Question 1

Meteorites contain clues to all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  the age of the Solar System 
B)  the temperature in the early solar nebula 
C)  changes in the rate of cratering in the early Solar System 
D)  the composition of the primitive Solar System 
A)  the age of the Solar System 
B)  the temperature in the early solar nebula 
C)  changes in the rate of cratering in the early Solar System 
D)  the composition of the primitive Solar System

Question 2

Ganymede is one of the largest moons in the Solar System.It shows some terrain that is ancient and heavily cratered,younger terrain with less craters,but no terrain that is free of craters.Why would Ganymede's geologic activity stop?

Accepted Answer

Ganymede's geologic activity p

Question 3

If a moon has a retrograde orbit then it:

Accepted Answer

A)  orbits in the opposite direction that the planet rotates 
B)  orbits in the opposite direction that the planet revolves around the Sun 
C)  orbits in a clockwise direction as viewed from the planet's north pole 
D)  all of the above 
A)  orbits in the opposite direction that the planet rotates 
B)  orbits in the opposite direction that the planet revolves around the Sun 
C)  orbits in a clockwise direction as viewed from the planet's north pole 
D)  all of the above

Question 4

Most asteroids are:

Accepted Answer

A)  very large 
B)  large 
C)  medium 
D)  small 
A)  very large 
B)  large 
C)  medium 
D)  small

Question 5

Eruptions of water-powered geysers have been seen on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Phobos and Deimos,the two moons of Mars,are thought to have a unique origin.What is it?

Accepted Answer

Mars' two

Question 7

What must an asteroid have in order for us to determine its mass?

Accepted Answer

A)  A rocky composition 
B)  A moon 
C)  An orbit that lies between the Earth and Mars 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites 
A)  A rocky composition 
B)  A moon 
C)  An orbit that lies between the Earth and Mars 
D)  Carbonaceous chondrites

Question 8

Which group of meteoroids is more likely to have compositions indicative of those in the early Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A)  Asteroidal meteoroids 
B)  Cometary meteoroids 
C)  Both groups are equally likely 
D)  Neither group: All meteoroids have undergone significant chemical evolution 
A)  Asteroidal meteoroids 
B)  Cometary meteoroids 
C)  Both groups are equally likely 
D)  Neither group: All meteoroids have undergone significant chemical evolution

Question 9

Which property of a moon might lead you to believe it was a captured asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is tidally locked. 
B)  Its orbital axis is tilted by 10 degrees compared to the planet's rotational axis. 
C)  It rotates clockwise around the planet when viewed from the planet's north pole. 
D)  Its surface is very smooth and lacks craters. 
A)  It is tidally locked. 
B)  Its orbital axis is tilted by 10 degrees compared to the planet's rotational axis. 
C)  It rotates clockwise around the planet when viewed from the planet's north pole. 
D)  Its surface is very smooth and lacks craters.

Question 10

Europa is a very interesting moon that NASA is considering visiting with a spacecraft in order to search for signs of life.What is it about this moon that makes it so interesting,and what surface features give us clues about its interior?

Accepted Answer

Europa has an icy surface riddled with c

Question 11

Comet nuclei,absent their tails,are very dark because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they are made of water ice 
B)  they have iron and nickel mixed with ice 
C)  they have organic molecules mixed with ice 
D)  they are covered in rock 
A)  they are made of water ice 
B)  they have iron and nickel mixed with ice 
C)  they have organic molecules mixed with ice 
D)  they are covered in rock

Question 12

Describe two modern-day events when comets or asteroids collided with a planet.Cite the planet,give the approximate year when the collision occurred,and describe the major consequences of the collision.

Accepted Answer

Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter's

Question 13

Why is Io,a moon that is smaller and farther from the Sun than our own Moon,still geologically active?

Accepted Answer

Tidal stresses from Jupiter co

Question 14

Eris is classified as an asteroid even though its mass is 28 percent larger than Pluto's mass.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Although asteroids are small individually,when combined they make up a significant fraction of the total mass of the planets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which group of meteorites represents the conditions in the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chondrites 
B)  Achondrites 
C)  Iron meteorites 
D)  Stony-iron meteorites 
A)  Chondrites 
B)  Achondrites 
C)  Iron meteorites 
D)  Stony-iron meteorites

Question 17

Remnants of volcanic activity on the asteroid Vesta indicate that members of the asteroid belt:

Accepted Answer

A)  were once part of a single protoplanet that was shattered by collisions 
B)  have all undergone significant chemical evolution since formation 
C)  occasionally grow large enough to become differentiated and geologically active 
D)  were once a part of a young Mars 
A)  were once part of a single protoplanet that was shattered by collisions 
B)  have all undergone significant chemical evolution since formation 
C)  occasionally grow large enough to become differentiated and geologically active 
D)  were once a part of a young Mars

Question 18

Which moon gives rise to the particles that make up Saturn's E ring?

Accepted Answer

A)  Titan 
B)  Triton 
C)  Enceladus 
D)  Thethys 
A)  Titan 
B)  Triton 
C)  Enceladus 
D)  Thethys

Question 19

Why does the dust tail separate from the ion tail?

Accepted Answer

A)  The dust is not ionized,so it is not affected by the solar wind. 
B)  Dust cannot sublimate as ice can,so it cannot form a tail as easily. 
C)  The dust tail forms on the leading side of the nucleus,whereas the gas tail forms on the opposite side. 
D)  Dust is more massive than ions,so it accelerates less. 
A)  The dust is not ionized,so it is not affected by the solar wind. 
B)  Dust cannot sublimate as ice can,so it cannot form a tail as easily. 
C)  The dust tail forms on the leading side of the nucleus,whereas the gas tail forms on the opposite side. 
D)  Dust is more massive than ions,so it accelerates less.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT geologically active?

Accepted Answer

A)  Callisto 
B)  Triton 
C)  Enceladus 
D)  Io 
A)  Callisto 
B)  Triton 
C)  Enceladus 
D)  Io

Meteorites contain clues to all of the following EXCEPT:

Ganymede is one of the largest moons in the Solar System.It shows some terrain that is ancient and heavily cratered,younger terrain with less craters,but no terrain that is free of craters.Why would Ganymede's geologic activity stop?

If a moon has a retrograde orbit then it:

Most asteroids are:

Eruptions of water-powered geysers have been seen on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

Phobos and Deimos,the two moons of Mars,are thought to have a unique origin.What is it?

What must an asteroid have in order for us to determine its mass?

Which group of meteoroids is more likely to have compositions indicative of those in the early Solar System?

Which property of a moon might lead you to believe it was a captured asteroid?

Europa is a very interesting moon that NASA is considering visiting with a spacecraft in order to search for signs of life.What is it about this moon that makes it so interesting,and what surface features give us clues about its interior?

Comet nuclei,absent their tails,are very dark because:

Describe two modern-day events when comets or asteroids collided with a planet.Cite the planet,give the approximate year when the collision occurred,and describe the major consequences of the collision.

Why is Io,a moon that is smaller and farther from the Sun than our own Moon,still geologically active?

Eris is classified as an asteroid even though its mass is 28 percent larger than Pluto's mass.

Although asteroids are small individually,when combined they make up a significant fraction of the total mass of the planets.

Which group of meteorites represents the conditions in the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System?

Remnants of volcanic activity on the asteroid Vesta indicate that members of the asteroid belt:

Which moon gives rise to the particles that make up Saturn's E ring?

Why does the dust tail separate from the ion tail?

Which of the following is NOT geologically active?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

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

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Exam 9: Small Bodies of the Solar System

Meteorites contain clues to all of the following EXCEPT:

Ganymede is one of the largest moons in the Solar System.It shows some terrain that is ancient and heavily cratered,younger terrain with less craters,but no terrain that is free of craters.Why would Ganymede's geologic activity stop?

If a moon has a retrograde orbit then it:

Most asteroids are:

Eruptions of water-powered geysers have been seen on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

Phobos and Deimos,the two moons of Mars,are thought to have a unique origin.What is it?

What must an asteroid have in order for us to determine its mass?

Which group of meteoroids is more likely to have compositions indicative of those in the early Solar System?

Which property of a moon might lead you to believe it was a captured asteroid?

Europa is a very interesting moon that NASA is considering visiting with a spacecraft in order to search for signs of life.What is it about this moon that makes it so interesting,and what surface features give us clues about its interior?

Comet nuclei,absent their tails,are very dark because:

Describe two modern-day events when comets or asteroids collided with a planet.Cite the planet,give the approximate year when the collision occurred,and describe the major consequences of the collision.

Why is Io,a moon that is smaller and farther from the Sun than our own Moon,still geologically active?

Eris is classified as an asteroid even though its mass is 28 percent larger than Pluto's mass.

Although asteroids are small individually,when combined they make up a significant fraction of the total mass of the planets.

Which group of meteorites represents the conditions in the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System?

Remnants of volcanic activity on the asteroid Vesta indicate that members of the asteroid belt:

Which moon gives rise to the particles that make up Saturn's E ring?

Why does the dust tail separate from the ion tail?

Which of the following is NOT geologically active?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

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