accepted Answer

Many possible answers: increased global

Question 7

There are no aurora on Venus because it

Accepted Answer

A) lacks atmospheric oxygen. 
B) is too hot. 
C) lacks a strong magnetic field. 
D) lacks an ionosphere. 
E) lacks strong winds. 
A) lacks atmospheric oxygen. 
B) is too hot. 
C) lacks a strong magnetic field. 
D) lacks an ionosphere. 
E) lacks strong winds.

Question 8

Does Venus have auroras around its poles,like Earth? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes,because it is bombarded by charged particles from the Sun. 
B) No,because its atmosphere is too thick. 
C) Yes,because strong winds generate light near its poles. 
D) No,because it lacks a global magnetic field. 
A) Yes,because it is bombarded by charged particles from the Sun. 
B) No,because its atmosphere is too thick. 
C) Yes,because strong winds generate light near its poles. 
D) No,because it lacks a global magnetic field.

Question 9

Why does Earth have so little carbon dioxide in its atmosphere,when Earth should have outgassed about as much of it as Venus?

Accepted Answer

The answer to this question is that Eart

Question 10

Draw a diagram showing how temperature varies with altitude in a generic planetary atmosphere.Label each of the major layers (i.e. ,thermosphere,stratosphere,troposphere).

Accepted Answer

Diagram sh

Question 11

What is a magnetosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) a region of space around a planet in which the planet's magnetic field can trap charged particles 
B) the layer of a planet in which its magnetic field is generated 
C) the uppermost layer of any planetary atmosphere 
D) he region in a planet's atmosphere in which auroras occur 
A) a region of space around a planet in which the planet's magnetic field can trap charged particles 
B) the layer of a planet in which its magnetic field is generated 
C) the uppermost layer of any planetary atmosphere 
D) he region in a planet's atmosphere in which auroras occur

Question 12

Why does Venus have such a great difference in temperature between its "no atmosphere" temperature and its actual temperature?

Accepted Answer

A) It has a slow rotation. 
B) It is so close to the Sun. 
C) It has a large amount of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. 
D) It has a high level of volcanic activity. 
E) It has no cooling effects from oceans. 
A) It has a slow rotation. 
B) It is so close to the Sun. 
C) It has a large amount of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. 
D) It has a high level of volcanic activity. 
E) It has no cooling effects from oceans.

Question 13

What is the thermosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) the lowest layer in the atmosphere 
B) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs optical light 
C) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet 
D) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs X-rays 
E) the highest layer in the atmosphere 
A) the lowest layer in the atmosphere 
B) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs optical light 
C) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet 
D) the part of the atmosphere that absorbs X-rays 
E) the highest layer in the atmosphere

Question 14

The atmosphere on Mercury is due to

Accepted Answer

A) volcanic outgassing. 
B) evaporation. 
C) sublimation. 
D) bombardment. 
E) There is no detectable atmosphere on Mercury. 
A) volcanic outgassing. 
B) evaporation. 
C) sublimation. 
D) bombardment. 
E) There is no detectable atmosphere on Mercury.

Question 15

Use these processes for the following questions.
-Which of the above processes is the primary source of the atmospheres on both the Moon and Mercury?

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 16

Which of the following describes a primary role of global circulation cells in a planet's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) They transport heat from the equator toward the poles. 
B) They create severe weather such as thunderstorms. 
C) They cause air to be diverted into hurricane-like swirls. 
D) They keep the poles cold enough to have polar caps. 
A) They transport heat from the equator toward the poles. 
B) They create severe weather such as thunderstorms. 
C) They cause air to be diverted into hurricane-like swirls. 
D) They keep the poles cold enough to have polar caps.

Question 17

Venus has a high albedo because its surface is covered by

Accepted Answer

A) light-colored rocks. 
B) snow. 
C) clouds. 
D) dust storms. 
E) volcanic ash. 
A) light-colored rocks. 
B) snow. 
C) clouds. 
D) dust storms. 
E) volcanic ash.

Question 18

How did molecular oxygen (O₂)get into Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) It was released by life through the process of photosynthesis. 
B) It was captured from the solar nebula. 
C) It was outgassed from volcanoes. 
D) It came from chemical reactions with surface rocks. 
A) It was released by life through the process of photosynthesis. 
B) It was captured from the solar nebula. 
C) It was outgassed from volcanoes. 
D) It came from chemical reactions with surface rocks.

Question 19

In very general terms,how do the temperature structures of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars differ from that of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) They lack X-ray absorbing thermospheres. 
B) They lack ultraviolet-absorbing stratospheres. 
C) Their atmospheres are similar in structure to Earth's,but with much higher temperatures. 
D) Temperatures in their tropospheres increase with altitude,rather than decreasing with altitude. 
A) They lack X-ray absorbing thermospheres. 
B) They lack ultraviolet-absorbing stratospheres. 
C) Their atmospheres are similar in structure to Earth's,but with much higher temperatures. 
D) Temperatures in their tropospheres increase with altitude,rather than decreasing with altitude.

Question 20

Why isn't Earth's atmosphere mostly hydrogen?

Accepted Answer

A) Earth formed too close to the Sun for any planetesimals to have hydrogen. 
B) All the hydrogen was blasted away during the early bombardment stage of the solar system. 
C) Light gases such as hydrogen move faster than heavier gases and escape from Earth's gravitational field. 
D) The hydrogen is frozen in the polar ice caps. 
E) All the hydrogen reacted with oxygen and formed the oceans. 
A) Earth formed too close to the Sun for any planetesimals to have hydrogen. 
B) All the hydrogen was blasted away during the early bombardment stage of the solar system. 
C) Light gases such as hydrogen move faster than heavier gases and escape from Earth's gravitational field. 
D) The hydrogen is frozen in the polar ice caps. 
E) All the hydrogen reacted with oxygen and formed the oceans.

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

Of the four gases CO₂,H₂O,N₂,and O₂,which are greenhouse gases?

The Coriolis effect is very important to the weather of Venus.

Which of the following best describes rain on Venus?

Briefly describe how the greenhouse effect makes a planetary surface warmer than it would be otherwise.

Clouds,snow,and ice have higher albedos than rocks.

Briefly describe at least three likely consequences of continued human burning of fossil fuels adding to Earth's greenhouse effect.

There are no aurora on Venus because it

Does Venus have auroras around its poles,like Earth? Why or why not?

Why does Earth have so little carbon dioxide in its atmosphere,when Earth should have outgassed about as much of it as Venus?

Draw a diagram showing how temperature varies with altitude in a generic planetary atmosphere.Label each of the major layers (i.e. ,thermosphere,stratosphere,troposphere).

What is a magnetosphere?

Why does Venus have such a great difference in temperature between its "no atmosphere" temperature and its actual temperature?

What is the thermosphere?

The atmosphere on Mercury is due to

Use these processes for the following questions. -Which of the above processes is the primary source of the atmospheres on both the Moon and Mercury?

Which of the following describes a primary role of global circulation cells in a planet's atmosphere?

Venus has a high albedo because its surface is covered by

How did molecular oxygen (O₂)get into Earth's atmosphere?

In very general terms,how do the temperature structures of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars differ from that of Earth?

Why isn't Earth's atmosphere mostly hydrogen?

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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