Question 1

The solid form of a volatile material is generally referred to as:

Accepted Answer

A)  a metal. 
B)  a silicate. 
C)  rock. 
D)  ice. 
A)  a metal. 
B)  a silicate. 
C)  rock. 
D)  ice.

Question 2

Volatile and refractory materials differ in their:

Accepted Answer

A)  melting temperatures. 
B)  density at a given temperature. 
C)  composition. 
D)  all of the above. 
A)  melting temperatures. 
B)  density at a given temperature. 
C)  composition. 
D)  all of the above.

Question 3

Why have astronomers found more Jupiter-sized planets at a distance of 1 AU around other stars than Earth-sized planets using the radial velocity method?

Accepted Answer

A)  A Jupiter-sized planet occults a larger area than an Earth-sized planet. 
B)  A Jupiter-sized planet exerts a larger gravitational force on the star than an Earth-sized planet, and the Doppler shift of the star is larger. 
C)  A Jupiter-sized planet shines brighter than an Earth-sized planet. 
D)  Earth-sized planets are much rarer than Jupiter-sized planets. 
A)  A Jupiter-sized planet occults a larger area than an Earth-sized planet. 
B)  A Jupiter-sized planet exerts a larger gravitational force on the star than an Earth-sized planet, and the Doppler shift of the star is larger. 
C)  A Jupiter-sized planet shines brighter than an Earth-sized planet. 
D)  Earth-sized planets are much rarer than Jupiter-sized planets.

Question 4

The Moon probably formed:

Accepted Answer

A)  out of a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object. 
B)  when the Earth's gravity captured a planetesimal. 
C)  when the accretion disk around Earth fragmented. 
D)  when planetesimals collided to form a more massive object. 
A)  out of a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object. 
B)  when the Earth's gravity captured a planetesimal. 
C)  when the accretion disk around Earth fragmented. 
D)  when planetesimals collided to form a more massive object.

Question 5

Conservation of angular momentum slows a cloud's collapse:

Accepted Answer

A)  equally in all directions. 
B)  only when the cloud is not rotating initially. 
C)  mostly along directions perpendicular to the cloud's axis of rotation. 
D)  mostly at the poles that lie along the cloud's axis of rotation. 
A)  equally in all directions. 
B)  only when the cloud is not rotating initially. 
C)  mostly along directions perpendicular to the cloud's axis of rotation. 
D)  mostly at the poles that lie along the cloud's axis of rotation.

Question 6

Detecting a planet around another star using the transit method is difficult because:

Accepted Answer

A)  the planet must pass directly in front of the star. 
B)  the planet must have a rocky composition. 
C)  the star must be very dim. 
D)  the star must be moving with respect to us. 
A)  the planet must pass directly in front of the star. 
B)  the planet must have a rocky composition. 
C)  the star must be very dim. 
D)  the star must be moving with respect to us.

Question 7

How does gravitational energy get converted to thermal energy in a gas cloud?

Accepted Answer

The force of gravitational attraction be

Question 8

What processes contributed to the development of Earth's secondary atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Volcanism,cometary i

Question 9

Two competing models of the formation of giant gaseous planets suggest they form either from gas accreting onto a rocky core or from:

Accepted Answer

A)  fragmentation of the accretion disk surrounding the protostar. 
B)  the merger of two large planetesimals. 
C)  an eruption of material from the protostar. 
D)  materials condensing out of the solar wind. 
A)  fragmentation of the accretion disk surrounding the protostar. 
B)  the merger of two large planetesimals. 
C)  an eruption of material from the protostar. 
D)  materials condensing out of the solar wind.

Question 10

Three stars are found to have been formed from a molecular cloud.How many high density fragments must have existed in the cloud prior to star formation?

Accepted Answer

A)  exactly three 
B)  only one 
C)  three or more 
D)  none 
A)  exactly three 
B)  only one 
C)  three or more 
D)  none

Question 11

Whether or not a planet is composed mostly of rock or gas is set by:

Accepted Answer

A)  its mass. 
B)  its temperature. 
C)  the distance from the star that it orbits. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  its mass. 
B)  its temperature. 
C)  the distance from the star that it orbits. 
D)  all of the above

Question 12

What is the difference between refractory and volatile materials?

Accepted Answer

Refractory materials are capab

Question 13

How does the size of planets in the solar system relate to the constituents of their atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

The terrestrial planets being smaller an

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A)  Uranus is "tipped over" so that it rotates on its side. 
B)  Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar, many times deeper than the Grand Canyon, and spans one-fourth the circumference of the planet. 
C)  Mercury has crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater. 
D)  Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon's size. 
A)  Uranus is "tipped over" so that it rotates on its side. 
B)  Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar, many times deeper than the Grand Canyon, and spans one-fourth the circumference of the planet. 
C)  Mercury has crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater. 
D)  Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon's size.

Question 15

What is the best method commonly used to detect Earth-sized extrasolar planets with the telescopes and instrumentation that exist today?

Accepted Answer

A)  Doppler shift 
B)  transit 
C)  direct imaging 
D)  microlensing 
A)  Doppler shift 
B)  transit 
C)  direct imaging 
D)  microlensing

Question 16

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Accepted Answer

Conservation of energy is at play as gra

Question 17

Explain the two primary reasons why the inner solar nebula was hotter than the outer solar nebula.

Accepted Answer

The inner solar nebula was hotter than t

Question 18

The primary atmospheres of the planets are made mostly of:

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon and oxygen. 
B)  hydrogen and helium. 
C)  iron and nickel. 
D)  nitrogen and argon. 
A)  carbon and oxygen. 
B)  hydrogen and helium. 
C)  iron and nickel. 
D)  nitrogen and argon.

Question 19

Astronomers have used radial velocity monitoring to discover:

Accepted Answer

A)  extrasolar planetary systems that are similar to our own Solar System. 
B)  Earth-sized planets around other stars. 
C)  Earth-sized planets at distances of 10 AU from their parent stars. 
D)  extrasolar planetary systems that contain more than one planet. 
A)  extrasolar planetary systems that are similar to our own Solar System. 
B)  Earth-sized planets around other stars. 
C)  Earth-sized planets at distances of 10 AU from their parent stars. 
D)  extrasolar planetary systems that contain more than one planet.

Question 20

The primordial atmosphere of Earth consisted of what type of chemical elements,and from where did it originate? What chemical elements did the secondary atmosphere of Earth consist of,and from where did it originate?

Accepted Answer

The primary atmosphere consisted mostly

The solid form of a volatile material is generally referred to as:

Volatile and refractory materials differ in their:

Why have astronomers found more Jupiter-sized planets at a distance of 1 AU around other stars than Earth-sized planets using the radial velocity method?

The Moon probably formed:

Conservation of angular momentum slows a cloud's collapse:

Detecting a planet around another star using the transit method is difficult because:

How does gravitational energy get converted to thermal energy in a gas cloud?

What processes contributed to the development of Earth's secondary atmosphere?

Two competing models of the formation of giant gaseous planets suggest they form either from gas accreting onto a rocky core or from:

Three stars are found to have been formed from a molecular cloud.How many high density fragments must have existed in the cloud prior to star formation?

Whether or not a planet is composed mostly of rock or gas is set by:

What is the difference between refractory and volatile materials?

How does the size of planets in the solar system relate to the constituents of their atmospheres?

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

What is the best method commonly used to detect Earth-sized extrasolar planets with the telescopes and instrumentation that exist today?

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Explain the two primary reasons why the inner solar nebula was hotter than the outer solar nebula.

The primary atmospheres of the planets are made mostly of:

Astronomers have used radial velocity monitoring to discover:

The primordial atmosphere of Earth consisted of what type of chemical elements,and from where did it originate? What chemical elements did the secondary atmosphere of Earth consist of,and from where did it originate?

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Measuring Galaxies

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 5: The Formation of Stars and Planets

The solid form of a volatile material is generally referred to as:

Volatile and refractory materials differ in their:

Why have astronomers found more Jupiter-sized planets at a distance of 1 AU around other stars than Earth-sized planets using the radial velocity method?

The Moon probably formed:

Conservation of angular momentum slows a cloud's collapse:

Detecting a planet around another star using the transit method is difficult because:

How does gravitational energy get converted to thermal energy in a gas cloud?

What processes contributed to the development of Earth's secondary atmosphere?

Two competing models of the formation of giant gaseous planets suggest they form either from gas accreting onto a rocky core or from:

Three stars are found to have been formed from a molecular cloud.How many high density fragments must have existed in the cloud prior to star formation?

Whether or not a planet is composed mostly of rock or gas is set by:

What is the difference between refractory and volatile materials?

How does the size of planets in the solar system relate to the constituents of their atmospheres?

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

What is the best method commonly used to detect Earth-sized extrasolar planets with the telescopes and instrumentation that exist today?

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Explain the two primary reasons why the inner solar nebula was hotter than the outer solar nebula.

The primary atmospheres of the planets are made mostly of:

Astronomers have used radial velocity monitoring to discover:

The primordial atmosphere of Earth consisted of what type of chemical elements,and from where did it originate? What chemical elements did the secondary atmosphere of Earth consist of,and from where did it originate?

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Measuring Galaxies

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters