Question 1

Venus' atmospheric clouds are so thick that the surface of the planet is rarely seen when observing it in visible light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

__________ in our atmosphere is a direct consequence of the emergence of life.

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbon dioxide 
B)  Water vapor 
C)  Nitrogen 
D)  Oxygen 
A)  Carbon dioxide 
B)  Water vapor 
C)  Nitrogen 
D)  Oxygen

Question 3

If plant life were to die on Earth,

Accepted Answer

A)  the atmosphere would become denser. 
B)  oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
C)  the atmosphere would become too sparse. 
D)  nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
A)  the atmosphere would become denser. 
B)  oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere. 
C)  the atmosphere would become too sparse. 
D)  nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere.

Question 4

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because

Accepted Answer

A)  it is small. 
B)  it has a high temperature. 
C)  it is bombarded by intense solar radiation. 
D)  All of the above 
A)  it is small. 
B)  it has a high temperature. 
C)  it is bombarded by intense solar radiation. 
D)  All of the above

Question 5

Winds are generated on Earth because the Sun unevenly heats a rotating planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The fraction of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere has always remained at about the same as it is today.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

On Mars,water would exist in what forms (solid,liquid,or gas)? How does this vary with the seasons on Mars? Why are the seasonal variations on Mars different between the northern and southern hemispheres?

Accepted Answer

Any water on Mars would either be in the

Question 8

You take a sealed plastic bag of snacks on an airline flight where the atmospheric pressure is reduced to 0.8 bar,but the cabin is heated so the temperature is approximately the same as when you sealed the bag.What will happen to the volume of the bag? By how much will it have changed?

Accepted Answer

Because @#IMG-DLM& ,the volume @#IMG-DLM& if the t

Question 9

Given the thickness and composition of Venus' atmosphere,by how much would you expect its average surface temperature to change between day and night?

Accepted Answer

A)  Almost no change at all 
B)  By tens of K (like Earth) 
C)  By hundreds of K (like Mercury) 
D)  The answer depends on where Venus is in its orbit (closer to or farther from the Sun). 
A)  Almost no change at all 
B)  By tens of K (like Earth) 
C)  By hundreds of K (like Mercury) 
D)  The answer depends on where Venus is in its orbit (closer to or farther from the Sun).

Question 10

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their low gravities couldn't hold them. 
B)  The solar wind blew them away. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made them chemically react with rock. 
D)  The centrifugal force from their fast rotation rates made them fly off. 
A)  Their low gravities couldn't hold them. 
B)  The solar wind blew them away. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made them chemically react with rock. 
D)  The centrifugal force from their fast rotation rates made them fly off.

Question 11

The shape of the Earth's magnetosphere is modified by

Accepted Answer

A)  the Moon's tidal force. 
B)  the solar wind. 
C)  Earth's own gravity. 
D)  asymmetries in the shape of Earth's core. 
A)  the Moon's tidal force. 
B)  the solar wind. 
C)  Earth's own gravity. 
D)  asymmetries in the shape of Earth's core.

Question 12

If it were not for the greenhouse effect on Earth,

Accepted Answer

A)  there would be no liquid water. 
B)  life as we know it would not have developed. 
C)  it would be much colder. 
D)  All of the above 
A)  there would be no liquid water. 
B)  life as we know it would not have developed. 
C)  it would be much colder. 
D)  All of the above

Question 13

Hurricanes are powered by the heat of vaporization of water.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the terrestrial planets are

Accepted Answer

A)  oxygen and nitrogen. 
B)  methane and ozone. 
C)  carbon dioxide and water vapor. 
D)  hydrogen and helium. 
A)  oxygen and nitrogen. 
B)  methane and ozone. 
C)  carbon dioxide and water vapor. 
D)  hydrogen and helium.

Question 15

Which of the following does NOT contribute to more extreme seasonal variations on Mars compared to Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Its orbital eccentricity is larger. 
B)  Its spin axis is tilted more with respect to its orbital plane. 
C)  Its atmosphere is much lower in density. 
D)  All of the above contribute to Martian seasons being more extreme than seasons on Earth. 
A)  Its orbital eccentricity is larger. 
B)  Its spin axis is tilted more with respect to its orbital plane. 
C)  Its atmosphere is much lower in density. 
D)  All of the above contribute to Martian seasons being more extreme than seasons on Earth.

Question 16

The first atmospheres of the terrestrial planets formed from hydrogen and helium.Why? What happened to this gas?

Accepted Answer

The primary atmospheres were composed of

Question 17

Where is most of Earth's supply of carbon dioxide today?

Accepted Answer

Atmospheric @#IMG-DLM& reacted with exposed minera

Question 18

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly)enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius (6,400 km)does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans (3 km)?

Accepted Answer

The Earth's atmosphere is @#IMG-DLM& or 3.9 percen

Question 19

It took approximately __________ years for oxygen to become a large component of the Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A)  3,000 
B)  1 million 
C)  3 billion 
D)  1 billion 
A)  3,000 
B)  1 million 
C)  3 billion 
D)  1 billion

Question 20

According to the Ideal Gas law,if you blow up a balloon,seal it,and lower its temperature,the balloon will

Accepted Answer

A)  contract. 
B)  expand. 
C)  remain the same size. 
D)  explode. 
A)  contract. 
B)  expand. 
C)  remain the same size. 
D)  explode.

Exam 8: Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Venus' atmospheric clouds are so thick that the surface of the planet is rarely seen when observing it in visible light.

__________ in our atmosphere is a direct consequence of the emergence of life.

If plant life were to die on Earth,

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because

Winds are generated on Earth because the Sun unevenly heats a rotating planet.

The fraction of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere has always remained at about the same as it is today.

On Mars,water would exist in what forms (solid,liquid,or gas)? How does this vary with the seasons on Mars? Why are the seasonal variations on Mars different between the northern and southern hemispheres?

You take a sealed plastic bag of snacks on an airline flight where the atmospheric pressure is reduced to 0.8 bar,but the cabin is heated so the temperature is approximately the same as when you sealed the bag.What will happen to the volume of the bag? By how much will it have changed?

Given the thickness and composition of Venus' atmosphere,by how much would you expect its average surface temperature to change between day and night?

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

The shape of the Earth's magnetosphere is modified by

If it were not for the greenhouse effect on Earth,

Hurricanes are powered by the heat of vaporization of water.

The main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the terrestrial planets are

Which of the following does NOT contribute to more extreme seasonal variations on Mars compared to Earth?

The first atmospheres of the terrestrial planets formed from hydrogen and helium.Why? What happened to this gas?

Where is most of Earth's supply of carbon dioxide today?

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly)enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius (6,400 km)does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans (3 km)?

It took approximately __________ years for oxygen to become a large component of the Earth's atmosphere.

According to the Ideal Gas law,if you blow up a balloon,seal it,and lower its temperature,the balloon will

Why Learn Astronomy

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Gravity and Orbitsa Celestial Ballet

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

Gravity Is More Than Keplers Laws

Planetary Adornmentsmoons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

A Run-Of-The-Mill G-Type Starour Sun

Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium

Stars in the Slow Lanelow-Mass Stellar Evolution

Live Fast,die Younghigh-Mass Stellar Evolution

Our Expanding Universe

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of Structure

Life

Filters