Question 1

Compare and contrast the methodology Aristotle used to arrive at his model of the Universe with the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle began with a set of beliefs he

Question 2

A scientific model provides a ________ of a natural phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

A)  simplified description 
B)  testable explanation 
C)  mathematical treatment 
D)  physical representation 
A)  simplified description 
B)  testable explanation 
C)  mathematical treatment 
D)  physical representation

Question 3

The earliest ancient civilization known to have developed the geocentric model to explain the motions of the heavens was the:

Accepted Answer

A)  Egyptians. 
B)  Greeks. 
C)  Romans. 
D)  Babylonians. 
A)  Egyptians. 
B)  Greeks. 
C)  Romans. 
D)  Babylonians.

Question 4

Which of the following does NOT correctly characterize a planet's motion on the sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  Planets vary in brightness over the course of a year. 
B)  Planets remain near the ecliptic. 
C)  Planets occasionally move west to east across the sky during a single night. 
D)  Planets change their locations relative to the background stars from night to night. 
A)  Planets vary in brightness over the course of a year. 
B)  Planets remain near the ecliptic. 
C)  Planets occasionally move west to east across the sky during a single night. 
D)  Planets change their locations relative to the background stars from night to night.

Question 5

The lack of periodic movement of any stars over the course of a year was taken by Greek astronomers to be good evidence for:

Accepted Answer

A)  Platonic ideals. 
B)  the heliocentric model. 
C)  Aristotelian physics. 
D)  the geocentric model. 
A)  Platonic ideals. 
B)  the heliocentric model. 
C)  Aristotelian physics. 
D)  the geocentric model.

Question 6

If you observe the Moon to be in the waning gibbous phase tonight,in three days it could be in the ________ phase.

Accepted Answer

A)  new 
B)  first quarter 
C)  full 
D)  third quarter 
A)  new 
B)  first quarter 
C)  full 
D)  third quarter

Question 7

Which of the following phenomena is primarily due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit?

Accepted Answer

A)  the seasons 
B)  the changing lengths of days 
C)  the Sun's changing position in the sky 
D)  none of the above 
A)  the seasons 
B)  the changing lengths of days 
C)  the Sun's changing position in the sky 
D)  none of the above

Question 8

At what time of day might the Moon rise when it is in the waning crescent phase?

Accepted Answer

A)  midnight 
B)  3 A.M. 
C)  noon 
D)  3 P.M. 
A)  midnight 
B)  3 A.M. 
C)  noon 
D)  3 P.M.

Question 9

Suppose you take a snapshot of the night sky at midnight tonight.At what time would you have to observe the sky six months from now in order to find the stars in exactly the same position on the sky? You may assume that you can observe the stars at any time,day or night.

Accepted Answer

A)  sunrise 
B)  noon 
C)  sunset 
D)  midnight 
A)  sunrise 
B)  noon 
C)  sunset 
D)  midnight

Question 10

Two people,one in the Brazilian city of Manaus (near the equator)and one in New York City (near 40 degrees north latitude),observe the Sun at noon on June 21.How will their views of the Sun compare?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Sun will appear at the zenith for both observers. 
B)  The Sun will appear higher in the sky to the observer in Manaus. 
C)  The Sun will appear higher in the sky to the observer in New York City. 
D)  The Sun will appear brighter to the observer in Manaus. 
A)  The Sun will appear at the zenith for both observers. 
B)  The Sun will appear higher in the sky to the observer in Manaus. 
C)  The Sun will appear higher in the sky to the observer in New York City. 
D)  The Sun will appear brighter to the observer in Manaus.

Question 11

A resident of the Northern Hemisphere measures the length of daylight every day for a year.The longest day occurs on:

Accepted Answer

A)  March 21. 
B)  June 21. 
C)  September 21. 
D)  December 21. 
A)  March 21. 
B)  June 21. 
C)  September 21. 
D)  December 21.

Question 12

The Greek figure most responsible for introducing mathematical explanations of natural phenomena was:

Accepted Answer

A)  Plato. 
B)  Thales. 
C)  Ptolemy. 
D)  Pythagoras. 
A)  Plato. 
B)  Thales. 
C)  Ptolemy. 
D)  Pythagoras.

Question 13

Describe Eratosthenes' most important astronomical achievement.

Accepted Answer

Eratosthenes used the length o

Question 14

What is a solar day? Why is it longer than a sidereal day?

Accepted Answer

A solar day is the time betwee

Question 15

On any given day,the primary factor determining the Sun's path on the sky for an observer on Earth is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the phase of the Moon. 
B)  his or her altitude. 
C)  his or her longitude. 
D)  his or her latitude. 
A)  the phase of the Moon. 
B)  his or her altitude. 
C)  his or her longitude. 
D)  his or her latitude.

Question 16

If you fall under the Moon's penumbra during a solar eclipse,what kind of eclipse will you see?

Accepted Answer

A)  total 
B)  annular 
C)  partial 
D)  nodal 
A)  total 
B)  annular 
C)  partial 
D)  nodal

Question 17

Ptolemy's formulation provided the first successful set of accurate predictions for the:

Accepted Answer

A)  retrograde motion of the planets. 
B)  annual motion of the Sun across the constellations. 
C)  precession of Earth's rotation axis. 
D)  phases of the Moon. 
A)  retrograde motion of the planets. 
B)  annual motion of the Sun across the constellations. 
C)  precession of Earth's rotation axis. 
D)  phases of the Moon.

Question 18

Suppose Earth were tilted 40° relative to the plane of its orbit (rather than 23.5°).How would the seasons change?

Accepted Answer

If Earth's axis had a larger tilt,the te

Question 19

Most Greek astronomers took the lack of a stellar parallax as evidence against the heliocentric model.What is the true explanation for the lack of an apparent parallax?

Accepted Answer

The stars are so dis

Question 20

Describe the phenomenon of retrograde motion.What astronomical sources undergo it?

Accepted Answer

Retrograde motion occurs when a planet's

Compare and contrast the methodology Aristotle used to arrive at his model of the Universe with the scientific method.

A scientific model provides a ________ of a natural phenomenon.

The earliest ancient civilization known to have developed the geocentric model to explain the motions of the heavens was the:

Which of the following does NOT correctly characterize a planet's motion on the sky?

The lack of periodic movement of any stars over the course of a year was taken by Greek astronomers to be good evidence for:

If you observe the Moon to be in the waning gibbous phase tonight,in three days it could be in the ________ phase.

Which of the following phenomena is primarily due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit?

At what time of day might the Moon rise when it is in the waning crescent phase?

Suppose you take a snapshot of the night sky at midnight tonight.At what time would you have to observe the sky six months from now in order to find the stars in exactly the same position on the sky? You may assume that you can observe the stars at any time,day or night.

Two people,one in the Brazilian city of Manaus (near the equator)and one in New York City (near 40 degrees north latitude),observe the Sun at noon on June 21.How will their views of the Sun compare?

A resident of the Northern Hemisphere measures the length of daylight every day for a year.The longest day occurs on:

The Greek figure most responsible for introducing mathematical explanations of natural phenomena was:

Describe Eratosthenes' most important astronomical achievement.

What is a solar day? Why is it longer than a sidereal day?

On any given day,the primary factor determining the Sun's path on the sky for an observer on Earth is:

If you fall under the Moon's penumbra during a solar eclipse,what kind of eclipse will you see?

Ptolemy's formulation provided the first successful set of accurate predictions for the:

Suppose Earth were tilted 40° relative to the plane of its orbit (rather than 23.5°).How would the seasons change?

Most Greek astronomers took the lack of a stellar parallax as evidence against the heliocentric model.What is the true explanation for the lack of an apparent parallax?

Describe the phenomenon of retrograde motion.What astronomical sources undergo it?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Filters

Exam 2: A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

Compare and contrast the methodology Aristotle used to arrive at his model of the Universe with the scientific method.

A scientific model provides a ________ of a natural phenomenon.

The earliest ancient civilization known to have developed the geocentric model to explain the motions of the heavens was the:

Which of the following does NOT correctly characterize a planet's motion on the sky?

The lack of periodic movement of any stars over the course of a year was taken by Greek astronomers to be good evidence for:

If you observe the Moon to be in the waning gibbous phase tonight,in three days it could be in the ________ phase.

Which of the following phenomena is primarily due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit?

At what time of day might the Moon rise when it is in the waning crescent phase?

Suppose you take a snapshot of the night sky at midnight tonight.At what time would you have to observe the sky six months from now in order to find the stars in exactly the same position on the sky? You may assume that you can observe the stars at any time,day or night.

Two people,one in the Brazilian city of Manaus (near the equator)and one in New York City (near 40 degrees north latitude),observe the Sun at noon on June 21.How will their views of the Sun compare?

A resident of the Northern Hemisphere measures the length of daylight every day for a year.The longest day occurs on:

The Greek figure most responsible for introducing mathematical explanations of natural phenomena was:

Describe Eratosthenes' most important astronomical achievement.

What is a solar day? Why is it longer than a sidereal day?

On any given day,the primary factor determining the Sun's path on the sky for an observer on Earth is:

If you fall under the Moon's penumbra during a solar eclipse,what kind of eclipse will you see?

Ptolemy's formulation provided the first successful set of accurate predictions for the:

Suppose Earth were tilted 40° relative to the plane of its orbit (rather than 23.5°).How would the seasons change?

Most Greek astronomers took the lack of a stellar parallax as evidence against the heliocentric model.What is the true explanation for the lack of an apparent parallax?

Describe the phenomenon of retrograde motion.What astronomical sources undergo it?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Filters