Question 1

The coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere is located between the:

Accepted Answer

A)  mesosphere and thermosphere. 
B)  troposphere and Earth's surface. 
C)  stratosphere and mesosphere. 
D)  troposphere and stratosphere. 
A)  mesosphere and thermosphere. 
B)  troposphere and Earth's surface. 
C)  stratosphere and mesosphere. 
D)  troposphere and stratosphere.

Question 2

Spacecraft measurements near Venus indicate that the planet has:

Accepted Answer

A)  a very powerful magnetic field, much stronger than that of Earth. 
B)  a magnetic field that varies in concert with the 11-year solar activity cycle and is linked to it via the solar wind. 
C)  no planetwide magnetic field. 
D)  a variable planetwide magnetic field like Earth. 
A)  a very powerful magnetic field, much stronger than that of Earth. 
B)  a magnetic field that varies in concert with the 11-year solar activity cycle and is linked to it via the solar wind. 
C)  no planetwide magnetic field. 
D)  a variable planetwide magnetic field like Earth.

Question 3

Each of the following characterizes the orbital motion of Venus EXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  retrograde rotation around its axis 
B)  retrograde orbital motion 
C)  rotation axis lying almost in its orbital plane 
D)  sidereal rotation period longer than its orbital period 
A)  retrograde rotation around its axis 
B)  retrograde orbital motion 
C)  rotation axis lying almost in its orbital plane 
D)  sidereal rotation period longer than its orbital period

Question 4

Tomorrow's weather forecast for the Caloris Basin on Mercury's equator is:

Accepted Answer

A)  overcast, light winds, occasional acid rain. 
B)  hot and humid by mid-afternoon; cooling to near freezing overnight. 
C)  sunny with scattered clouds, possible afternoon dust storms. 
D)  lead and zinc melting by noon; temperatures well below freezing overnight. 
A)  overcast, light winds, occasional acid rain. 
B)  hot and humid by mid-afternoon; cooling to near freezing overnight. 
C)  sunny with scattered clouds, possible afternoon dust storms. 
D)  lead and zinc melting by noon; temperatures well below freezing overnight.

Question 5

In which physical characteristic are Earth and Mars MOST similar to each other?

Accepted Answer

A)  total mass 
B)  number of moons 
C)  length of solar day 
D)  planetary diameter 
A)  total mass 
B)  number of moons 
C)  length of solar day 
D)  planetary diameter

Question 6

Atmospheric pressure at the surface of Mars compared with atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface is:

Accepted Answer

A)  about 90 times greater. 
B)  less than 1/100. 
C)  extremely small (less than 1 millionth). 
D)  about the same. 
A)  about 90 times greater. 
B)  less than 1/100. 
C)  extremely small (less than 1 millionth). 
D)  about the same.

Question 7

Which technique is NOT used to establish the age of the Moon's surface features?

Accepted Answer

A)  radioactive dating of rocks 
B)  observing the degree of darkening of ejecta blanket material by solar wind particle impacts 
C)  observing the amount of natural erosion in the lunar mountains 
D)  counting the density of crater impacts on the surface 
A)  radioactive dating of rocks 
B)  observing the degree of darkening of ejecta blanket material by solar wind particle impacts 
C)  observing the amount of natural erosion in the lunar mountains 
D)  counting the density of crater impacts on the surface

Question 8

About how much has Earth's surface temperature changed since a.d.1000?

Accepted Answer

A)  It has remained absolutely constant. 
B)  5°C 
C)  0.6°C 
D)  15°C 
A)  It has remained absolutely constant. 
B)  5°C 
C)  0.6°C 
D)  15°C

Question 9

What kinds of large-scale changes have occurred on the Moon in the last billion years?

Accepted Answer

A)  None-the Moon is exactly as it was 1 billion years ago. 
B)  tectonic activity 
C)  volcanic activity and large-scale lava flows 
D)  gentle sculpting of the landscape by constant meteoroid impact 
A)  None-the Moon is exactly as it was 1 billion years ago. 
B)  tectonic activity 
C)  volcanic activity and large-scale lava flows 
D)  gentle sculpting of the landscape by constant meteoroid impact

Question 10

The overall geography of the Venusian surface has been determined largely by:

Accepted Answer

A)  photography from orbiting spacecraft in long elliptical orbits in order to descend below the clouds during part of their orbits. 
B)  unmanned spacecraft that landed on the surface. 
C)  radar techniques from orbiting spacecraft. 
D)  visible light photography. 
A)  photography from orbiting spacecraft in long elliptical orbits in order to descend below the clouds during part of their orbits. 
B)  unmanned spacecraft that landed on the surface. 
C)  radar techniques from orbiting spacecraft. 
D)  visible light photography.

Question 11

What is the relationship between Earth's mantle and crust?

Accepted Answer

A)  The crust sits motionless on top of the mantle and does not interact with it. 
B)  Convection in the mantle moves the continents around, but there is no transfer of material from the mantle to the crust or vice versa. 
C)  New layers of crust are formed when magma from the mantle flows out over old crust, and this old crust remains as the lowest level of the crust. 
D)  New crust is formed by magma rising from the mantle in some places, and old crust is pushed back down into the mantle in other places. 
A)  The crust sits motionless on top of the mantle and does not interact with it. 
B)  Convection in the mantle moves the continents around, but there is no transfer of material from the mantle to the crust or vice versa. 
C)  New layers of crust are formed when magma from the mantle flows out over old crust, and this old crust remains as the lowest level of the crust. 
D)  New crust is formed by magma rising from the mantle in some places, and old crust is pushed back down into the mantle in other places.

Question 12

How many raised areas that look like continents are seen on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  one 
B)  several 
C)  none 
D)  two 
A)  one 
B)  several 
C)  none 
D)  two

Question 13

Which feature(s)on Earth's surface is/are NOT an indication of plate tectonic motion either in the past or at present?

Accepted Answer

A)  the "ring of fire" around the Pacific Ocean, where volcanoes and earthquakes are common 
B)  the deep ocean trenches found in certain regions of Earth's surface 
C)  our planet-wide magnetic field 
D)  the presence of mountain ranges such as the Andes and the Himalayas in certain areas of Earth 
A)  the "ring of fire" around the Pacific Ocean, where volcanoes and earthquakes are common 
B)  the deep ocean trenches found in certain regions of Earth's surface 
C)  our planet-wide magnetic field 
D)  the presence of mountain ranges such as the Andes and the Himalayas in certain areas of Earth

Question 14

The average density of which planetary group is close to that of water (1000 kg/m³)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury and Venus because they are close to the Sun 
B)  terrestrial planets because they are of relatively low mass and have been compressed very little by gravitational forces 
C)  asteroids because they are very small objects 
D)  large, outer planets because of their composition-hydrogen and helium 
A)  Mercury and Venus because they are close to the Sun 
B)  terrestrial planets because they are of relatively low mass and have been compressed very little by gravitational forces 
C)  asteroids because they are very small objects 
D)  large, outer planets because of their composition-hydrogen and helium

Question 15

The average age of the surface of Venus has been determined primarily from:

Accepted Answer

A)  the number of impact craters per unit area of surface. 
B)  the amount of weathering of lava flows imaged by the Magellan radar mapper. 
C)  soil analysis by Russian landers. 
D)  radio-isotope analysis of rocks brought back from Venus by space probes. 
A)  the number of impact craters per unit area of surface. 
B)  the amount of weathering of lava flows imaged by the Magellan radar mapper. 
C)  soil analysis by Russian landers. 
D)  radio-isotope analysis of rocks brought back from Venus by space probes.

Question 16

Where in the solar system did the Viking spacecraft land?

Accepted Answer

A)  on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter 
B)  on Venus 
C)  on Mars 
D)  on Earth's Moon 
A)  on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter 
B)  on Venus 
C)  on Mars 
D)  on Earth's Moon

Question 17

Spacecraft exploring the Moon in the 1990s found evidence of water:

Accepted Answer

A)  as hoar frost on the rims of craters, frozen out during lunar night but quickly evaporating when illuminated by sunlight. 
B)  in the depths of the sinuous rilles or valleys, probably the frozen remnants of the rivers that caused the valleys. 
C)  as ice in craters near the Moon's south pole. 
D)  as permafrost all over the Moon, particularly in the light-colored highlands. 
A)  as hoar frost on the rims of craters, frozen out during lunar night but quickly evaporating when illuminated by sunlight. 
B)  in the depths of the sinuous rilles or valleys, probably the frozen remnants of the rivers that caused the valleys. 
C)  as ice in craters near the Moon's south pole. 
D)  as permafrost all over the Moon, particularly in the light-colored highlands.

Question 18

The albedo of a piece of white paper is about:

Accepted Answer

A)  minus one. 
B)  zero. 
C)  one. 
D)  two. 
A)  minus one. 
B)  zero. 
C)  one. 
D)  two.

Question 19

What were the dominant gases in Earth's second atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  nitrogen and oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide and nitrogen 
C)  methane and ammonia 
D)  hydrogen and helium 
A)  nitrogen and oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide and nitrogen 
C)  methane and ammonia 
D)  hydrogen and helium

Question 20

Several components of the atmosphere and the environment on Mars render it sterile and antiseptic and would destroy life on the planet.Which component is NOT one of these factors?

Accepted Answer

A)  solar UV radiation, which is not absorbed by the thin atmosphere 
B)  sulfuric acid droplets in the atmosphere 
C)  hydrogen peroxide in the soil 
D)  ozone in the atmosphere produced by solar UV light 
A)  solar UV radiation, which is not absorbed by the thin atmosphere 
B)  sulfuric acid droplets in the atmosphere 
C)  hydrogen peroxide in the soil 
D)  ozone in the atmosphere produced by solar UV light

The coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere is located between the:

Spacecraft measurements near Venus indicate that the planet has:

Each of the following characterizes the orbital motion of Venus EXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

Tomorrow's weather forecast for the Caloris Basin on Mercury's equator is:

In which physical characteristic are Earth and Mars MOST similar to each other?

Atmospheric pressure at the surface of Mars compared with atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface is:

Which technique is NOT used to establish the age of the Moon's surface features?

About how much has Earth's surface temperature changed since a.d.1000?

What kinds of large-scale changes have occurred on the Moon in the last billion years?

The overall geography of the Venusian surface has been determined largely by:

What is the relationship between Earth's mantle and crust?

How many raised areas that look like continents are seen on Venus?

Which feature(s)on Earth's surface is/are NOT an indication of plate tectonic motion either in the past or at present?

The average density of which planetary group is close to that of water (1000 kg/m³)?

The average age of the surface of Venus has been determined primarily from:

Where in the solar system did the Viking spacecraft land?

Spacecraft exploring the Moon in the 1990s found evidence of water:

The albedo of a piece of white paper is about:

What were the dominant gases in Earth's second atmosphere?

Several components of the atmosphere and the environment on Mars render it sterile and antiseptic and would destroy life on the planet.Which component is NOT one of these factors?

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 coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere is located between the:

Spacecraft measurements near Venus indicate that the planet has:

Each of the following characterizes the orbital motion of Venus EXCEPT ONE.Which is the exception?

Tomorrow's weather forecast for the Caloris Basin on Mercury's equator is:

In which physical characteristic are Earth and Mars MOST similar to each other?

Atmospheric pressure at the surface of Mars compared with atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface is:

Which technique is NOT used to establish the age of the Moon's surface features?

About how much has Earth's surface temperature changed since a.d.1000?

What kinds of large-scale changes have occurred on the Moon in the last billion years?

The overall geography of the Venusian surface has been determined largely by:

What is the relationship between Earth's mantle and crust?

How many raised areas that look like continents are seen on Venus?

Which feature(s)on Earth's surface is/are NOT an indication of plate tectonic motion either in the past or at present?

The average density of which planetary group is close to that of water (1000 kg/m³)?

The average age of the surface of Venus has been determined primarily from:

Where in the solar system did the Viking spacecraft land?

Spacecraft exploring the Moon in the 1990s found evidence of water:

The albedo of a piece of white paper is about:

What were the dominant gases in Earth's second atmosphere?

Several components of the atmosphere and the environment on Mars render it sterile and antiseptic and would destroy life on the planet.Which component is NOT one of these factors?

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