Exam 4: Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

The protosun ceased to contract when its central temperature became high enough to sustain nuclear reactions.What temperature was this?

The SMALLEST terrestrial planet is:

The correct sequence of planets in our solar system from the Sun outward is:

Which object is NOT a dwarf planet?

The reason for the vast amount of hydrogen in the interior of Jupiter is probably that:

Where in the universe are heavy elements with masses greater than that of helium being produced at this time?

A small solar system body CANNOT be a(n):

The asteroid belt exists between the orbits of which planets?

How long did the formation of the terrestrial planets require in our solar system?

What is a protoplanetary disk?

The asteroid Gaspra (see Figure 4-7,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)is typical of most asteroids in that it is:

Which statement describes the distribution of light and heavy elements in the solar system?

A theory of the origin of the solar system must take into account all important general properties of the planets.Which statement does NOT describe an important general property of the planets?

What are the main characteristics of our solar system?

The solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago.What has been the rate of bombardment by space debris in the inner part of the solar system since then?

Where was all the hydrogen in the universe formed?

What is a plutoid?

The nebular hypothesis of the formation of the solar system assumes that the material that became the solar system began as a large spherical cloud of gas and dust,rotating slowly.As the solar system formed,most of this material was transformed into a compact,flattened disk,rotating more rapidly.What is the explanation for this change in shape and rate of rotation?

The large gravitational influences of Jupiter and Saturn forced some planetisimals in their neighborhood to move outward away from the Sun.A consequence of these gravitational forces was:

The MOST common elements in the universe are: