Question 1

What clues do the differences in the masses of the giant planets give about conditions in the early Solar System?

Accepted Answer

(1)The farther from the protosun a planet formed,the lower the density of the gas available for accretion.Gas density decreased with distance in the solar nebula.Saturn may be less massive than Jupiter because less gas was available at its distance from the Sun.Uranus and Neptune were at an even greater disadvantage.
(2)There was a cutoff time to the accretion period.Planets whose cores formed later had less time to accrete gas and therefore ended as less massive planets.Saturn's core probably formed later than Jupiter's,and Uranus's and Neptune's cores much later,due to the lower gas density.The more space between icy planetesimals,the longer it took to accumulate a core that had enough gravity to hold onto the atmospheric gases.

Question 2

Where do Uranus's and Neptune's high magnetic fields originate?

Accepted Answer

A)  molten rocky cores 
B)  salty oceans 
C)  large magnetospheres 
D)  metallic hydrogen layers 
A)  molten rocky cores 
B)  salty oceans 
C)  large magnetospheres 
D)  metallic hydrogen layers B

Question 3

The strongest magnetic fields in the Solar System are found on which planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune 
A)  Jupiter 
B)  Saturn 
C)  Uranus 
D)  Neptune A

Question 4

Saturn's rings may have originated from:

Accepted Answer

A)  cometary material captured by Saturn's gravity. 
B)  the destruction of a moon or planetoid from tidal stresses within the Roche limit. 
C)  material released from Saturn during a collision with a planet-sized object. 
D)  material released from volcanic activity on Saturn. 
A)  cometary material captured by Saturn's gravity. 
B)  the destruction of a moon or planetoid from tidal stresses within the Roche limit. 
C)  material released from Saturn during a collision with a planet-sized object. 
D)  material released from volcanic activity on Saturn.

Question 5

Uranus and Neptune are bluish green because they contain large amounts of:

Accepted Answer

A)  ammonia. 
B)  methane. 
C)  water vapor. 
D)  hydrocarbons. 
A)  ammonia. 
B)  methane. 
C)  water vapor. 
D)  hydrocarbons.

Question 6

Particles that make up the rings of Uranus and Neptune are composed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  rocky material from tidally disrupted moons. 
B)  organic material that has darkened because of bombardment by cosmic rays. 
C)  icy material from tidally disrupted comets. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  rocky material from tidally disrupted moons. 
B)  organic material that has darkened because of bombardment by cosmic rays. 
C)  icy material from tidally disrupted comets. 
D)  all of the above

Question 7

Why are auroras visible mostly at the north or south magnetic poles of the giant planets?

Accepted Answer

The higher strength of the mag

Question 8

Suppose Neptune moves with an average orbital speed of 3.5 km/s.If it takes Neptune 4 hours to pass directly in front of a star,what is Neptune's diameter? Give Neptune's radius in units of Earth diameters,where the diameter of Earth is 12,800 km.

Accepted Answer

The diameter of Neptune is equal to its

Question 9

What gives rise to the large magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune? How does this source help explain why the axes of their magnetic fields are misaligned and significantly offset from their rotational axes?

Accepted Answer

Uranus and Neptune have very deep,salty

Question 10

The giant planet atmospheric vortices are created by a combination of the Coriolis effect and:

Accepted Answer

A)  rapid rotation. 
B)  convection. 
C)  their strong magnetic fields. 
D)  Hadley circulation. 
A)  rapid rotation. 
B)  convection. 
C)  their strong magnetic fields. 
D)  Hadley circulation.

Question 11

All the giant planets radiate more energy into space than they receive from the Sun EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn. 
C)  Uranus. 
D)  Neptune. 
A)  Jupiter. 
B)  Saturn. 
C)  Uranus. 
D)  Neptune.

Question 12

Define cloud cannibalism.Where is it observed in the Solar System?

Accepted Answer

Cloud cannibalism occurs when

Question 13

What causes the horizontal bands on Jupiter and Saturn to have different colors? How can they be used to probe different altitudes in their atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

The different bands in Jupiter's and Sat

Question 14

Band systems on Saturn,Uranus,and Neptune are most prominent when viewed in which wavelength regime?

Accepted Answer

A)  visible 
B)  infrared 
C)  ultraviolet 
D)  X-ray 
A)  visible 
B)  infrared 
C)  ultraviolet 
D)  X-ray

Question 15

The fact that Jupiter's radius is contracting at a rate of 1 mm/year results in:

Accepted Answer

A)  differential convection that powers Jupiter's Great Red Spot. 
B)  Jupiter's rotation rate slowing down with time. 
C)  Jupiter's shape being noticeably oblate. 
D)  Jupiter radiating more heat than it receives from the Sun. 
A)  differential convection that powers Jupiter's Great Red Spot. 
B)  Jupiter's rotation rate slowing down with time. 
C)  Jupiter's shape being noticeably oblate. 
D)  Jupiter radiating more heat than it receives from the Sun.

Question 16

On which of the giant planets do we think we can find deep oceans of water? Why do we think this?

Accepted Answer

Uranus and Neptune-because they are of h

Question 17

Based on the flux of sunlight that it gets,Jupiter should have a temperature of 109 K.However,its temperature is observed to be 124 K.How much more energy is Jupiter radiating out into space compared to what it gets from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

The Stefan-Boltzmann law says that the r

Question 18

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 × 10⁷ meters,what is the average speed of a cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)

Accepted Answer

The cloud will complete one orbit and tr

Question 19

How has Jupiter retained a significant portion of its heat since it formed?

Accepted Answer

The size of Jupiter gives it a

Question 20

How do Saturn's shepherd moons help maintain the stability of Saturn's rings?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their magnetic fields confine the rings' orbits. 
B)  Their gravity periodically captures solar system debris and adds it to the ring system. 
C)  They periodically collide with larger ring objects, pulverizing them. 
D)  Their gravitational interactions with ring material maintains the orbital stability of the rings. 
A)  Their magnetic fields confine the rings' orbits. 
B)  Their gravity periodically captures solar system debris and adds it to the ring system. 
C)  They periodically collide with larger ring objects, pulverizing them. 
D)  Their gravitational interactions with ring material maintains the orbital stability of the rings.

What clues do the differences in the masses of the giant planets give about conditions in the early Solar System?

Where do Uranus's and Neptune's high magnetic fields originate?

The strongest magnetic fields in the Solar System are found on which planet?

Saturn's rings may have originated from:

Uranus and Neptune are bluish green because they contain large amounts of:

Particles that make up the rings of Uranus and Neptune are composed of:

Why are auroras visible mostly at the north or south magnetic poles of the giant planets?

Suppose Neptune moves with an average orbital speed of 3.5 km/s.If it takes Neptune 4 hours to pass directly in front of a star,what is Neptune's diameter? Give Neptune's radius in units of Earth diameters,where the diameter of Earth is 12,800 km.

What gives rise to the large magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune? How does this source help explain why the axes of their magnetic fields are misaligned and significantly offset from their rotational axes?

The giant planet atmospheric vortices are created by a combination of the Coriolis effect and:

All the giant planets radiate more energy into space than they receive from the Sun EXCEPT:

Define cloud cannibalism.Where is it observed in the Solar System?

What causes the horizontal bands on Jupiter and Saturn to have different colors? How can they be used to probe different altitudes in their atmospheres?

Band systems on Saturn,Uranus,and Neptune are most prominent when viewed in which wavelength regime?

The fact that Jupiter's radius is contracting at a rate of 1 mm/year results in:

On which of the giant planets do we think we can find deep oceans of water? Why do we think this?

Based on the flux of sunlight that it gets,Jupiter should have a temperature of 109 K.However,its temperature is observed to be 124 K.How much more energy is Jupiter radiating out into space compared to what it gets from the Sun?

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 × 10⁷ meters,what is the average speed of a cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)

How has Jupiter retained a significant portion of its heat since it formed?

How do Saturn's shepherd moons help maintain the stability of Saturn's rings?

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

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 8: The Giant Planets

What clues do the differences in the masses of the giant planets give about conditions in the early Solar System?

Where do Uranus's and Neptune's high magnetic fields originate?

The strongest magnetic fields in the Solar System are found on which planet?

Saturn's rings may have originated from:

Uranus and Neptune are bluish green because they contain large amounts of:

Particles that make up the rings of Uranus and Neptune are composed of:

Why are auroras visible mostly at the north or south magnetic poles of the giant planets?

Suppose Neptune moves with an average orbital speed of 3.5 km/s.If it takes Neptune 4 hours to pass directly in front of a star,what is Neptune's diameter? Give Neptune's radius in units of Earth diameters,where the diameter of Earth is 12,800 km.

What gives rise to the large magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune? How does this source help explain why the axes of their magnetic fields are misaligned and significantly offset from their rotational axes?

The giant planet atmospheric vortices are created by a combination of the Coriolis effect and:

All the giant planets radiate more energy into space than they receive from the Sun EXCEPT:

Define cloud cannibalism.Where is it observed in the Solar System?

What causes the horizontal bands on Jupiter and Saturn to have different colors? How can they be used to probe different altitudes in their atmospheres?

Band systems on Saturn,Uranus,and Neptune are most prominent when viewed in which wavelength regime?

The fact that Jupiter's radius is contracting at a rate of 1 mm/year results in:

On which of the giant planets do we think we can find deep oceans of water? Why do we think this?

Based on the flux of sunlight that it gets,Jupiter should have a temperature of 109 K.However,its temperature is observed to be 124 K.How much more energy is Jupiter radiating out into space compared to what it gets from the Sun?

If Saturn's rotational period is 11 hours and its radius is 6 × 10⁷ meters,what is the average speed of a cloud in its atmosphere that is rotating with Saturn? (Neglect differential speeds due to winds.)

How has Jupiter retained a significant portion of its heat since it formed?

How do Saturn's shepherd moons help maintain the stability of Saturn's rings?

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

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