Question 1

Which process has played the greatest role in shaping the surface of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  impacts of interplanetary bodies of all sizes 
B)  motions of tectonic plates, producing mountain ranges wherever they collide 
C)  erosion by wind and atmospheric gases 
D)  recent volcanic activity, producing large numbers of craterlike volcanic calderas 
A)  impacts of interplanetary bodies of all sizes 
B)  motions of tectonic plates, producing mountain ranges wherever they collide 
C)  erosion by wind and atmospheric gases 
D)  recent volcanic activity, producing large numbers of craterlike volcanic calderas

Question 2

One of the principal difficulties in establishing the theory of continental drift (the idea that tectonic plates drift around on Earth's surface)was identifying a source of energy capable of powering such movement.What do we now believe to be the direct source of such energy?

Accepted Answer

A)  radioactive decay 
B)  heat trapped by the greenhouse effect 
C)  hot material welling up from Earth's interior 
D)  the tidal pull of the Moon and the Sun 
A)  radioactive decay 
B)  heat trapped by the greenhouse effect 
C)  hot material welling up from Earth's interior 
D)  the tidal pull of the Moon and the Sun

Question 3

The Moon is getting farther from Earth.Will this continue forever?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes. The Moon will always drift away from Earth. 
B)  No. When Earth's rotation slows to zero (because of tidal friction) the recession will end. 
C)  No. When Earth's rotation slows to match the motion of the Moon (synchronous rotation), the recession will end. 
D)  No. Earth's rotation will slow to a stop and then reverse direction. At that point, the Moon will begin to move closer to Earth again. 
A)  Yes. The Moon will always drift away from Earth. 
B)  No. When Earth's rotation slows to zero (because of tidal friction) the recession will end. 
C)  No. When Earth's rotation slows to match the motion of the Moon (synchronous rotation), the recession will end. 
D)  No. Earth's rotation will slow to a stop and then reverse direction. At that point, the Moon will begin to move closer to Earth again.

Question 4

The maximum age of features on the surface of Venus appears to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 10 million years, due to wind and chemical erosion. 
B)  about 250 million years, due to recycling of the crust by plate tectonics. 
C)  3 to 4 billion years, due to an absence of surface activity since early times. 
D)  about 700 million years, due to constant resurfacing of the planet by lava flows. 
A)  less than 10 million years, due to wind and chemical erosion. 
B)  about 250 million years, due to recycling of the crust by plate tectonics. 
C)  3 to 4 billion years, due to an absence of surface activity since early times. 
D)  about 700 million years, due to constant resurfacing of the planet by lava flows.

Question 5

A global magnetic field generated from inside the planet is found around which terrestrial planet or planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars 
B)  Mercury and Earth 
C)  Mercury, Earth, and Mars 
D)  only Earth 
A)  Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars 
B)  Mercury and Earth 
C)  Mercury, Earth, and Mars 
D)  only Earth

Question 6

The inner planets,in order of increasing planetary radius,are:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 
B)  Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Earth. 
C)  Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars. 
D)  Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth. 
A)  Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 
B)  Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Earth. 
C)  Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars. 
D)  Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth.

Question 7

The sulfuric-acid clouds on Venus:

Accepted Answer

A)  are confined to a narrow layer about 60 km above the planet's surface and cover the whole planet. 
B)  extend from the surface to a height of 70 km and cover the whole planet. 
C)  are confined to a layer just above the surface about 1 km thick and completely opaque, rendering the surface invisible from above. 
D)  are in a layer about 70 km above the planet's surface but are patchy, so the surface can be seen occasionally from above. 
A)  are confined to a narrow layer about 60 km above the planet's surface and cover the whole planet. 
B)  extend from the surface to a height of 70 km and cover the whole planet. 
C)  are confined to a layer just above the surface about 1 km thick and completely opaque, rendering the surface invisible from above. 
D)  are in a layer about 70 km above the planet's surface but are patchy, so the surface can be seen occasionally from above.

Question 8

We have found that the upper layers of the mantle are "plastic." Why is this important?

Accepted Answer

A)  Plastic is an important resource for the future. 
B)  These layers can easily crack to allow pent-up heat and energy to escape. 
C)  These layers can easily bend to accommodate oceans and mountains. 
D)  The continents are able to float and drift on these layers. 
A)  Plastic is an important resource for the future. 
B)  These layers can easily crack to allow pent-up heat and energy to escape. 
C)  These layers can easily bend to accommodate oceans and mountains. 
D)  The continents are able to float and drift on these layers.

Question 9

What are the Van Allen belts?

Accepted Answer

A)  regions in the outer solar system beyond Pluto where comets are thought to originate 
B)  dark regions in Jupiter's atmosphere circling the planet parallel to the equator 
C)  regions of intense earthquake activity along tectonic plate boundaries on Earth 
D)  regions of high-energy, charged particles in Earth's magnetosphere 
A)  regions in the outer solar system beyond Pluto where comets are thought to originate 
B)  dark regions in Jupiter's atmosphere circling the planet parallel to the equator 
C)  regions of intense earthquake activity along tectonic plate boundaries on Earth 
D)  regions of high-energy, charged particles in Earth's magnetosphere

Question 10

The idea of continental drift,as proposed by Wegener around 1915,had one major flaw,which was the:

Accepted Answer

A)  absence of a source for the forces and energy required to move the continents. 
B)  lack of any evidence that Africa and the Americas had ever been joined. 
C)  recent discovery of seafloor spreading, which contradicted the theory. 
D)  measured rate of continental motions, which were far greater than predicted. 
A)  absence of a source for the forces and energy required to move the continents. 
B)  lack of any evidence that Africa and the Americas had ever been joined. 
C)  recent discovery of seafloor spreading, which contradicted the theory. 
D)  measured rate of continental motions, which were far greater than predicted.

Question 11

Mercury can be seen easily from Earth only:

Accepted Answer

A)  during a lunar eclipse, when the sky is sufficiently dark near the Moon, because Mercury is always close to the Moon in the sky. 
B)  at midnight, when it is high in the sky. 
C)  when Mercury is near the Sun, just after sunset or just before sunrise. 
D)  in the winter, when the ecliptic plane is high in the sky at night. 
A)  during a lunar eclipse, when the sky is sufficiently dark near the Moon, because Mercury is always close to the Moon in the sky. 
B)  at midnight, when it is high in the sky. 
C)  when Mercury is near the Sun, just after sunset or just before sunrise. 
D)  in the winter, when the ecliptic plane is high in the sky at night.

Question 12

Which property do the terrestrial planets,Mercury,Venus,Earth,and Mars,have in common?

Accepted Answer

A)  The terrestrial planets all orbit the Sun in a year or less. 
B)  The terrestrial planets all have solid surfaces. 
C)  The terrestrial planets are all cloud-covered. 
D)  The terrestrial planets all have very dense atmospheres. 
A)  The terrestrial planets all orbit the Sun in a year or less. 
B)  The terrestrial planets all have solid surfaces. 
C)  The terrestrial planets are all cloud-covered. 
D)  The terrestrial planets all have very dense atmospheres.

Question 13

What happened to the first major atmosphere to develop on the early Earth,which consisted of hydrogen and helium?

Accepted Answer

A)  The molecules reacted chemically with Earth's hot surface and were absorbed into the newly formed rocks. 
B)  The molecules were quickly absorbed into the ocean since they have high solubility in water. 
C)  The molecules combined chemically with one another to become molecules that were heavy enough for Earth's gravity to pull into the surface rocks, where they are now found. 
D)  The atmosphere drifted off into space as Earth's gravity was too weak to hold the light molecules of hydrogen and helium. 
A)  The molecules reacted chemically with Earth's hot surface and were absorbed into the newly formed rocks. 
B)  The molecules were quickly absorbed into the ocean since they have high solubility in water. 
C)  The molecules combined chemically with one another to become molecules that were heavy enough for Earth's gravity to pull into the surface rocks, where they are now found. 
D)  The atmosphere drifted off into space as Earth's gravity was too weak to hold the light molecules of hydrogen and helium.

Question 14

Which particular chemical associated with volcanic emissions has been detected by various techniques in amounts that appear to vary significantly over short time-scales,indicating the possibility of active volcanoes on Venus at the present time?

Accepted Answer

A)  sulfur and sulfur compounds 
B)  silicon and silicate dusts 
C)  ammonia and methane gases 
D)  carbon in carbon dioxide and carbon oxide 
A)  sulfur and sulfur compounds 
B)  silicon and silicate dusts 
C)  ammonia and methane gases 
D)  carbon in carbon dioxide and carbon oxide

Question 15

Temperatures on the surface of Mercury are seen to fluctuate between very cold 100 K (-173°C)and extremely hot 700 K (427°C).What does this measurement indicate about conditions on Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury has a very elliptical orbit, and varying distance from the Sun produces these large temperature fluctuations because intensity varies as the inverse square of the distance from the Sun. 
B)  The planet has an atmosphere in which the greenhouse effect captures solar radiation to heat the sunlit hemisphere of the planet. 
C)  The planet is close to the Sun, has no atmosphere to maintain heat from the Sun, and is rotating. 
D)  Erupting volcanoes occasionally heat the planet's surface to extreme temperatures. 
A)  Mercury has a very elliptical orbit, and varying distance from the Sun produces these large temperature fluctuations because intensity varies as the inverse square of the distance from the Sun. 
B)  The planet has an atmosphere in which the greenhouse effect captures solar radiation to heat the sunlit hemisphere of the planet. 
C)  The planet is close to the Sun, has no atmosphere to maintain heat from the Sun, and is rotating. 
D)  Erupting volcanoes occasionally heat the planet's surface to extreme temperatures.

Question 16

The rovers have uncovered lava rocks containing olivine and pyroxene.What conclusion has been drawn from this evidence?

Accepted Answer

A)  These rocks dissolve quickly in water, thus Mars must have been dry for several billion years. 
B)  These rocks contain water, so the surface must have been submerged at some time during the last billon years. 
C)  These rocks contain microfossils that might be the remnants of living organisms. This greatly increases expectations of past life on Mars. 
D)  These rocks form at high temperature, suggesting that Mars formed closer to the Sun than it is now. 
A)  These rocks dissolve quickly in water, thus Mars must have been dry for several billion years. 
B)  These rocks contain water, so the surface must have been submerged at some time during the last billon years. 
C)  These rocks contain microfossils that might be the remnants of living organisms. This greatly increases expectations of past life on Mars. 
D)  These rocks form at high temperature, suggesting that Mars formed closer to the Sun than it is now.

Question 17

On the basis of its appearance and general properties,which planetary body could be described as Earth's twin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars-somewhat smaller but with a similar surface, a thin atmosphere, and clouds 
B)  the Moon-somewhat smaller but having the same average density and geology 
C)  Pluto-similar size and density, a large moon, and probably life on its surface 
D)  Venus-about the same mass and diameter, dense atmosphere, and cloud-shrouded 
A)  Mars-somewhat smaller but with a similar surface, a thin atmosphere, and clouds 
B)  the Moon-somewhat smaller but having the same average density and geology 
C)  Pluto-similar size and density, a large moon, and probably life on its surface 
D)  Venus-about the same mass and diameter, dense atmosphere, and cloud-shrouded

Question 18

The spacecraft that has provided our most detailed understanding of the Martian surface to date is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars Global Surveyor. 
B)  Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. 
C)  Mars Pathfinder. 
D)  Magellan. 
A)  Mars Global Surveyor. 
B)  Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. 
C)  Mars Pathfinder. 
D)  Magellan.

Question 19

What is the diameter of the Moon compared with the diameter of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 1/4 of the diameter of Earth 
B)  less than 1/100 of the diameter of Earth 
C)  about 1/10 of the diameter of Earth 
D)  just over 1/2 the diameter of Earth 
A)  about 1/4 of the diameter of Earth 
B)  less than 1/100 of the diameter of Earth 
C)  about 1/10 of the diameter of Earth 
D)  just over 1/2 the diameter of Earth

Question 20

The one terrestrial planet that rotates in the "wrong" way (opposite to the rotation of most other planets and to the planet's revolutionary direction)is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars. 
B)  Earth. 
C)  Mercury. 
D)  Venus. 
A)  Mars. 
B)  Earth. 
C)  Mercury. 
D)  Venus.

Which process has played the greatest role in shaping the surface of the Moon?

One of the principal difficulties in establishing the theory of continental drift (the idea that tectonic plates drift around on Earth's surface)was identifying a source of energy capable of powering such movement.What do we now believe to be the direct source of such energy?

The Moon is getting farther from Earth.Will this continue forever?

The maximum age of features on the surface of Venus appears to be:

A global magnetic field generated from inside the planet is found around which terrestrial planet or planets?

The inner planets,in order of increasing planetary radius,are:

The sulfuric-acid clouds on Venus:

We have found that the upper layers of the mantle are "plastic." Why is this important?

What are the Van Allen belts?

The idea of continental drift,as proposed by Wegener around 1915,had one major flaw,which was the:

Mercury can be seen easily from Earth only:

Which property do the terrestrial planets,Mercury,Venus,Earth,and Mars,have in common?

What happened to the first major atmosphere to develop on the early Earth,which consisted of hydrogen and helium?

Which particular chemical associated with volcanic emissions has been detected by various techniques in amounts that appear to vary significantly over short time-scales,indicating the possibility of active volcanoes on Venus at the present time?

Temperatures on the surface of Mercury are seen to fluctuate between very cold 100 K (-173°C)and extremely hot 700 K (427°C).What does this measurement indicate about conditions on Mercury?

The rovers have uncovered lava rocks containing olivine and pyroxene.What conclusion has been drawn from this evidence?

On the basis of its appearance and general properties,which planetary body could be described as Earth's twin?

The spacecraft that has provided our most detailed understanding of the Martian surface to date is:

What is the diameter of the Moon compared with the diameter of Earth?

The one terrestrial planet that rotates in the "wrong" way (opposite to the rotation of most other planets and to the planet's revolutionary direction)is:

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

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Exam 6: The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

Which process has played the greatest role in shaping the surface of the Moon?

One of the principal difficulties in establishing the theory of continental drift (the idea that tectonic plates drift around on Earth's surface)was identifying a source of energy capable of powering such movement.What do we now believe to be the direct source of such energy?

The Moon is getting farther from Earth.Will this continue forever?

The maximum age of features on the surface of Venus appears to be:

A global magnetic field generated from inside the planet is found around which terrestrial planet or planets?

The inner planets,in order of increasing planetary radius,are:

The sulfuric-acid clouds on Venus:

We have found that the upper layers of the mantle are "plastic." Why is this important?

What are the Van Allen belts?

The idea of continental drift,as proposed by Wegener around 1915,had one major flaw,which was the:

Mercury can be seen easily from Earth only:

Which property do the terrestrial planets,Mercury,Venus,Earth,and Mars,have in common?

What happened to the first major atmosphere to develop on the early Earth,which consisted of hydrogen and helium?

Which particular chemical associated with volcanic emissions has been detected by various techniques in amounts that appear to vary significantly over short time-scales,indicating the possibility of active volcanoes on Venus at the present time?

Temperatures on the surface of Mercury are seen to fluctuate between very cold 100 K (-173°C)and extremely hot 700 K (427°C).What does this measurement indicate about conditions on Mercury?

The rovers have uncovered lava rocks containing olivine and pyroxene.What conclusion has been drawn from this evidence?

On the basis of its appearance and general properties,which planetary body could be described as Earth's twin?

The spacecraft that has provided our most detailed understanding of the Martian surface to date is:

What is the diameter of the Moon compared with the diameter of Earth?

The one terrestrial planet that rotates in the "wrong" way (opposite to the rotation of most other planets and to the planet's revolutionary direction)is:

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