Question 1

Nicolaus Copernicus was the first to propose that Earth revolved around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Johannes Kepler obtained accurate data on the positions of the planets in the sky over time,which Galileo used to prove that planets revolved around the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Retrograde motion is seen when ____________ due to the Earth's motion.

Accepted Answer

A) stars change their position in the sky with respect to background stars 
B) stars rise in the west and set in the east 
C) planets rise in the west and set in the east 
D) planets change the direction in which they wander across the night sky 
E) planets orbit the Sun in the opposite direction 
A) stars change their position in the sky with respect to background stars 
B) stars rise in the west and set in the east 
C) planets rise in the west and set in the east 
D) planets change the direction in which they wander across the night sky 
E) planets orbit the Sun in the opposite direction

Question 4

Why were epicycles used in the geocentric system? Who first introduced epicycles?

Accepted Answer

Ptolemy introduced epicycles t

Question 5

When the Sun,the Earth,and a planet all lie along a straight line,the planet is at:

Accepted Answer

A) quadrature 
B) opposition 
C) greatest elongation 
D) conjunction 
E) either opposition or conjunction 
A) quadrature 
B) opposition 
C) greatest elongation 
D) conjunction 
E) either opposition or conjunction

Question 6

Kepler's third law is a relationship between an orbiting object's:

Accepted Answer

A) gravitational force and mass 
B) acceleration and mass 
C) velocity and period 
D) period and semimajor axis 
E) semimajor axis and velocity 
A) gravitational force and mass 
B) acceleration and mass 
C) velocity and period 
D) period and semimajor axis 
E) semimajor axis and velocity

Question 7

If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s2,what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?

Accepted Answer

A) 5 m/s2 
B) 10 m/s2 
C) 50 m/s2 
D) 0.1 m/s2 
E) 1000 m/s2 
A) 5 m/s2 
B) 10 m/s2 
C) 50 m/s2 
D) 0.1 m/s2 
E) 1000 m/s2

Question 8

Kepler's third law for our Solar System can be expressed mathematically as:

Accepted Answer

A) P A 
B) P2 = A2 
C) P2 = A3 
D) P3 = A2 
E) P = A2 
A) P A 
B) P2 = A2 
C) P2 = A3 
D) P3 = A2 
E) P = A2

Question 9

Explain how the synodic and sidereal periods of a planet are defined.Why are they not the same? Explain how they are related to one another.

Accepted Answer

The synodic is the time it takes for a p

Question 10

If a superior planet is observed from Earth to have a synodic period of 1.2 years,what is its sidereal period?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.54 years 
B) 1.8 years 
C) 2.3 years 
D) 4.0 years 
E) 6.0 years 
A) 0.54 years 
B) 1.8 years 
C) 2.3 years 
D) 4.0 years 
E) 6.0 years

Question 11

An empirical science is one that is based on:

Accepted Answer

A) assumptions 
B) calculus 
C) computer models 
D) observed data 
E) hypotheses 
A) assumptions 
B) calculus 
C) computer models 
D) observed data 
E) hypotheses

Question 12

The fact that Kepler's heliocentric model of the Solar System predicted _________ more easily and accurately than the geocentric model is an illustration of how scientific theories evolve by the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

A) solar eclipses 
B) lunar eclipses 
C) retrograde motion of planets 
D) prograde motion of planets 
E) the duration of the seasons 
A) solar eclipses 
B) lunar eclipses 
C) retrograde motion of planets 
D) prograde motion of planets 
E) the duration of the seasons

Question 13

The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is called its _________ period.

Accepted Answer

A) synodic 
B) sidereal 
C) prograde 
D) retrograde 
E) geocentric 
A) synodic 
B) sidereal 
C) prograde 
D) retrograde 
E) geocentric

Question 14

As we move farther from the Sun,the circumferences of planetary orbits are larger,and the speeds at which planets travel increase.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Newton's second law says that more massive objects are accelerated more than less massive objects when the same force is applied.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which laws are based entirely on observational data without having any theoretical framework behind them?

Accepted Answer

A) physical laws 
B) Galileo's laws of planetary motion 
C) Newton's laws of motion 
D) deductive laws 
E) empirical laws 
A) physical laws 
B) Galileo's laws of planetary motion 
C) Newton's laws of motion 
D) deductive laws 
E) empirical laws

Question 17

If the sidereal period of Jupiter is 11.9 years,what is Jupiter's synodic period as observed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 2.3 years 
B) 0.84 years 
C) 0.92 years 
D) 1.09 years 
E) 1.5 years 
A) 2.3 years 
B) 0.84 years 
C) 0.92 years 
D) 1.09 years 
E) 1.5 years

Question 18

Explain what is meant by retrograde motion only being an "observational artifact" in the heliocentric system.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde motion is not an ac

Question 19

At the center of the geocentric model of the Solar System is the:

Accepted Answer

A) Sun 
B) Moon 
C) Earth 
D) Venus 
E) Jupiter 
A) Sun 
B) Moon 
C) Earth 
D) Venus 
E) Jupiter

Question 20

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun,its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU,and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU.At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

Accepted Answer

A) 35 AU 
B) 17.8 AU 
C) 1.2 AU 
D) 0.6 AU 
E) The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is. 
A) 35 AU 
B) 17.8 AU 
C) 1.2 AU 
D) 0.6 AU 
E) The comet's velocity is constant no matter what its distance is.

Exam 3: Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Nicolaus Copernicus was the first to propose that Earth revolved around the Sun.

Johannes Kepler obtained accurate data on the positions of the planets in the sky over time,which Galileo used to prove that planets revolved around the Sun.

Retrograde motion is seen when ____________ due to the Earth's motion.

Why were epicycles used in the geocentric system? Who first introduced epicycles?

When the Sun,the Earth,and a planet all lie along a straight line,the planet is at:

Kepler's third law is a relationship between an orbiting object's:

If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s2,what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?

Kepler's third law for our Solar System can be expressed mathematically as:

Explain how the synodic and sidereal periods of a planet are defined.Why are they not the same? Explain how they are related to one another.

If a superior planet is observed from Earth to have a synodic period of 1.2 years,what is its sidereal period?

An empirical science is one that is based on:

The fact that Kepler's heliocentric model of the Solar System predicted _________ more easily and accurately than the geocentric model is an illustration of how scientific theories evolve by the scientific method.

The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is called its _________ period.

As we move farther from the Sun,the circumferences of planetary orbits are larger,and the speeds at which planets travel increase.

Newton's second law says that more massive objects are accelerated more than less massive objects when the same force is applied.

Which laws are based entirely on observational data without having any theoretical framework behind them?

If the sidereal period of Jupiter is 11.9 years,what is Jupiter's synodic period as observed from Earth?

Explain what is meant by retrograde motion only being an "observational artifact" in the heliocentric system.

At the center of the geocentric model of the Solar System is the:

During a certain comet's orbit around the Sun,its closest distance to the Sun is 0.6 AU,and its farthest distance from the Sun is 35 AU.At what distance will the comet's orbital velocity be the largest?

Why Learn Astronomy

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquid the Giant Planets

Planetary Adornments Moons 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

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If a 100-kg astronaut pushes on a 5,000-kg satellite and the satellite experiences an acceleration of 0.1 m/s²,what is the acceleration experienced by the astronaut in the opposite direction?