Question 1

How do the wind speeds of the Martian atmosphere compare with those of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) about the same as Earth's 
B) about one tenth of Earth's 
C) about 50% of Earth's 
D) about ten times more than Earth's 
A) about the same as Earth's 
B) about one tenth of Earth's 
C) about 50% of Earth's 
D) about ten times more than Earth's

Question 2

Asteroids orbit the

Accepted Answer

A) Sun. 
B) Earth. 
C) Moon. 
D) all of these 
E) none of these 
A) Sun. 
B) Earth. 
C) Moon. 
D) all of these 
E) none of these

Question 3

How much greater is the atmospheric pressure of Jupiter than Earth's? More than

Accepted Answer

A) ten times. 
B) one hundred times. 
C) ten thousand times. 
D) a million times. 
A) ten times. 
B) one hundred times. 
C) ten thousand times. 
D) a million times.

Question 4

The fact that one side of the Moon always faces Earth is evidence that while revolving about the Earth it

Accepted Answer

A) does not rotate about its axis. 
B) rotates about its axis. 
A) does not rotate about its axis. 
B) rotates about its axis.

Question 5

How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) one day 
B) one week 
C) one month 
D) one year 
A) one day 
B) one week 
C) one month 
D) one year

Question 6

The surface of Comet 67P/CG as detected by the Rosetta mission is best described as

Accepted Answer

A) smooth with parallel striations. 
B) smooth with many hilly areas. 
C) rough with cracks and crevices. 
D) rough with many craters. 
A) smooth with parallel striations. 
B) smooth with many hilly areas. 
C) rough with cracks and crevices. 
D) rough with many craters.

Question 7

To scale,if Earth were the size of a basketball,then the Moon would be about the size of a

Accepted Answer

A) bowling ball. 
B) tennis ball. 
C) ping-pong ball. 
D) marble. 
A) bowling ball. 
B) tennis ball. 
C) ping-pong ball. 
D) marble.

Question 8

What constitutes over half of Jupiter's volume?

Accepted Answer

A) oceans of liquid hydrogen 
B) oceans of liquid methane 
C) its rocky solid core 
D) the massive Mons Majora Range 
A) oceans of liquid hydrogen 
B) oceans of liquid methane 
C) its rocky solid core 
D) the massive Mons Majora Range

Question 9

Evidence of the solar wind on Earth is the

Accepted Answer

A) meteor showers in the upper atmosphere. 
B) solar sunspots. 
C) preponderance of hurricanes at lower latitudes. 
D) higher ocean tides in winter. 
E) Aurora Borealis. 
A) meteor showers in the upper atmosphere. 
B) solar sunspots. 
C) preponderance of hurricanes at lower latitudes. 
D) higher ocean tides in winter. 
E) Aurora Borealis.

Question 10

Distinguish between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse,and the reasons for each.

Accepted Answer

Eclipses occur with alignment of the Sun

Question 11

The Sun tends to bloat outward by nuclear fusion,and contract due to

Accepted Answer

A) gravitation. 
B) nuclear fission. 
C) mass decrease. 
D) its relatively slow spin. 
E) reduced gaseous pressures. 
A) gravitation. 
B) nuclear fission. 
C) mass decrease. 
D) its relatively slow spin. 
E) reduced gaseous pressures.

Question 12

Why is the Kuiper belt considered to be a zone of failed planet formation?

Accepted Answer

A) The dwarf planets found therein have yet to fully accrete all of the material in their orbital paths. 
B) There is simply not enough material within the dwarf planet's orbital paths for any of them to ever add up to full planetary status. 
C) Because none of the dwarf planets are massive enough to maintain an atmosphere. 
D) Both A and B are reasonable. 
A) The dwarf planets found therein have yet to fully accrete all of the material in their orbital paths. 
B) There is simply not enough material within the dwarf planet's orbital paths for any of them to ever add up to full planetary status. 
C) Because none of the dwarf planets are massive enough to maintain an atmosphere. 
D) Both A and B are reasonable.

Question 13

When we see a half-moon,the position of the Sun is

Accepted Answer

A) almost directly behind the Moon. 
B) almost directly behind the Earth. 
C) at right angles to a line from Earth to the Moon. 
D) about 45° from a line from Earth to the Moon. 
A) almost directly behind the Moon. 
B) almost directly behind the Earth. 
C) at right angles to a line from Earth to the Moon. 
D) about 45° from a line from Earth to the Moon.

Question 14

Compared to the density of water,the density of Saturn is

Accepted Answer

A) less. 
B) more. 
C) about the same. 
A) less. 
B) more. 
C) about the same.

Question 15

About how many tons of meteorites strike the Earth on a daily basis?

Accepted Answer

A) 20 tons 
B) 200 tons 
C) 2000 tons 
D) 20,000 tons 
A) 20 tons 
B) 200 tons 
C) 2000 tons 
D) 20,000 tons

Question 16

The planet with a mass most like Earth's is

Accepted Answer

A) Mercury. 
B) Venus. 
C) Mars. 
D) Saturn. 
E) Neptune. 
A) Mercury. 
B) Venus. 
C) Mars. 
D) Saturn. 
E) Neptune.

Question 17

What makes Europa the most likely place extraterrestrial life will be found in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) It has an ocean of liquid water,which is warmed by tidal force interaction with Jupiter,and may house underwater volcanic thermal vents. 
B) It has an ocean of liquid water,and there is increasing evidence of phytoplankton activity,particularly as shown by ongoing spectral analysis. 
C) It has a hydrogen ocean and moderate levels of oxygen in its atmosphere,which is gradually producing water through frequent lighting strikes. 
D) Actually,Io is the most likely place to find life,due to its high level of volcanic activity. 
A) It has an ocean of liquid water,which is warmed by tidal force interaction with Jupiter,and may house underwater volcanic thermal vents. 
B) It has an ocean of liquid water,and there is increasing evidence of phytoplankton activity,particularly as shown by ongoing spectral analysis. 
C) It has a hydrogen ocean and moderate levels of oxygen in its atmosphere,which is gradually producing water through frequent lighting strikes. 
D) Actually,Io is the most likely place to find life,due to its high level of volcanic activity.

Question 18

What aspect of Titan may hold clues as to what Earth was like before life arose here?

Accepted Answer

A) its intense volcanic activity 
B) its expansive liquid oceans 
C) the rate of radioactive decay of its inner core 
D) an intriguing soup of organic molecules 
A) its intense volcanic activity 
B) its expansive liquid oceans 
C) the rate of radioactive decay of its inner core 
D) an intriguing soup of organic molecules

Question 19

Why is Jupiter the largest planet in the solar system?

Accepted Answer

A) Because that's just the way it happened. 
B) Being the oldest planetary core,it had more time than the other planets to accumulate enough gas around itself before solar winds blew interplanetary dust away. 
C) Due to a massive collision with another protoplanet. 
D) Because of its distance from the Sun,the gravitational attraction between it and the Sun is perfectly balanced so as to create a density that results in the largest size of any planet. 
A) Because that's just the way it happened. 
B) Being the oldest planetary core,it had more time than the other planets to accumulate enough gas around itself before solar winds blew interplanetary dust away. 
C) Due to a massive collision with another protoplanet. 
D) Because of its distance from the Sun,the gravitational attraction between it and the Sun is perfectly balanced so as to create a density that results in the largest size of any planet.

Question 20

With each pass of a comet about the Sun,its mass

Accepted Answer

A) is appreciably reduced. 
B) remains virtually unchanged. 
C) actually increases. 
A) is appreciably reduced. 
B) remains virtually unchanged. 
C) actually increases.

Exam 26: The Solar System

How do the wind speeds of the Martian atmosphere compare with those of Earth?

Asteroids orbit the

How much greater is the atmospheric pressure of Jupiter than Earth's? More than

The fact that one side of the Moon always faces Earth is evidence that while revolving about the Earth it

How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun?

The surface of Comet 67P/CG as detected by the Rosetta mission is best described as

To scale,if Earth were the size of a basketball,then the Moon would be about the size of a

What constitutes over half of Jupiter's volume?

Evidence of the solar wind on Earth is the

Distinguish between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse,and the reasons for each.

The Sun tends to bloat outward by nuclear fusion,and contract due to

Why is the Kuiper belt considered to be a zone of failed planet formation?

When we see a half-moon,the position of the Sun is

Compared to the density of water,the density of Saturn is

About how many tons of meteorites strike the Earth on a daily basis?

The planet with a mass most like Earth's is

What makes Europa the most likely place extraterrestrial life will be found in our solar system?

What aspect of Titan may hold clues as to what Earth was like before life arose here?

Why is Jupiter the largest planet in the solar system?

With each pass of a comet about the Sun,its mass

Patterns of Motion and Equilibrium

Newtons Laws of Motion

Momentum and Energy

Gravity, Projectiles, and Satellites

Fluid Mechanics

Thermal Energy and Thermodynamics

Heat Transfer and Change of Phase

Static and Current Electricity

Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Waves and Sound

Light

Atoms and the Periodic Table

The Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity

Elements of Chemistry

How Atoms Bond and Molecules Attract

Mixtures

How Chemicals React

Two Classes of Chemical Reactions

Organic Compounds

Rocks and Minerals

Plate Tectonics and Earths Interior

Shaping Earths Surface

Geologic Time - Reading the Rock Record

The Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climatic Effects

Driving Forces of Weather

Stars and Galaxies

The Structure of Space and Time

Prologue: The Nature of Science

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