Question 1

Which object was discovered mathematically using Newton's laws before it was discovered observationally through the telescope?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pluto 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Uranus 
A)  Pluto 
B)  Mercury 
C)  Neptune 
D)  Uranus C

Question 2

Which objects are often found to follow hyperbolic orbits?

Accepted Answer

A)  small satellites of the outer planets 
B)  asteroids 
C)  None-all orbits have to be ellipses. 
D)  comets 
A)  small satellites of the outer planets 
B)  asteroids 
C)  None-all orbits have to be ellipses. 
D)  comets D

Question 3

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

Accepted Answer

A)  approaching the closest distance to the Sun 
B)  at aphelion 
C)  at perihelion 
D)  at the focus of its orbit 
A)  approaching the closest distance to the Sun 
B)  at aphelion 
C)  at perihelion 
D)  at the focus of its orbit B

Question 4

At which point in a planet's elliptical orbit is the planet farthest from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  aphelion 
B)  quadrature 
C)  perihelion 
D)  superior conjunction 
A)  aphelion 
B)  quadrature 
C)  perihelion 
D)  superior conjunction

Question 5

The initial reason that the geocentric model for the solar system began to be discarded after the fifteenth century a.d.was that:

Accepted Answer

A)  observations by spacecraft proved that all planets orbit the Sun. 
B)  the invention of the telescope provided observations that were in better agreement with a heliocentric model. 
C)  Isaac Newton was able to derive all planetary motion from one universal law of gravity. 
D)  the heliocentric model is conceptually simpler. 
A)  observations by spacecraft proved that all planets orbit the Sun. 
B)  the invention of the telescope provided observations that were in better agreement with a heliocentric model. 
C)  Isaac Newton was able to derive all planetary motion from one universal law of gravity. 
D)  the heliocentric model is conceptually simpler.

Question 6

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A)  inferior conjunction 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  greatest elongation 
D)  opposition 
A)  inferior conjunction 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  greatest elongation 
D)  opposition

Question 7

Two spaceships that have different masses but rocket engines of identical force are at rest in space.If they fire their rockets at the same time,which ship will speed up faster?

Accepted Answer

A)  the ship with least mass 
B)  the ship with greatest mass 
C)  The spaceships will increase speed at the same rate because they have identical rocket engines. 
D)  The spaceships will not speed up at all; they will move at a constant speed because they are in space and the rocket has nothing against which to push. 
A)  the ship with least mass 
B)  the ship with greatest mass 
C)  The spaceships will increase speed at the same rate because they have identical rocket engines. 
D)  The spaceships will not speed up at all; they will move at a constant speed because they are in space and the rocket has nothing against which to push.

Question 8

Kepler's second law states that a line joining a planet to the Sun:

Accepted Answer

A)  moves equal distances along the planet's orbit in equal times. 
B)  sweeps through equal angles in equal times. 
C)  points in the same direction at all times. 
D)  sweeps out equal areas in equal times. 
A)  moves equal distances along the planet's orbit in equal times. 
B)  sweeps through equal angles in equal times. 
C)  points in the same direction at all times. 
D)  sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

Question 9

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion,when viewed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  setting of the planet in the west to any observer caused by Earth's rotation 
B)  eastward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
C)  southward motion of the planet as it moves away from the northern sky 
D)  westward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
A)  setting of the planet in the west to any observer caused by Earth's rotation 
B)  eastward apparent motion with respect to the stars 
C)  southward motion of the planet as it moves away from the northern sky 
D)  westward apparent motion with respect to the stars

Question 10

A space probe is put into a circular orbit around the Sun at a distance of exactly 2 AU from the Sun.According to Kepler's third law,how long does it take this probe to orbit the Sun once?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.6 years (cube root of 4) 
B)  1 year 
C)  8 years 
D)  2.8 years (square root of 8) 
A)  1.6 years (cube root of 4) 
B)  1 year 
C)  8 years 
D)  2.8 years (square root of 8)

Question 11

The distance to a certain star has been measured to be 750 ly.Expressed in parsecs,the distance is approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  23 pc. 
B)  230 pc. 
C)  750 pc because these units are identical. 
D)  2445 pc. 
A)  23 pc. 
B)  230 pc. 
C)  750 pc because these units are identical. 
D)  2445 pc.

Question 12

The planet Venus can NEVER reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  opposition 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  greatest elongation 
A)  opposition 
B)  superior conjunction 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  greatest elongation

Question 13

At which point,as seen from Earth,will a planet appear exactly half-lit (looking like the first quarter or last quarter Moon)? (It may help to draw a diagram and show the sunlit side of the planet on it.)

Accepted Answer

A)  greatest elongation 
B)  opposition 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  superior conjunction 
A)  greatest elongation 
B)  opposition 
C)  inferior conjunction 
D)  superior conjunction

Question 14

In which order (from earliest to latest)did the following people make their major contributions to astronomy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Brahe, Copernicus, Newton, Kepler 
B)  Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton 
C)  Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Newton 
D)  Kepler, Copernicus, Brahe, Newton 
A)  Brahe, Copernicus, Newton, Kepler 
B)  Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton 
C)  Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Newton 
D)  Kepler, Copernicus, Brahe, Newton

Question 15

What is the ultimate test for a scientific theory or idea?

Accepted Answer

A)  A world body such as the United Nations must decree that the theory is correct. 
B)  The theory must be accepted by the vast majority of the population of Earth. 
C)  The theory must make predictions that are verifiable by observation or measurement. 
D)  The theory must be accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community. 
A)  A world body such as the United Nations must decree that the theory is correct. 
B)  The theory must be accepted by the vast majority of the population of Earth. 
C)  The theory must make predictions that are verifiable by observation or measurement. 
D)  The theory must be accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community.

Question 16

How much gravitational force acts on an astronaut in the space shuttle in a circular orbit 300 km above Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  almost zero, but not quite 
B)  exactly the same as when the astronaut is standing on the surface of Earth 
C)  zero, because the astronaut is weightless 
D)  almost (but not quite) as much as when the astronaut is standing on the surface of Earth 
A)  almost zero, but not quite 
B)  exactly the same as when the astronaut is standing on the surface of Earth 
C)  zero, because the astronaut is weightless 
D)  almost (but not quite) as much as when the astronaut is standing on the surface of Earth

Question 17

Newton stated that a constant force,continuously applied to a body in space,will give it a:

Accepted Answer

A)  constant acceleration. 
B)  change of position from one state of rest to another state of rest. 
C)  constant velocity. 
D)  headache. 
A)  constant acceleration. 
B)  change of position from one state of rest to another state of rest. 
C)  constant velocity. 
D)  headache.

Question 18

What is a hyperbola?

Accepted Answer

A)  a straight line extending to infinity in one direction 
B)  a long, skinny ellipse 
C)  an infinitely long curve that never closes on itself 
D)  an ellipse with equal major and minor axes 
A)  a straight line extending to infinity in one direction 
B)  a long, skinny ellipse 
C)  an infinitely long curve that never closes on itself 
D)  an ellipse with equal major and minor axes

Question 19

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of:

Accepted Answer

A)  weight. 
B)  velocity. 
C)  position. 
D)  mass. 
A)  weight. 
B)  velocity. 
C)  position. 
D)  mass.

Question 20

The reason Copernicus's heliocentric theory soon came to be regarded as preferable to the geocentric theory of Ptolemy is that the heliocentric theory accounted for:

Accepted Answer

A)  the observed motions of the planets using complex constructions called epicycles and deferents, so it was considered more reliable than the geocentric theory. 
B)  the same observed motions of the planets as the geocentric theory but did so in a much simpler way. 
C)  retrograde motion, which the geocentric theory was unable to explain. 
D)  the same observed motions of the planets as the geocentric theory but did so much more accurately. 
A)  the observed motions of the planets using complex constructions called epicycles and deferents, so it was considered more reliable than the geocentric theory. 
B)  the same observed motions of the planets as the geocentric theory but did so in a much simpler way. 
C)  retrograde motion, which the geocentric theory was unable to explain. 
D)  the same observed motions of the planets as the geocentric theory but did so much more accurately.

Which object was discovered mathematically using Newton's laws before it was discovered observationally through the telescope?

Which objects are often found to follow hyperbolic orbits?

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

At which point in a planet's elliptical orbit is the planet farthest from the Sun?

The initial reason that the geocentric model for the solar system began to be discarded after the fifteenth century a.d.was that:

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Mercury?

Two spaceships that have different masses but rocket engines of identical force are at rest in space.If they fire their rockets at the same time,which ship will speed up faster?

Kepler's second law states that a line joining a planet to the Sun:

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion,when viewed from Earth?

A space probe is put into a circular orbit around the Sun at a distance of exactly 2 AU from the Sun.According to Kepler's third law,how long does it take this probe to orbit the Sun once?

The distance to a certain star has been measured to be 750 ly.Expressed in parsecs,the distance is approximately:

The planet Venus can NEVER reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

At which point,as seen from Earth,will a planet appear exactly half-lit (looking like the first quarter or last quarter Moon)? (It may help to draw a diagram and show the sunlit side of the planet on it.)

In which order (from earliest to latest)did the following people make their major contributions to astronomy?

What is the ultimate test for a scientific theory or idea?

How much gravitational force acts on an astronaut in the space shuttle in a circular orbit 300 km above Earth's surface?

Newton stated that a constant force,continuously applied to a body in space,will give it a:

What is a hyperbola?

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of:

The reason Copernicus's heliocentric theory soon came to be regarded as preferable to the geocentric theory of Ptolemy is that the heliocentric theory accounted for:

Discovering the Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 2: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Which object was discovered mathematically using Newton's laws before it was discovered observationally through the telescope?

Which objects are often found to follow hyperbolic orbits?

At what point in a planetary orbit is the planet's speed the slowest?

At which point in a planet's elliptical orbit is the planet farthest from the Sun?

The initial reason that the geocentric model for the solar system began to be discarded after the fifteenth century a.d.was that:

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Mercury?

Two spaceships that have different masses but rocket engines of identical force are at rest in space.If they fire their rockets at the same time,which ship will speed up faster?

Kepler's second law states that a line joining a planet to the Sun:

Retrograde motion of a planet refers to which motion,when viewed from Earth?

A space probe is put into a circular orbit around the Sun at a distance of exactly 2 AU from the Sun.According to Kepler's third law,how long does it take this probe to orbit the Sun once?

The distance to a certain star has been measured to be 750 ly.Expressed in parsecs,the distance is approximately:

The planet Venus can NEVER reach which planetary configuration when viewed from Earth?

At which point,as seen from Earth,will a planet appear exactly half-lit (looking like the first quarter or last quarter Moon)? (It may help to draw a diagram and show the sunlit side of the planet on it.)

In which order (from earliest to latest)did the following people make their major contributions to astronomy?

What is the ultimate test for a scientific theory or idea?

How much gravitational force acts on an astronaut in the space shuttle in a circular orbit 300 km above Earth's surface?

Newton stated that a constant force,continuously applied to a body in space,will give it a:

What is a hyperbola?

The acceleration of a body is defined as its rate of change of:

The reason Copernicus's heliocentric theory soon came to be regarded as preferable to the geocentric theory of Ptolemy is that the heliocentric theory accounted for:

Discovering the Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters