Question 1

Astronomers believe that Venus was created with the thick atmosphere it currently has.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Explain why an accretion disk forms around a protostar when an interstellar cloud collapses.

Accepted Answer

As the cloud collapses,the rat

Question 3

Compare the orbital angular momentum of the Earth and Jupiter.Which is larger,and by how much? (Note that Jupiter's mass is 318 times that of the Earth,the semimajor axis of Jupiter's orbit is 5.2 AU,and Jupiter's orbital period is 12 years.)

Accepted Answer

The orbital angular momentum is equal to

Question 4

Have astronomers detected any Earth-sized planets around normal stars yet?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes,although the ones detected lie much closer to their stars than we do to ours. 
B)  Yes,although the ones detected lie much farther from their stars than we do from ours. 
C)  No,we do not have the technology to detect such low-mass planets yet. 
D)  No.Although we have the technology to detect low-mass planets,we haven't found any others yet. 
A)  Yes,although the ones detected lie much closer to their stars than we do to ours. 
B)  Yes,although the ones detected lie much farther from their stars than we do from ours. 
C)  No,we do not have the technology to detect such low-mass planets yet. 
D)  No.Although we have the technology to detect low-mass planets,we haven't found any others yet.

Question 5

You are driving on the freeway when a police officer records a shift of -7 nm when he hits you with a radar gun that operates at a wavelength of 0.1 m.How fast were you going?

Accepted Answer

A)  47 mph 
B)  83 mph 
C)  21 mph 
D)  65 mph 
A)  47 mph 
B)  83 mph 
C)  21 mph 
D)  65 mph

Question 6

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Accepted Answer

Conservation of energy is at play as gra

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A)  Uranus is "tipped over" so that it rotates on its side. 
B)  Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar,many times deeper than the Grand Canyon,which spans one-fourth the circumference of the planet. 
C)  Mercury has crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater. 
D)  Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon's size. 
A)  Uranus is "tipped over" so that it rotates on its side. 
B)  Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar,many times deeper than the Grand Canyon,which spans one-fourth the circumference of the planet. 
C)  Mercury has crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater. 
D)  Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon's size.

Question 8

Planets like Earth are found closer to the Sun than planets like Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Our Solar System is likely unique among the stars in our galaxy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The difference in composition between the giant planets and the terrestrial planets is most likely caused by the fact that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the giant planets are much larger 
B)  only the terrestrial planets have iron cores 
C)  the terrestrial planets are closer to the Sun 
D)  the giant planets are made mostly of carbon 
A)  the giant planets are much larger 
B)  only the terrestrial planets have iron cores 
C)  the terrestrial planets are closer to the Sun 
D)  the giant planets are made mostly of carbon

Question 11

Conservation of angular momentum states that as a cloud of interstellar gas and dust collapses,the velocity of the particles increases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Which of the following is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Over 330 extra-solar planets have been discovered to date from radial velocity surveys. 
B)  The most common type of extra-solar planet found to date has a few times the mass of Jupiter and lies within a few AU from its parent star. 
C)  No extra-solar planets have been imaged directly to date; all have been found by indirect methods. 
D)  A star can brighten significantly due to gravitational lensing when a planet that orbits it passes directly in front of the star. 
A)  Over 330 extra-solar planets have been discovered to date from radial velocity surveys. 
B)  The most common type of extra-solar planet found to date has a few times the mass of Jupiter and lies within a few AU from its parent star. 
C)  No extra-solar planets have been imaged directly to date; all have been found by indirect methods. 
D)  A star can brighten significantly due to gravitational lensing when a planet that orbits it passes directly in front of the star.

Question 13

How much mass was there in the protoplanetary disk out of which the planets formed,compared to the mass of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  50 percent 
B)  10 percent 
C)  5 percent 
D)  < 1 percent 
A)  50 percent 
B)  10 percent 
C)  5 percent 
D)  < 1 percent

Question 14

What conservation law explains why the skater spins faster when her arms are pulled in?

Accepted Answer

A)  Conservation of charge 
B)  Conservation of energy 
C)  Conservation of angular momentum 
A)  Conservation of charge 
B)  Conservation of energy 
C)  Conservation of angular momentum

Question 15

As the planets were forming,the Sun was shining due to nuclear fusion on its surface.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

What is the ratio of the orbital angular momentum of the Earth compared to its spin angular momentum? Note that the Earth has a radius of 6,000 km,and 1 AU is 1.5 × 1011 m.

Accepted Answer

A)  70 
B)  640 
C)  25,000 
D)  4 million 
A)  70 
B)  640 
C)  25,000 
D)  4 million

Question 17

The atmosphere of which of these planets is primary,as opposed to secondary,in origin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus 
B)  Earth 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Mars 
A)  Venus 
B)  Earth 
C)  Saturn 
D)  Mars

Question 18

What sets the temperature of the pocket of gas in a protoplanetary disk?

Accepted Answer

A)  Its distance from the forming star 
B)  How much gravitational energy was converted to heat 
C)  How much radiation from the forming star shines on the gas 
D)  All of the above 
A)  Its distance from the forming star 
B)  How much gravitational energy was converted to heat 
C)  How much radiation from the forming star shines on the gas 
D)  All of the above

Question 19

The Doppler shift can be used to determine the __________ of an object.

Accepted Answer

A)  energy 
B)  temperature 
C)  radial velocity 
D)  no radiation 
A)  energy 
B)  temperature 
C)  radial velocity 
D)  no radiation

Question 20

Why might a newly discovered comet contain clues to the composition of the early solar nebula?

Accepted Answer

Comets are believed to be made of ice an

Astronomers believe that Venus was created with the thick atmosphere it currently has.

Explain why an accretion disk forms around a protostar when an interstellar cloud collapses.

Compare the orbital angular momentum of the Earth and Jupiter.Which is larger,and by how much? (Note that Jupiter's mass is 318 times that of the Earth,the semimajor axis of Jupiter's orbit is 5.2 AU,and Jupiter's orbital period is 12 years.)

Have astronomers detected any Earth-sized planets around normal stars yet?

You are driving on the freeway when a police officer records a shift of -7 nm when he hits you with a radar gun that operates at a wavelength of 0.1 m.How fast were you going?

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

Planets like Earth are found closer to the Sun than planets like Jupiter.

Our Solar System is likely unique among the stars in our galaxy.

The difference in composition between the giant planets and the terrestrial planets is most likely caused by the fact that:

Conservation of angular momentum states that as a cloud of interstellar gas and dust collapses,the velocity of the particles increases.

Which of the following is FALSE?

How much mass was there in the protoplanetary disk out of which the planets formed,compared to the mass of the Sun?

What conservation law explains why the skater spins faster when her arms are pulled in?

As the planets were forming,the Sun was shining due to nuclear fusion on its surface.

What is the ratio of the orbital angular momentum of the Earth compared to its spin angular momentum? Note that the Earth has a radius of 6,000 km,and 1 AU is 1.5 × 10¹¹ m.

The atmosphere of which of these planets is primary,as opposed to secondary,in origin?

What sets the temperature of the pocket of gas in a protoplanetary disk?

The Doppler shift can be used to determine the __________ of an object.

Why might a newly discovered comet contain clues to the composition of the early solar nebula?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 5: The Formation of Stars and Planets

Astronomers believe that Venus was created with the thick atmosphere it currently has.

Explain why an accretion disk forms around a protostar when an interstellar cloud collapses.

Compare the orbital angular momentum of the Earth and Jupiter.Which is larger,and by how much? (Note that Jupiter's mass is 318 times that of the Earth,the semimajor axis of Jupiter's orbit is 5.2 AU,and Jupiter's orbital period is 12 years.)

Have astronomers detected any Earth-sized planets around normal stars yet?

You are driving on the freeway when a police officer records a shift of -7 nm when he hits you with a radar gun that operates at a wavelength of 0.1 m.How fast were you going?

Examine the figure below.Describe the conservation laws at play during the formation of a protostar and the accretion disk.

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?

Planets like Earth are found closer to the Sun than planets like Jupiter.

Our Solar System is likely unique among the stars in our galaxy.

The difference in composition between the giant planets and the terrestrial planets is most likely caused by the fact that:

Conservation of angular momentum states that as a cloud of interstellar gas and dust collapses,the velocity of the particles increases.

Which of the following is FALSE?

How much mass was there in the protoplanetary disk out of which the planets formed,compared to the mass of the Sun?

What conservation law explains why the skater spins faster when her arms are pulled in?

As the planets were forming,the Sun was shining due to nuclear fusion on its surface.

What is the ratio of the orbital angular momentum of the Earth compared to its spin angular momentum? Note that the Earth has a radius of 6,000 km,and 1 AU is 1.5 × 1011 m.

The atmosphere of which of these planets is primary,as opposed to secondary,in origin?

What sets the temperature of the pocket of gas in a protoplanetary disk?

The Doppler shift can be used to determine the __________ of an object.

Why might a newly discovered comet contain clues to the composition of the early solar nebula?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

What is the ratio of the orbital angular momentum of the Earth compared to its spin angular momentum? Note that the Earth has a radius of 6,000 km,and 1 AU is 1.5 × 10¹¹ m.