Question 1

Why is Neptune denser than Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  It has a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
B)  It has a greater proportion of hydrogen than Saturn. 
C)  The extra mass of Neptune compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
D)  Its hydrogen is molecular, whereas Saturn's hydrogen is atomic. 
E)  It is not denser than Saturn. 
A)  It has a different composition than Saturn, including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks. 
B)  It has a greater proportion of hydrogen than Saturn. 
C)  The extra mass of Neptune compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn. 
D)  Its hydrogen is molecular, whereas Saturn's hydrogen is atomic. 
E)  It is not denser than Saturn.

Question 2

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Accepted Answer

Triton's orbit around Neptune is retrogr

Question 3

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Accepted Answer

A)  Europa 
B)  Io 
C)  Miranda 
D)  Triton 
A)  Europa 
B)  Io 
C)  Miranda 
D)  Triton

Question 4

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  Triton 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Titan 
D)  Io 
A)  Triton 
B)  Callisto 
C)  Titan 
D)  Io

Question 5

Unification in Science: One of the true pleasures of science is to discover that two rather different phenomena are really manifestations of the same set of physical principles. To this end, explain how the volcanoes on Io, the subsurface ocean on Europa, and the gaps in Saturn's rings reflect the operation of the same physical principle.

Accepted Answer

The unification in science refers to the

Question 6

How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are much faster than hurricane winds on Earth. 
B)  They are about the same as average winds on Earth. 
C)  They are slightly faster than average winds on Earth. 
D)  They are slightly slower than average winds on Earth. 
A)  They are much faster than hurricane winds on Earth. 
B)  They are about the same as average winds on Earth. 
C)  They are slightly faster than average winds on Earth. 
D)  They are slightly slower than average winds on Earth.

Question 7

No spacecraft has landed on a Jovian planet moon.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's. 
B)  Jupiter's magnetic field strength is about the same as Earth's. 
C)  Jupiter's magnetic field is about twice as strong as Earth's. 
D)  Jupiter's magnetic field is much weaker than Earth's. 
A)  Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's. 
B)  Jupiter's magnetic field strength is about the same as Earth's. 
C)  Jupiter's magnetic field is about twice as strong as Earth's. 
D)  Jupiter's magnetic field is much weaker than Earth's.

Question 9

Overall, Jupiter's composition is most like that of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun 
B)  Earth 
C)  a comet 
D)  an asteroid 
A)  the Sun 
B)  Earth 
C)  a comet 
D)  an asteroid

Question 10

Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions 
B)  Lakes of liquid methane ethane 
C)  Rain or snow consisting of methane or ethane droplets or ice crystals 
D)  Volcanic outgassing of methane and other gases 
A)  Lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions 
B)  Lakes of liquid methane ethane 
C)  Rain or snow consisting of methane or ethane droplets or ice crystals 
D)  Volcanic outgassing of methane and other gases

Question 11

Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Different layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures. 
B)  Different layers represent the various regions where the temperature is cool enough for liquid water to condense. 
C)  Different gases are present at different altitudes in Jupiter's atmosphere. 
D)  Winds prevent clouds from forming at some altitudes, so we see clouds only at the other altitudes. 
E)  Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always several layers. 
A)  Different layers represent clouds made of gases that condense at different temperatures. 
B)  Different layers represent the various regions where the temperature is cool enough for liquid water to condense. 
C)  Different gases are present at different altitudes in Jupiter's atmosphere. 
D)  Winds prevent clouds from forming at some altitudes, so we see clouds only at the other altitudes. 
E)  Clouds form randomly, so on average there are always several layers.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the moons of the jovian planets is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most of the moons are large enough to be spherical in shape, but a few have the more potato-like shapes of asteroids. 
B)  Some of the moons are big enough that we'd call them planets (or dwarf planets) if they orbited the Sun. 
C)  One of the moons has a thick atmosphere. 
D)  Many of the moons are made largely of ices. 
A)  Most of the moons are large enough to be spherical in shape, but a few have the more potato-like shapes of asteroids. 
B)  Some of the moons are big enough that we'd call them planets (or dwarf planets) if they orbited the Sun. 
C)  One of the moons has a thick atmosphere. 
D)  Many of the moons are made largely of ices.

Question 13

What is the most important reason why an icy moon is more likely to be geologically active than a rocky moon of the same size?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ice has a lower melting point than rock. 
B)  Ice is less rigid than rock. 
C)  Ice contains more radioactive elements than rock. 
D)  Ice is affected by tidal forces to a greater extent than rock. 
E)  Ice is less dense than rock. 
A)  Ice has a lower melting point than rock. 
B)  Ice is less rigid than rock. 
C)  Ice contains more radioactive elements than rock. 
D)  Ice is affected by tidal forces to a greater extent than rock. 
E)  Ice is less dense than rock.

Question 14

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation. 
B)  Triton is very small and potato-shaped, which is common of captured moons. 
C)  Triton is too large to have been formed in the "miniature solar nebula" thought to have surrounded Neptune in its very early history. 
D)  Triton appears to be made mostly of ice. 
A)  Triton orbits Neptune in a direction opposite that of Neptune's rotation. 
B)  Triton is very small and potato-shaped, which is common of captured moons. 
C)  Triton is too large to have been formed in the "miniature solar nebula" thought to have surrounded Neptune in its very early history. 
D)  Triton appears to be made mostly of ice.

Question 16

Jupiter and the other jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants." In what sense is this term misleading?

Accepted Answer

A)  They actually contain relatively little material in a gaseous state. 
B)  The materials they are made of are not the kinds of thing we usually think of as gases. 
C)  They are not in any sense "giants." 
D)  Actually, it's a great description, because these worlds are big and gaseous throughout. 
A)  They actually contain relatively little material in a gaseous state. 
B)  The materials they are made of are not the kinds of thing we usually think of as gases. 
C)  They are not in any sense "giants." 
D)  Actually, it's a great description, because these worlds are big and gaseous throughout.

Question 17

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Clouds of sulfuric acid 
B)  Clouds of water 
C)  Clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide 
D)  Clouds of ammonia 
A)  Clouds of sulfuric acid 
B)  Clouds of water 
C)  Clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide 
D)  Clouds of ammonia

Question 18

The satellite Amalthea orbits Jupiter at just about the same distance in kilometers at which Mimas orbits Saturn. Yet Mimas takes almost twice as long to orbit. What can you deduce from this difference qualitatively? Since Jupiter and Saturn are not very different in radius, what else can you conclude?

Accepted Answer

The gravitational attraction of Saturn o

Question 19

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Accepted Answer

A)  The more distant planets formed in a cooler region of the solar nebula and therefore contain a greater proportion of ices than the closer jovian planets. 
B)  They differ due to giant impacts at the late stages of planet formation. 
C)  Accretion took longer further from the Sun, so the more distant planets formed their cores later and captured less gas from the solar nebula than the closer jovian planets. 
D)  The more distant planets had longer to form than the closer planets, since the solar nebula lasted longer at greater distances from the Sun. 
A)  The more distant planets formed in a cooler region of the solar nebula and therefore contain a greater proportion of ices than the closer jovian planets. 
B)  They differ due to giant impacts at the late stages of planet formation. 
C)  Accretion took longer further from the Sun, so the more distant planets formed their cores later and captured less gas from the solar nebula than the closer jovian planets. 
D)  The more distant planets had longer to form than the closer planets, since the solar nebula lasted longer at greater distances from the Sun.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets. 
B)  They lack solid surfaces. 
C)  They are composed mainly of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds. 
D)  They are much more massive than any of the terrestrial planets. 
A)  They are higher in average density than are the terrestrial planets. 
B)  They lack solid surfaces. 
C)  They are composed mainly of hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen compounds. 
D)  They are much more massive than any of the terrestrial planets.

Why is Neptune denser than Saturn?

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?

No spacecraft has landed on a Jovian planet moon.

How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?

Overall, Jupiter's composition is most like that of ________.

Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?

Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?

Which of the following statements about the moons of the jovian planets is not true?

What is the most important reason why an icy moon is more likely to be geologically active than a rocky moon of the same size?

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?

Jupiter and the other jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants." In what sense is this term misleading?

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system?

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

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

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 8: Jovian Planet Systems

Why is Neptune denser than Saturn?

Why is Triton such an unusual satellite?

Which moon is considered likely to have a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water?

Which large jovian moon is thought to have been captured into its present orbit?

How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?

No spacecraft has landed on a Jovian planet moon.

How does the strength of Jupiter's magnetic field compare to that of Earth's magnetic field?

Overall, Jupiter's composition is most like that of ________.

Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?

Why does Jupiter have several distinct cloud layers?

Which of the following statements about the moons of the jovian planets is not true?

What is the most important reason why an icy moon is more likely to be geologically active than a rocky moon of the same size?

The Huygens landing showed that the surface of Titan is as hard as a rock.

Why do astronomers believe that Triton is a captured moon?

Jupiter and the other jovian planets are sometimes called "gas giants." In what sense is this term misleading?

Jupiter's colors come in part from its three layers of clouds. Which of the following is not the primary constituent of one of Jupiter's cloud layers?

Why do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Which of the following is not a general characteristic of the four jovian planets in our solar system?

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

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

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