Question 1

The temperature differences between night and day on the Moon and Mercury are very small because they have so little atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Would water molecules in Venus's atmosphere, whose temperature is 740 K, eventually escape into outer space? Note that a water molecule has a mass that is 18 times that of a hydrogen atom. The escape velocity of Venus is 10 km/s. For comparison, a hydrogen atom has an average velocity of 2.5 km/s at a temperature of 300 K.

Accepted Answer

A)  No, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s. 
B)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s. 
C)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s. 
D)  No, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s. 
E)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 19 km/s. 
A)  No, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s. 
B)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s. 
C)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s. 
D)  No, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s. 
E)  Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 19 km/s.

Question 3

When learning about light, we predicted that Venus should have a temperature of 250 K based on its albedo and distance from the Sun. Why is Venus's observed average surface temperature equal to 740 K, which is hot enough to melt lead?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus has slow, retrograde rotation, and its seasons are very long. 
B)  Venus has many active volcanoes that release heat into its atmosphere. 
C)  Venus has a very thin atmosphere, and more sunlight falls onto its surface. 
D)  Venus has a strong greenhouse effect. 
E)  Venus has a highly eccentric orbit and is sometimes much closer to the Sun than other times. 
A)  Venus has slow, retrograde rotation, and its seasons are very long. 
B)  Venus has many active volcanoes that release heat into its atmosphere. 
C)  Venus has a very thin atmosphere, and more sunlight falls onto its surface. 
D)  Venus has a strong greenhouse effect. 
E)  Venus has a highly eccentric orbit and is sometimes much closer to the Sun than other times.

Question 4

When frozen water on the surface of Mars heats up during summer time, the water:

Accepted Answer

A)  melts and forms liquid pools on the surface 
B)  boils off the surface and escapes into outer space 
C)  sublimates and goes directly into the gaseous phase 
D)  remains frozen because the temperature remains below the freezing point 
E)  melts and creates flowing rivers that erode the landscape 
A)  melts and forms liquid pools on the surface 
B)  boils off the surface and escapes into outer space 
C)  sublimates and goes directly into the gaseous phase 
D)  remains frozen because the temperature remains below the freezing point 
E)  melts and creates flowing rivers that erode the landscape

Question 5

Based solely on mass and distance from the Sun, which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain the densest secondary atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  the Moon 
E)  Earth 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  the Moon 
E)  Earth

Question 6

According to the way the layers of Earth's atmosphere are defined in the figure shown below, the atmosphere of Venus has only _________ distinct layer(s).

Accepted Answer

A)  one 
B)  two 
C)  three 
D)  four 
E)  five 
A)  one 
B)  two 
C)  three 
D)  four 
E)  five

Question 7

Over the last century, why has the ozone hole over the Earth grown larger? How long might it take to revert to its former state?

Accepted Answer

Because chemicals released into the atmo

Question 8

The global winds on Earth are the result of a combination of what three things?

Accepted Answer

Globular winds result from an uneven sol

Question 9

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, Earth could possibly undergo a runaway greenhouse effect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Figure 2
-According to Figure 2, what effect does doubling the pressure on a gas while keeping its temperature constant have on the volume of the gas?

Accepted Answer

Because the ideal gas law says

Question 11

What is the reason Mercury has so little gas in its atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Its mass is small. 
B)  It has a high temperature. 
C)  It is close to the Sun. 
D)  Its escape velocity is low. 
E)  All of the above are reasons. 
A)  Its mass is small. 
B)  It has a high temperature. 
C)  It is close to the Sun. 
D)  Its escape velocity is low. 
E)  All of the above are reasons.

Question 12

If there are 104 kg of air above every square meter of the surface of Earth, and Earth is modeled as a sphere of radius 6.4 * 106 m, what is the mass of Earth's atmosphere and what fraction is it of the total mass of the Earth? Show your calculation.

Accepted Answer

The surface area of Earth is 4  @#LAT-DLM& * (6.4

The temperature differences between night and day on the Moon and Mercury are very small because they have so little atmosphere.

When learning about light, we predicted that Venus should have a temperature of 250 K based on its albedo and distance from the Sun. Why is Venus's observed average surface temperature equal to 740 K, which is hot enough to melt lead?

When frozen water on the surface of Mars heats up during summer time, the water:

Based solely on mass and distance from the Sun, which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain the densest secondary atmosphere?

According to the way the layers of Earth's atmosphere are defined in the figure shown below, the atmosphere of Venus has only _________ distinct layer(s).

Over the last century, why has the ozone hole over the Earth grown larger? How long might it take to revert to its former state?

The global winds on Earth are the result of a combination of what three things?

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, Earth could possibly undergo a runaway greenhouse effect.

Figure 2 -According to Figure 2, what effect does doubling the pressure on a gas while keeping its temperature constant have on the volume of the gas?

What is the reason Mercury has so little gas in its atmosphere?

If there are 10⁴ kg of air above every square meter of the surface of Earth, and Earth is modeled as a sphere of radius 6.4 * 10⁶ m, what is the mass of Earth's atmosphere and what fraction is it of the total mass of the Earth? Show your calculation.

Why Learn Astronomy

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Worlds of Gas and Liquid the Giant Planets

Planetary Adornmentsmoons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

The Expanding Universe

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

Modern Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

Exam 9: Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

The temperature differences between night and day on the Moon and Mercury are very small because they have so little atmosphere.

When learning about light, we predicted that Venus should have a temperature of 250 K based on its albedo and distance from the Sun. Why is Venus's observed average surface temperature equal to 740 K, which is hot enough to melt lead?

When frozen water on the surface of Mars heats up during summer time, the water:

Based solely on mass and distance from the Sun, which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain the densest secondary atmosphere?

According to the way the layers of Earth's atmosphere are defined in the figure shown below, the atmosphere of Venus has only _________ distinct layer(s).

Over the last century, why has the ozone hole over the Earth grown larger? How long might it take to revert to its former state?

The global winds on Earth are the result of a combination of what three things?

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, Earth could possibly undergo a runaway greenhouse effect.

Figure 2 -According to Figure 2, what effect does doubling the pressure on a gas while keeping its temperature constant have on the volume of the gas?

What is the reason Mercury has so little gas in its atmosphere?

If there are 104 kg of air above every square meter of the surface of Earth, and Earth is modeled as a sphere of radius 6.4 * 106 m, what is the mass of Earth's atmosphere and what fraction is it of the total mass of the Earth? Show your calculation.

Why Learn Astronomy

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Worlds of Gas and Liquid the Giant Planets

Planetary Adornmentsmoons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

The Expanding Universe

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

Modern Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

If there are 10⁴ kg of air above every square meter of the surface of Earth, and Earth is modeled as a sphere of radius 6.4 * 10⁶ m, what is the mass of Earth's atmosphere and what fraction is it of the total mass of the Earth? Show your calculation.