Question 1

The material of Earth's interior becomes molten at _____ km below the surface.

Accepted Answer

A)  5200 
B)  300 
C)  2900 
D)  Unknown. This statement is erroneous because nowhere is the interior molten. 
A)  5200 
B)  300 
C)  2900 
D)  Unknown. This statement is erroneous because nowhere is the interior molten.

Question 2

Billions of years ago,Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide.What happened to much of this carbon dioxide?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is still in the atmosphere. 
B)  It dissolved into Earth's oceans. 
C)  It was broken down into carbon and oxygen by solar ultraviolet light. 
D)  It was lost to space. 
A)  It is still in the atmosphere. 
B)  It dissolved into Earth's oceans. 
C)  It was broken down into carbon and oxygen by solar ultraviolet light. 
D)  It was lost to space.

Question 3

The Moon produces tidal disturbances on the oceans of Earth.In general,there are:

Accepted Answer

A)  two equal high tides and one low tide per day. 
B)  two high and two low tides per day. 
C)  one high tide and one low tide per day. 
D)  one high tide and one low tide per month. 
A)  two equal high tides and one low tide per day. 
B)  two high and two low tides per day. 
C)  one high tide and one low tide per day. 
D)  one high tide and one low tide per month.

Question 4

What is the relationship between Mercury's rotation about its axis (measured relative to the distant stars)and its revolution around the Sun? (See Figures 6-34 and Figure.6-44,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury rotates once for every 3 revolutions around the Sun. 
B)  Mercury rotates exactly once during each revolution around the Sun. 
C)  Mercury rotates approximately 88 times during each revolution around the Sun. 
D)  Mercury rotates 3 times for every 2 revolutions around the Sun. 
A)  Mercury rotates once for every 3 revolutions around the Sun. 
B)  Mercury rotates exactly once during each revolution around the Sun. 
C)  Mercury rotates approximately 88 times during each revolution around the Sun. 
D)  Mercury rotates 3 times for every 2 revolutions around the Sun.

Question 5

Which statement is believed to be the CORRECT explanation for the origin of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Moon was formed elsewhere in the solar system (which is why its composition differs from that of Earth) and was later captured by Earth's gravity. 
B)  Shortly after its formation, Earth was spinning so fast in its molten state that a large piece of material was thrown off, and this chunk coalesced to form the Moon-leaving the Pacific Ocean basin in the place where it was thrown off. 
C)  Earth and the Moon were formed separately at the same time, while in orbit around their common center of mass, by the accretion of planetesimals. 
D)  Earth was struck by a large planetesimal that caused material to be ejected. This material coalesced to form the Moon. 
A)  The Moon was formed elsewhere in the solar system (which is why its composition differs from that of Earth) and was later captured by Earth's gravity. 
B)  Shortly after its formation, Earth was spinning so fast in its molten state that a large piece of material was thrown off, and this chunk coalesced to form the Moon-leaving the Pacific Ocean basin in the place where it was thrown off. 
C)  Earth and the Moon were formed separately at the same time, while in orbit around their common center of mass, by the accretion of planetesimals. 
D)  Earth was struck by a large planetesimal that caused material to be ejected. This material coalesced to form the Moon.

Question 6

Evidence of past water on Mars comes from each of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  polygon-shaped cracks in rocks. 
B)  dried-up lake beds and river beds. 
C)  the presence of hematite. 
D)  observation of water-rich bodies striking the planet, implying more of them did so in the past. 
A)  polygon-shaped cracks in rocks. 
B)  dried-up lake beds and river beds. 
C)  the presence of hematite. 
D)  observation of water-rich bodies striking the planet, implying more of them did so in the past.

Question 7

What is the MOST significant fact about the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oxygen is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere. 
B)  Oxygen is very chemically reactive. 
C)  The oxygen in Earth's atmosphere exists not as pure oxygen, but only in chemical combination with hydrogen in water, carbon in carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in nitrogen oxides. 
D)  Oxygen is the heaviest molecule in Earth's atmosphere. 
A)  Oxygen is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere. 
B)  Oxygen is very chemically reactive. 
C)  The oxygen in Earth's atmosphere exists not as pure oxygen, but only in chemical combination with hydrogen in water, carbon in carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in nitrogen oxides. 
D)  Oxygen is the heaviest molecule in Earth's atmosphere.

Question 8

Approximately how many times in one Earth year does Mercury go completely around the Sun,as viewed from the distant stars? (See Figure 6-34,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Accepted Answer

A)  4 times 
B)  3 times 
C)  twice 
D)  once 
A)  4 times 
B)  3 times 
C)  twice 
D)  once

Question 9

Mercury appears from spacecraft photographs to resemble the Moon in its surface features but with one important difference:

Accepted Answer

A)  the presence of extensive plains between craters, in contrast with the surface of the Moon. 
B)  the presence of retrograde direction of spin compared with most other planets and moons. 
C)  evidence of active volcanoes on Mercury. 
D)  the presence of clouds and a measurable and significant atmosphere on Mercury. 
A)  the presence of extensive plains between craters, in contrast with the surface of the Moon. 
B)  the presence of retrograde direction of spin compared with most other planets and moons. 
C)  evidence of active volcanoes on Mercury. 
D)  the presence of clouds and a measurable and significant atmosphere on Mercury.

Question 10

Why does the temperature in the stratosphere increase with increasing altitude?

Accepted Answer

A)  The stratosphere is heated by solar ultraviolet radiation absorbed by the ozone layer. 
B)  Charged particles from the magnetosphere collide with atoms in the stratosphere, depositing energy. 
C)  Higher altitudes are closer to the Sun and are therefore heated more by it. 
D)  The stratosphere is heated by solar infrared radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide and water vapor. 
A)  The stratosphere is heated by solar ultraviolet radiation absorbed by the ozone layer. 
B)  Charged particles from the magnetosphere collide with atoms in the stratosphere, depositing energy. 
C)  Higher altitudes are closer to the Sun and are therefore heated more by it. 
D)  The stratosphere is heated by solar infrared radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Question 11

The existence of the mid-Atlantic Ridge is evidence that Europe and North America are:

Accepted Answer

A)  moving closer together. 
B)  moving farther apart. 
C)  remaining a fixed distance apart. 
D)  floating on layers of basalt of significantly different densities. 
A)  moving closer together. 
B)  moving farther apart. 
C)  remaining a fixed distance apart. 
D)  floating on layers of basalt of significantly different densities.

Question 12

A number of signs of former tectonic activity have been found on Mars.Which characteristic is NOT one of these signs?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Valles Marineris 
B)  interlocked magnetic fields along extended regions 
C)  remnants of global magnetism 
D)  long lines of dormant volcanoes marking ancient plate boundaries 
A)  the Valles Marineris 
B)  interlocked magnetic fields along extended regions 
C)  remnants of global magnetism 
D)  long lines of dormant volcanoes marking ancient plate boundaries

Question 13

Which statement about the Moon is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  One side of the Moon is always in darkness. 
B)  The Moon can never pass through Earth's shadow. 
C)  The Moon does not rotate on its axis. 
D)  Earth can never be seen from one side of the Moon. 
A)  One side of the Moon is always in darkness. 
B)  The Moon can never pass through Earth's shadow. 
C)  The Moon does not rotate on its axis. 
D)  Earth can never be seen from one side of the Moon.

Question 14

Sometimes high tides are lower than at other times.What name is given to the lowest high tides?

Accepted Answer

A)  rip tides 
B)  pep tides 
C)  spring tides 
D)  neap tides 
A)  rip tides 
B)  pep tides 
C)  spring tides 
D)  neap tides

Question 15

How does Mercury rotate,relative to the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury rotates relatively quickly so that a solar day (from sunrise to the next sunrise) on Mercury is just a bit shorter than on Earth. 
B)  Mercury rotates in a retrograde direction; consequently, the Sun rises in the west each day and sets in the east. 
C)  Mercury turns the same side (Caloris Basin) toward the Sun at all times, much as the Moon turns the same side toward Earth. 
D)  Mercury alternately turns one side (Caloris Basin) toward the Sun at one perihelion and the opposite side toward the Sun at the next perihelion. 
A)  Mercury rotates relatively quickly so that a solar day (from sunrise to the next sunrise) on Mercury is just a bit shorter than on Earth. 
B)  Mercury rotates in a retrograde direction; consequently, the Sun rises in the west each day and sets in the east. 
C)  Mercury turns the same side (Caloris Basin) toward the Sun at all times, much as the Moon turns the same side toward Earth. 
D)  Mercury alternately turns one side (Caloris Basin) toward the Sun at one perihelion and the opposite side toward the Sun at the next perihelion.

Question 16

The human exploration of the surface of the Moon during the Apollo program lasted:

Accepted Answer

A)  less than a year. 
B)  about 25 years. 
C)  about 10 years. 
D)  less than 4 years. 
A)  less than a year. 
B)  about 25 years. 
C)  about 10 years. 
D)  less than 4 years.

Question 17

To what does the name Pangaea refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  the tectonic plate on which most of North America is riding 
B)  the outer life-bearing layer of Earth, including the soil, oceans, and atmosphere 
C)  a supercontinent on a tectonic plate that split into the present North and South America, Europe, and Africa 
D)  an ocean that covered most of North America millions of years ago 
A)  the tectonic plate on which most of North America is riding 
B)  the outer life-bearing layer of Earth, including the soil, oceans, and atmosphere 
C)  a supercontinent on a tectonic plate that split into the present North and South America, Europe, and Africa 
D)  an ocean that covered most of North America millions of years ago

Question 18

What is the cause of the great mountain ranges on Earth,such as the Rockies,the Andes,and the Himalayas?

Accepted Answer

A)  In the carving of continents during ice ages, the mountains were left behind as "islands" in a sea of glaciers. 
B)  Heat from Earth's interior caused Earth's crust to expand and then crumple. 
C)  Two tectonic plates are being pushed apart by molten rock that is being forced up between them 
D)  Two tectonic plates that are moving at different velocities across the face of Earth collide. 
A)  In the carving of continents during ice ages, the mountains were left behind as "islands" in a sea of glaciers. 
B)  Heat from Earth's interior caused Earth's crust to expand and then crumple. 
C)  Two tectonic plates are being pushed apart by molten rock that is being forced up between them 
D)  Two tectonic plates that are moving at different velocities across the face of Earth collide.

Question 19

Mercury's average density and the fact that it has a (weak)magnetic field lead to the conclusion that its central core is probably composed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  solid rocks of relatively low density. 
B)  solid and molten iron. 
C)  ices of water and methane. 
D)  molten rock. 
A)  solid rocks of relatively low density. 
B)  solid and molten iron. 
C)  ices of water and methane. 
D)  molten rock.

Question 20

The geology and geography of the surface of Venus is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A)  volcanoes and volcanic uplifts in the northern hemisphere and cratered plains in the southern hemisphere. 
B)  colliding surface plates with long mountain chains, rift valleys, and deep subduction trenches. 
C)  heavily cratered, with no major volcanoes or lava flows. 
D)  mostly volcanic plains, with two continent-sized uplands and a number of large volcanoes. 
A)  volcanoes and volcanic uplifts in the northern hemisphere and cratered plains in the southern hemisphere. 
B)  colliding surface plates with long mountain chains, rift valleys, and deep subduction trenches. 
C)  heavily cratered, with no major volcanoes or lava flows. 
D)  mostly volcanic plains, with two continent-sized uplands and a number of large volcanoes.

The material of Earth's interior becomes molten at _____ km below the surface.

Billions of years ago,Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide.What happened to much of this carbon dioxide?

The Moon produces tidal disturbances on the oceans of Earth.In general,there are:

What is the relationship between Mercury's rotation about its axis (measured relative to the distant stars)and its revolution around the Sun? (See Figures 6-34 and Figure.6-44,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Which statement is believed to be the CORRECT explanation for the origin of the Moon?

Evidence of past water on Mars comes from each of the following EXCEPT:

What is the MOST significant fact about the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere?

Approximately how many times in one Earth year does Mercury go completely around the Sun,as viewed from the distant stars? (See Figure 6-34,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Mercury appears from spacecraft photographs to resemble the Moon in its surface features but with one important difference:

Why does the temperature in the stratosphere increase with increasing altitude?

The existence of the mid-Atlantic Ridge is evidence that Europe and North America are:

A number of signs of former tectonic activity have been found on Mars.Which characteristic is NOT one of these signs?

Which statement about the Moon is TRUE?

Sometimes high tides are lower than at other times.What name is given to the lowest high tides?

How does Mercury rotate,relative to the Sun?

The human exploration of the surface of the Moon during the Apollo program lasted:

To what does the name Pangaea refer?

What is the cause of the great mountain ranges on Earth,such as the Rockies,the Andes,and the Himalayas?

Mercury's average density and the fact that it has a (weak)magnetic field lead to the conclusion that its central core is probably composed of:

The geology and geography of the surface of Venus is best described as:

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

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 6: The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The material of Earth's interior becomes molten at _____ km below the surface.

Billions of years ago,Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide.What happened to much of this carbon dioxide?

The Moon produces tidal disturbances on the oceans of Earth.In general,there are:

What is the relationship between Mercury's rotation about its axis (measured relative to the distant stars)and its revolution around the Sun? (See Figures 6-34 and Figure.6-44,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Which statement is believed to be the CORRECT explanation for the origin of the Moon?

Evidence of past water on Mars comes from each of the following EXCEPT:

What is the MOST significant fact about the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere?

Approximately how many times in one Earth year does Mercury go completely around the Sun,as viewed from the distant stars? (See Figure 6-34,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Mercury appears from spacecraft photographs to resemble the Moon in its surface features but with one important difference:

Why does the temperature in the stratosphere increase with increasing altitude?

The existence of the mid-Atlantic Ridge is evidence that Europe and North America are:

A number of signs of former tectonic activity have been found on Mars.Which characteristic is NOT one of these signs?

Which statement about the Moon is TRUE?

Sometimes high tides are lower than at other times.What name is given to the lowest high tides?

How does Mercury rotate,relative to the Sun?

The human exploration of the surface of the Moon during the Apollo program lasted:

To what does the name Pangaea refer?

What is the cause of the great mountain ranges on Earth,such as the Rockies,the Andes,and the Himalayas?

Mercury's average density and the fact that it has a (weak)magnetic field lead to the conclusion that its central core is probably composed of:

The geology and geography of the surface of Venus is best described as:

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

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