Question 1

From where did the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere originate?

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis from plant life and single-celled organisms 
B)  chemical reactions between gas in the upper atmosphere and the solar wind 
C)  outgassing from volcanoes 
D)  atmospheric bombardment 
E)  oxidation of surface rocks 
A)  photosynthesis from plant life and single-celled organisms 
B)  chemical reactions between gas in the upper atmosphere and the solar wind 
C)  outgassing from volcanoes 
D)  atmospheric bombardment 
E)  oxidation of surface rocks

Question 2

How fast do tectonic plates move on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  a few centimeters per year 
B)  a few centimeters per century 
C)  a few kilometers per century 
D)  quite fast, but only during earthquakes 
E)  about 1 mile per hour 
A)  a few centimeters per year 
B)  a few centimeters per century 
C)  a few kilometers per century 
D)  quite fast, but only during earthquakes 
E)  about 1 mile per hour

Question 3

What are the circumstances under which convection can occur in a substance?

Accepted Answer

A)  when the substance is subjected to a strong magnetic field 
B)  when dense material is being added to the substance 
C)  when the substance is strongly shaken or disturbed by a strong wind 
D)  when the substance is strongly cooled from underneath 
E)  when the substance is strongly heated from underneath 
A)  when the substance is subjected to a strong magnetic field 
B)  when dense material is being added to the substance 
C)  when the substance is strongly shaken or disturbed by a strong wind 
D)  when the substance is strongly cooled from underneath 
E)  when the substance is strongly heated from underneath

Question 4

What are greenhouse gases?

Accepted Answer

A)  gases that absorb visible light 
B)  gases that absorb ultraviolet light 
C)  gases that absorb infrared light 
D)  gases that transmit visible light 
E)  gases that transmit infrared light 
A)  gases that absorb visible light 
B)  gases that absorb ultraviolet light 
C)  gases that absorb infrared light 
D)  gases that transmit visible light 
E)  gases that transmit infrared light

Question 5

If the Earth rotated much more slowly, which of the following would be a consequence of that?

Accepted Answer

A)  Days would be shorter. 
B)  Seasons would last longer. 
C)  Days would get hotter and nights would get colder. 
D)  Seasons would be more extreme. 
A)  Days would be shorter. 
B)  Seasons would last longer. 
C)  Days would get hotter and nights would get colder. 
D)  Seasons would be more extreme.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes how the greenhouse effect works?

Accepted Answer

A)  A planet's surface absorbs visible sunlight and returns this absorbed energy to space as infrared light. Greenhouse gases slow the escape of this infrared radiation, which thereby heats the lower atmosphere. 
B)  Greenhouse gases absorb X-rays and ultraviolet light from the Sun, and this absorbed radiation then heats the atmosphere and the surface. 
C)  Greenhouse gases absorb infrared light coming from the Sun, and this absorbed sunlight heats the lower atmosphere and the surface. 
D)  The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by ozone, which absorbs ultraviolet light and thereby makes the atmosphere much hotter than it would be otherwise. 
A)  A planet's surface absorbs visible sunlight and returns this absorbed energy to space as infrared light. Greenhouse gases slow the escape of this infrared radiation, which thereby heats the lower atmosphere. 
B)  Greenhouse gases absorb X-rays and ultraviolet light from the Sun, and this absorbed radiation then heats the atmosphere and the surface. 
C)  Greenhouse gases absorb infrared light coming from the Sun, and this absorbed sunlight heats the lower atmosphere and the surface. 
D)  The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by ozone, which absorbs ultraviolet light and thereby makes the atmosphere much hotter than it would be otherwise.

Question 7

The two most important processes in heating the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are:

Accepted Answer

A)  (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat released by radioactive decay. 
B)  (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat that came from the gravitational potential energy of incoming planetesimals. 
C)  (1) heat from convection; (2) heat from thermal radiation. 
D)  (1) volcanism; (2) tectonics. 
A)  (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat released by radioactive decay. 
B)  (1) heat deposited by the process of formation; (2) heat that came from the gravitational potential energy of incoming planetesimals. 
C)  (1) heat from convection; (2) heat from thermal radiation. 
D)  (1) volcanism; (2) tectonics.

Question 8

Why do we think Mercury contracted after it formed?

Accepted Answer

The surface of Mercury is marked by long

Question 9

The choices below describe four hypothetical planets. Which one would you expect to have the most features of erosion? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all the same age as the planets in our solar system.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Size: same as Venus. Distance from Sun: same as Mars. Rotation rate: once every 25 hours. 
B)  Size: same as the Moon. Distance from Sun: same as Mars. Rotation rate: once every 10 days. 
C)  Size: same as Mars. Distance from Sun: same as Earth. Rotation rate: once every 18 hours. 
D)  Size: twice as big as Earth. Distance from Sun: same as Mercury. Rotation rate: once every 6 months. 
A)  Size: same as Venus. Distance from Sun: same as Mars. Rotation rate: once every 25 hours. 
B)  Size: same as the Moon. Distance from Sun: same as Mars. Rotation rate: once every 10 days. 
C)  Size: same as Mars. Distance from Sun: same as Earth. Rotation rate: once every 18 hours. 
D)  Size: twice as big as Earth. Distance from Sun: same as Mercury. Rotation rate: once every 6 months.

Question 10

Which of the following show evidence of ancient river beds?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Moon 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars 
E)  all of the above 
A)  the Moon 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Venus 
D)  Mars 
E)  all of the above

Question 11

Where is most of the water on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  in its clouds 
B)  in its polar caps and subsurface ground ice 
C)  frozen on the peaks of its tall volcanoes 
D)  in deep underground deposits 
E)  distributed evenly throughout its atmosphere 
A)  in its clouds 
B)  in its polar caps and subsurface ground ice 
C)  frozen on the peaks of its tall volcanoes 
D)  in deep underground deposits 
E)  distributed evenly throughout its atmosphere

Question 12

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  material above the crust. 
B)  material between the crust and the mantle. 
C)  the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle. 
D)  the softer rocky material of the mantle. 
E)  the lava that comes out of volcanoes. 
A)  material above the crust. 
B)  material between the crust and the mantle. 
C)  the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle. 
D)  the softer rocky material of the mantle. 
E)  the lava that comes out of volcanoes.

Question 13

The processes responsible for virtually all surface geology are ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  impact cratering, volcanisms, tectonics, and erosion 
B)  convection, conduction, and radiation 
C)  accretion, differentiation, and radioactive decay 
D)  eruptions, lava flows, and outgassing 
A)  impact cratering, volcanisms, tectonics, and erosion 
B)  convection, conduction, and radiation 
C)  accretion, differentiation, and radioactive decay 
D)  eruptions, lava flows, and outgassing

Question 14

What are some of the things that make Earth unique among the terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

It is the only planet with an oxygen-ric

Question 15

There is no erosion of surface features on the Moon.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Why does Mars have more extreme seasons than Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  because it is farther from the Sun 
B)  because it has a larger axis tilt 
C)  because it has a more eccentric orbit 
D)  Because it has more carbon dioxide in its atmosphere 
E)  all of the above 
A)  because it is farther from the Sun 
B)  because it has a larger axis tilt 
C)  because it has a more eccentric orbit 
D)  Because it has more carbon dioxide in its atmosphere 
E)  all of the above

Question 17

Which of the following describes impact cratering?

Accepted Answer

A)  the excavation of bowl-shaped depressions by asteroids or comets striking a planet's surface 
B)  the eruption of molten rock from a planet's interior to its surface 
C)  The disruption of a planet's surface by internal stresses 
D)  the wearing down or building up of geological features by wind, water, ice, and other phenomena of planetary weather 
A)  the excavation of bowl-shaped depressions by asteroids or comets striking a planet's surface 
B)  the eruption of molten rock from a planet's interior to its surface 
C)  The disruption of a planet's surface by internal stresses 
D)  the wearing down or building up of geological features by wind, water, ice, and other phenomena of planetary weather

Question 18

The reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato 
B)  gas bubbles form and rise upward in boiling water 
C)  Earth contains more metal than the Moon 
D)  thunderstorms tend to form on hot summer days 
A)  a large baked potato takes longer to cool than a small baked potato 
B)  gas bubbles form and rise upward in boiling water 
C)  Earth contains more metal than the Moon 
D)  thunderstorms tend to form on hot summer days

Question 19

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

Accepted Answer

A)  Plate tectonics and widespread erosion 
B)  A dense core and plate tectonics 
C)  Significant volcanism and tectonics 
D)  Mantle convection and a thick atmosphere 
A)  Plate tectonics and widespread erosion 
B)  A dense core and plate tectonics 
C)  Significant volcanism and tectonics 
D)  Mantle convection and a thick atmosphere

Question 20

In the inner solar system, the largest surface features (such as volcanoes or valleys) are found on the largest planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

From where did the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere originate?

How fast do tectonic plates move on Earth?

What are the circumstances under which convection can occur in a substance?

What are greenhouse gases?

If the Earth rotated much more slowly, which of the following would be a consequence of that?

Which of the following best describes how the greenhouse effect works?

The two most important processes in heating the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are:

Why do we think Mercury contracted after it formed?

The choices below describe four hypothetical planets. Which one would you expect to have the most features of erosion? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all the same age as the planets in our solar system.)

Which of the following show evidence of ancient river beds?

Where is most of the water on Mars?

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

The processes responsible for virtually all surface geology are ________.

What are some of the things that make Earth unique among the terrestrial planets?

There is no erosion of surface features on the Moon.

Why does Mars have more extreme seasons than Earth?

Which of the following describes impact cratering?

The reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that ________.

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

In the inner solar system, the largest surface features (such as volcanoes or valleys) are found on the largest planets.

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

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

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Jovian Planet Systems

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

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

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

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

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Exam 7: Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

From where did the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere originate?

How fast do tectonic plates move on Earth?

What are the circumstances under which convection can occur in a substance?

What are greenhouse gases?

If the Earth rotated much more slowly, which of the following would be a consequence of that?

Which of the following best describes how the greenhouse effect works?

The two most important processes in heating the interiors of the terrestrial worlds are:

Why do we think Mercury contracted after it formed?

The choices below describe four hypothetical planets. Which one would you expect to have the most features of erosion? (Assume the planets orbit a star just like the Sun and that they are all the same age as the planets in our solar system.)

Which of the following show evidence of ancient river beds?

Where is most of the water on Mars?

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

The processes responsible for virtually all surface geology are ________.

What are some of the things that make Earth unique among the terrestrial planets?

There is no erosion of surface features on the Moon.

Why does Mars have more extreme seasons than Earth?

Which of the following describes impact cratering?

The reason that small planets tend to lose interior heat faster than larger planets is essentially the same as the reason that ________.

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

In the inner solar system, the largest surface features (such as volcanoes or valleys) are found on the largest planets.

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

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

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Jovian Planet Systems

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

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

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

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters