Question 1

The oldest rocks yet found by radioactive age dating, in order of decreasing age, are:

Accepted Answer

A) Earth rocks, lunar rocks, and meteorites. 
B) meteorites, lunar rocks, and Earth rocks. 
C) lunar rocks, Earth rocks, and meteorites. 
D) lunar rocks, meteorites, and Earth rocks. 
A) Earth rocks, lunar rocks, and meteorites. 
B) meteorites, lunar rocks, and Earth rocks. 
C) lunar rocks, Earth rocks, and meteorites. 
D) lunar rocks, meteorites, and Earth rocks.

Question 2

The oldest rocks, as measured by radioactive age dating, have been found:

Accepted Answer

A) on Earth. 
B) in the lunar highlands. 
C) in the maria of the lunar lowlands. 
D) in meteorites. 
A) on Earth. 
B) in the lunar highlands. 
C) in the maria of the lunar lowlands. 
D) in meteorites.

Question 3

Which of these statements is an example of Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction?

Accepted Answer

A) a contraction of the planet Mercury as it cooled, with consequent buckling of the surface 
B) a contraction of a dense cloud of gas slowly gets hotter due to the release of gravitational energy 
C) the condensation of ices (e.g., ammonia) onto dust particles in the early solar nebula 
D) a contraction of a thin cloud of gas, in which the temperature remains constant due to the escape of infrared radiation 
A) a contraction of the planet Mercury as it cooled, with consequent buckling of the surface 
B) a contraction of a dense cloud of gas slowly gets hotter due to the release of gravitational energy 
C) the condensation of ices (e.g., ammonia) onto dust particles in the early solar nebula 
D) a contraction of a thin cloud of gas, in which the temperature remains constant due to the escape of infrared radiation

Question 4

The Kuiper belt is:

Accepted Answer

A) a spherical solar system halo of icy objects far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) a flat region just outside the orbit of Neptune in which icy and rocky objects circle the Sun. 
C) the collection of both rocky and icy objects orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D) the swarm of small satellites around Jupiter made from ice and dust. 
A) a spherical solar system halo of icy objects far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) a flat region just outside the orbit of Neptune in which icy and rocky objects circle the Sun. 
C) the collection of both rocky and icy objects orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D) the swarm of small satellites around Jupiter made from ice and dust.

Question 5

The Oort cloud is:

Accepted Answer

A) a spherical solar system halo of icy objects far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) a flat region just outside the orbit of Neptune in which icy and rocky objects circle the Sun. 
C) the collection of rocky objects orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D) the swarm of small satellites around Jupiter. 
A) a spherical solar system halo of icy objects far beyond the orbit of Pluto. 
B) a flat region just outside the orbit of Neptune in which icy and rocky objects circle the Sun. 
C) the collection of rocky objects orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 
D) the swarm of small satellites around Jupiter.

Question 6

What is surprising about the planet orbiting the star 51 Pegasi?

Accepted Answer

A) It has a mass similar to that of Saturn, but its orbital radius is similar to that of Mars. 
B) It has a mass almost as large as Jupiter, but its orbital radius is smaller than that of Mercury. 
C) Its mass is similar to that of Mercury, but its orbital radius is similar to that of Jupiter. 
D) Its mass and orbital radius are almost identical to that of Jupiter, indicating that 51 Pegasi may have a planetary system that is a twin of our own. 
A) It has a mass similar to that of Saturn, but its orbital radius is similar to that of Mars. 
B) It has a mass almost as large as Jupiter, but its orbital radius is smaller than that of Mercury. 
C) Its mass is similar to that of Mercury, but its orbital radius is similar to that of Jupiter. 
D) Its mass and orbital radius are almost identical to that of Jupiter, indicating that 51 Pegasi may have a planetary system that is a twin of our own.

Question 7

How did the temperature of the solar nebula develop?

Accepted Answer

A) The nebula formed from cold gas and dust, and it remained cold until sufficient oxygen had accumulated so that combustion was possible. 
B) The nebula formed from cold gas and dust, and it remained cold until nuclear reactions developed. 
C) The gas and dust remained cold as they collapsed to form a much denser nebula. Here friction developed between the particles, and this gradually raised the temperature. 
D) As the nebula collapsed, gravitational potential energy was converted into kinetic energy, and the temperature rose. 
A) The nebula formed from cold gas and dust, and it remained cold until sufficient oxygen had accumulated so that combustion was possible. 
B) The nebula formed from cold gas and dust, and it remained cold until nuclear reactions developed. 
C) The gas and dust remained cold as they collapsed to form a much denser nebula. Here friction developed between the particles, and this gradually raised the temperature. 
D) As the nebula collapsed, gravitational potential energy was converted into kinetic energy, and the temperature rose.

Question 8

The planetary system was probably formed from three different categories of material with different condensation temperatures (the temperature at which the material melts): gases, ices, and rocks. Which is the correct order of these materials, in increasing condensation temperature?

Accepted Answer

A) rocks, gases, and ices 
B) rocks, ices, and gases 
C) gases, rocks, and ices 
D) gases, ices, and rocks 
A) rocks, gases, and ices 
B) rocks, ices, and gases 
C) gases, rocks, and ices 
D) gases, ices, and rocks

Question 9

The fractional abundance of hydrogen by mass in the solar system is about:

Accepted Answer

A) 99.9%. 
B) 98%. 
C) only 20%. 
D) 71%. 
A) 99.9%. 
B) 98%. 
C) only 20%. 
D) 71%.

Question 10

Astrometry is the branch of astronomy dealing with the measurement of the:

Accepted Answer

A) ages of stars and galaxies. 
B) accurate motions of stars with respect to the Sun. 
C) precise positions of stars and galaxies. 
D) precise surface temperatures of stars. 
A) ages of stars and galaxies. 
B) accurate motions of stars with respect to the Sun. 
C) precise positions of stars and galaxies. 
D) precise surface temperatures of stars.

Question 11

The most likely mechanism for the solar system's formation appears to be:

Accepted Answer

A) a capture theory in which the planets were formed elsewhere and were captured by the gravitational pull of the Sun as they drifted through space. 
B) the idea that the planets were formed deep in the interior of the Sun and were later flung out by the Sun's angular momentum. 
C) that the solar system was once a galaxy, from which the Sun and planets are the remnants. 
D) that a cloud of gas and dust condensed to form the Sun, while planets formed later by condensation and accretion within the nebular disk. 
A) a capture theory in which the planets were formed elsewhere and were captured by the gravitational pull of the Sun as they drifted through space. 
B) the idea that the planets were formed deep in the interior of the Sun and were later flung out by the Sun's angular momentum. 
C) that the solar system was once a galaxy, from which the Sun and planets are the remnants. 
D) that a cloud of gas and dust condensed to form the Sun, while planets formed later by condensation and accretion within the nebular disk.

Question 12

Suppose an exoplanet is in an orbital plane perpendicular to our line of sight. Which one of the following methods might be used to detect this planet?

Accepted Answer

A) astrometric measurement of the "wobble" 
B) transits 
C) the radial velocity method 
D) ultraviolet excess 
A) astrometric measurement of the "wobble" 
B) transits 
C) the radial velocity method 
D) ultraviolet excess

Question 13

Various ices condense at temperatures less than 300 K. What is the smallest distance from the Sun in the early solar nebula at which these ices would have condensed to form solid particles? (See Figure 8-10 of Universe, 11th ed.)
​
  ​

Accepted Answer

A) 2 au 
B) 5 au 
C) 1 au 
D) 1.5 au 
A) 2 au 
B) 5 au 
C) 1 au 
D) 1.5 au

The oldest rocks yet found by radioactive age dating, in order of decreasing age, are:

The oldest rocks, as measured by radioactive age dating, have been found:

Which of these statements is an example of Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction?

The Kuiper belt is:

The Oort cloud is:

What is surprising about the planet orbiting the star 51 Pegasi?

How did the temperature of the solar nebula develop?

The planetary system was probably formed from three different categories of material with different condensation temperatures (the temperature at which the material melts): gases, ices, and rocks. Which is the correct order of these materials, in increasing condensation temperature?

The fractional abundance of hydrogen by mass in the solar system is about:

Astrometry is the branch of astronomy dealing with the measurement of the:

The most likely mechanism for the solar system's formation appears to be:

Suppose an exoplanet is in an orbital plane perpendicular to our line of sight. Which one of the following methods might be used to detect this planet?

Various ices condense at temperatures less than 300 K. What is the smallest distance from the Sun in the early solar nebula at which these ices would have condensed to form solid particles? (See Figure 8-10 of Universe, 11th ed.)

Astronomy and the Universe

Knowing the Heavens

Eclipses and the Motion of the Moon

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

The Nature of Light

Optics and Telescopes

Comparative Planetology I: Our Solar System

The Living Earth

Our Barren Moon

Mercury, Venus, and Mars: Terrestrial, yet Unique

Jupiter and Saturn: Lords of the Planets

Jupiter and Saturns Satellites of Fire and Ice

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt: Remote Worlds

Asteroids, Comets, and Impacts

Our Star, the Sun

The Nature of the Stars

The Birth of Stars

Stellar Evolution: on and After the Main Sequence

Stellar Evolution: The Death of Stars

Stellar Remnants: Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Our Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Active Galaxies

Cosmology: The Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Exploring the Early Universe

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Filters

Exam 8: Comparative Planetology II: the Origin of Our Solar System

The oldest rocks yet found by radioactive age dating, in order of decreasing age, are:

The oldest rocks, as measured by radioactive age dating, have been found:

Which of these statements is an example of Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction?

The Kuiper belt is:

The Oort cloud is:

What is surprising about the planet orbiting the star 51 Pegasi?

How did the temperature of the solar nebula develop?

The planetary system was probably formed from three different categories of material with different condensation temperatures (the temperature at which the material melts): gases, ices, and rocks. Which is the correct order of these materials, in increasing condensation temperature?

The fractional abundance of hydrogen by mass in the solar system is about:

Astrometry is the branch of astronomy dealing with the measurement of the:

The most likely mechanism for the solar system's formation appears to be:

Suppose an exoplanet is in an orbital plane perpendicular to our line of sight. Which one of the following methods might be used to detect this planet?

Various ices condense at temperatures less than 300 K. What is the smallest distance from the Sun in the early solar nebula at which these ices would have condensed to form solid particles? (See Figure 8-10 of Universe, 11th ed.) ​ ​

Astronomy and the Universe

Knowing the Heavens

Eclipses and the Motion of the Moon

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

The Nature of Light

Optics and Telescopes

Comparative Planetology I: Our Solar System

The Living Earth

Our Barren Moon

Mercury, Venus, and Mars: Terrestrial, yet Unique

Jupiter and Saturn: Lords of the Planets

Jupiter and Saturns Satellites of Fire and Ice

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt: Remote Worlds

Asteroids, Comets, and Impacts

Our Star, the Sun

The Nature of the Stars

The Birth of Stars

Stellar Evolution: on and After the Main Sequence

Stellar Evolution: The Death of Stars

Stellar Remnants: Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Our Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Active Galaxies

Cosmology: The Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Exploring the Early Universe

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Filters

Various ices condense at temperatures less than 300 K. What is the smallest distance from the Sun in the early solar nebula at which these ices would have condensed to form solid particles? (See Figure 8-10 of Universe, 11th ed.)