Question 1

According to Copernicus,the retrograde motion for Mars must occur:

Accepted Answer

A)  at inferior conjunction, when Mars laps the Earth and passes between us and the Sun. 
B)  at superior conjunction, when Mars lies on the far side of the Sun. 
C)  at quadrature, when Mars lies exactly 90 degrees east or west of the Sun. 
D)  at greatest elongation, when Mars can get up to 47 degrees from the Sun. 
E)  at opposition, when the Earth overtakes Mars and passes between Mars and the Sun. 
A)  at inferior conjunction, when Mars laps the Earth and passes between us and the Sun. 
B)  at superior conjunction, when Mars lies on the far side of the Sun. 
C)  at quadrature, when Mars lies exactly 90 degrees east or west of the Sun. 
D)  at greatest elongation, when Mars can get up to 47 degrees from the Sun. 
E)  at opposition, when the Earth overtakes Mars and passes between Mars and the Sun.

Question 2

What did Galileo discover about Jupiter that supported Copernicus?

Accepted Answer

Its four moons were a model so

Question 3

We are at ________ in January,when we are closest to the Sun in our elliptical orbit.

Accepted Answer

The answer of We are at ________ in January,when we...

Question 4

The most famous prehistoric astronomical observatory is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sphinx. 
B)  Stonehenge. 
C)  Big Horn stone circle. 
D)  Carcacol. 
E)  Mount Rushmore. 
A)  the Sphinx. 
B)  Stonehenge. 
C)  Big Horn stone circle. 
D)  Carcacol. 
E)  Mount Rushmore.

Question 5

Galileo found the rotation period of the Sun was approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  a day. 
B)  a week. 
C)  a month. 
D)  three months. 
E)  a year. 
A)  a day. 
B)  a week. 
C)  a month. 
D)  three months. 
E)  a year.

Question 6

Jupiter lies about 5 A.U.from the Sun,so at its distance:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun's gravity is just as strong as it is here at Earth. 
B)  the Sun's gravity must be five times stronger to hold massive Jupiter in orbit. 
C)  the Sun's gravity is five times weaker there than at one A.U. distance. 
D)  the Sun's gravity is 25 times weaker than its pull on the Earth. 
E)  the Sun's gravity is so weak that ultimately Jupiter will escape the solar system. 
A)  the Sun's gravity is just as strong as it is here at Earth. 
B)  the Sun's gravity must be five times stronger to hold massive Jupiter in orbit. 
C)  the Sun's gravity is five times weaker there than at one A.U. distance. 
D)  the Sun's gravity is 25 times weaker than its pull on the Earth. 
E)  the Sun's gravity is so weak that ultimately Jupiter will escape the solar system.

Question 7

Geosynchronous satellites orbit at about four Earth radii,where the Earth's gravitational pull is:

Accepted Answer

A)  2 g. 
B)  1 g. 
C)  1/2 g. 
D)  1/4 g. 
E)  1/16 g. 
A)  2 g. 
B)  1 g. 
C)  1/2 g. 
D)  1/4 g. 
E)  1/16 g.

Question 8

Galileo's observations of the entire phase cycle of Venus proved that Ptolemy's epicycles could not be correct in keeping Venus between us and the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The place in a planet's orbit that is closest to the Sun is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  vernal equinox. 
B)  aphelion. 
C)  perihelion. 
D)  crossing the ecliptic. 
E)  None of these; a planet's distance from the Sun never changes. 
A)  vernal equinox. 
B)  aphelion. 
C)  perihelion. 
D)  crossing the ecliptic. 
E)  None of these; a planet's distance from the Sun never changes.

Question 10

Which of these was NOT a telescopic discovery of Galileo?

Accepted Answer

A)  the moons of Saturn 
B)  the craters and mare of the Moon 
C)  sunspots and the rotation of the Sun 
D)  the four largest moons of Jupiter 
E)  the phases of Venus 
A)  the moons of Saturn 
B)  the craters and mare of the Moon 
C)  sunspots and the rotation of the Sun 
D)  the four largest moons of Jupiter 
E)  the phases of Venus

Question 11

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,attempts to precisely measure the astronomical unit relied largely on rare:

Accepted Answer

A)  total solar eclipses. 
B)  transits of the inferior planets across the Sun. 
C)  passages of comets close to the Earth. 
D)  maximum elongations of Venus. 
E)  oppositions of Mars. 
A)  total solar eclipses. 
B)  transits of the inferior planets across the Sun. 
C)  passages of comets close to the Earth. 
D)  maximum elongations of Venus. 
E)  oppositions of Mars.

Question 12

The force of gravity between two objects:

Accepted Answer

A)  increases with the masses of the bodies, but decreases with their separations. 
B)  increases with the masses of the bodies, but decreases with the square of the distances between them. 
C)  increases with the square of their masses, but decreases with the cube of their periods of orbit about the Sun. 
D)  depends on the density, not the mass of the bodies. 
E)  depends on the temperature, density, and size of the bodies. 
A)  increases with the masses of the bodies, but decreases with their separations. 
B)  increases with the masses of the bodies, but decreases with the square of the distances between them. 
C)  increases with the square of their masses, but decreases with the cube of their periods of orbit about the Sun. 
D)  depends on the density, not the mass of the bodies. 
E)  depends on the temperature, density, and size of the bodies.

Question 13

A circular orbit would have an eccentricity of:

Accepted Answer

A)  0. 
B)  between 0 and 0.5. 
C)  between 0.5 and 1. 
D)  exactly 1.0. 
E)  infinity. 
A)  0. 
B)  between 0 and 0.5. 
C)  between 0.5 and 1. 
D)  exactly 1.0. 
E)  infinity.

Question 14

Given that the planet orbiting the nearby star 51 Pegasi is about 20X larger than the Earth,but 400X more massive,on that world you would weigh:

Accepted Answer

A)  the same as you do here. 
B)  twice as much as you do here. 
C)  half as much as you do here. 
D)  20X more that you do here. 
E)  400X more than you do here. 
A)  the same as you do here. 
B)  twice as much as you do here. 
C)  half as much as you do here. 
D)  20X more that you do here. 
E)  400X more than you do here.

Question 15

How did Ptolemy explain the retrograde motion of Mars?

Accepted Answer

Mars will retrograde on the in

Question 16

Which was a contribution to astronomy made by Copernicus?

Accepted Answer

A)  The planets move around the Sun in elliptical orbits. 
B)  His theory of gravity accounted for the variable speeds of the planets. 
C)  He laid out the order and relative motion of the known solar system. 
D)  He discovered the Sun was not at the center of the Milky Way. 
E)  His telescope revealed the four moons of Jupiter, a model solar system. 
A)  The planets move around the Sun in elliptical orbits. 
B)  His theory of gravity accounted for the variable speeds of the planets. 
C)  He laid out the order and relative motion of the known solar system. 
D)  He discovered the Sun was not at the center of the Milky Way. 
E)  His telescope revealed the four moons of Jupiter, a model solar system.

Question 17

It was the Chinese who provided critical ancient data on supernovae and comets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,the rare transits of ________ were critical in determining the astronomical unit's length.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,the rare...

Question 19

How did Galileo's observations of Venus disprove the Ptolemaic model?

Accepted Answer

Ptolemy said that the epicycles for both

Question 20

According to Newton's second law,if you double the force acting on a body,the acceleration will double.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

According to Copernicus,the retrograde motion for Mars must occur:

What did Galileo discover about Jupiter that supported Copernicus?

We are at ________ in January,when we are closest to the Sun in our elliptical orbit.

The most famous prehistoric astronomical observatory is:

Galileo found the rotation period of the Sun was approximately:

Jupiter lies about 5 A.U.from the Sun,so at its distance:

Geosynchronous satellites orbit at about four Earth radii,where the Earth's gravitational pull is:

Galileo's observations of the entire phase cycle of Venus proved that Ptolemy's epicycles could not be correct in keeping Venus between us and the Sun.

The place in a planet's orbit that is closest to the Sun is called:

Which of these was NOT a telescopic discovery of Galileo?

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,attempts to precisely measure the astronomical unit relied largely on rare:

The force of gravity between two objects:

A circular orbit would have an eccentricity of:

Given that the planet orbiting the nearby star 51 Pegasi is about 20X larger than the Earth,but 400X more massive,on that world you would weigh:

How did Ptolemy explain the retrograde motion of Mars?

Which was a contribution to astronomy made by Copernicus?

It was the Chinese who provided critical ancient data on supernovae and comets.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,the rare transits of ________ were critical in determining the astronomical unit's length.

How did Galileo's observations of Venus disprove the Ptolemaic model?

According to Newton's second law,if you double the force acting on a body,the acceleration will double.

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's 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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