Question 1

The rovers named Spirit and Opportunity that recently explored the surface of Mars discovered:

Accepted Answer

A) tiny streams of flowing water too small to be detected by orbiting satellites 
B) minerals that must have formed in an environment rich in liquid water 
C) dust storms that rapidly erode the surfaces of most geological formations 
D) the northern polar ice cap is made primarily of frozen water ice 
E) the presence of methane that arises from biological life 
A) tiny streams of flowing water too small to be detected by orbiting satellites 
B) minerals that must have formed in an environment rich in liquid water 
C) dust storms that rapidly erode the surfaces of most geological formations 
D) the northern polar ice cap is made primarily of frozen water ice 
E) the presence of methane that arises from biological life

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a planetary magnetic dynamo?

Accepted Answer

A) rapid rotation 
B) solid iron core 
C) convective motions 
D) charged particles in the interior 
E) liquid interior 
A) rapid rotation 
B) solid iron core 
C) convective motions 
D) charged particles in the interior 
E) liquid interior

Question 3

Present-day erosion on the surface of the Moon is primarily caused by:

Accepted Answer

A) flowing water 
B) wind 
C) solar radiation 
D) dust storms 
E) tectonic shifts 
A) flowing water 
B) wind 
C) solar radiation 
D) dust storms 
E) tectonic shifts

Question 4

On Mars,water ice is present primarily at its polar ice caps.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Which of the following will NOT be a consequence of Earth's consumption of the bulk of its radioactive "fuel" in the future?

Accepted Answer

A) Earth will spin more slowly on its axis. 
B) The interior of the planet will solidify. 
C) Volcanic activity will cease. 
D) Continental drift will no longer occur. 
E) Earth's mass will decrease. 
A) Earth will spin more slowly on its axis. 
B) The interior of the planet will solidify. 
C) Volcanic activity will cease. 
D) Continental drift will no longer occur. 
E) Earth's mass will decrease.

Question 6

The center of Earth has approximately the same temperature as the surface of the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

The smoother,less cratered surfaces of the Moon resulted from those areas being protected by the Moon's proximity to Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

List the main process that shaped the planetary surface features illustrated in each of the four pictures shown below.

Accepted Answer

The important process for each

Question 9

Based on the age of the light- and dark-colored regions of the Moon and the number of craters observed in these regions,we know that impacts in the inner Solar System:

Accepted Answer

A) rapidly decreased approximately 1 billion years ago 
B) rapidly decreased approximately 3 billion years ago 
C) were very rare in the last 4.6 billion years 
D) occurred at approximately a constant rate throughout most of the age of the Solar System 
E) never occur anymore 
A) rapidly decreased approximately 1 billion years ago 
B) rapidly decreased approximately 3 billion years ago 
C) were very rare in the last 4.6 billion years 
D) occurred at approximately a constant rate throughout most of the age of the Solar System 
E) never occur anymore

Question 10

Compared to the dark-colored regions of the surface of the Moon,the light-colored regions are approximately:

Accepted Answer

A) 1 billion years older 
B) 1 billion years younger 
C) 1 million years older 
D) 1 million years younger 
E) a few thousand years younger 
A) 1 billion years older 
B) 1 billion years younger 
C) 1 million years older 
D) 1 million years younger 
E) a few thousand years younger

Question 11

Based on the number of impact craters observed per square meter on their surface,place these terrestrial planets in order of youngest to oldest surface:

Accepted Answer

A) Earth,Venus,Mercury 
B) Venus,Earth,Mercury 
C) Mercury,Venus,Earth 
D) Earth,Mercury,Venus 
E) Venus,Mercury,Earth 
A) Earth,Venus,Mercury 
B) Venus,Earth,Mercury 
C) Mercury,Venus,Earth 
D) Earth,Mercury,Venus 
E) Venus,Mercury,Earth

Question 12

Plate tectonics is NOT responsible for:

Accepted Answer

A) mountain ranges 
B) canyons 
C) volcanoes 
D) ocean trenches 
E) continental drift 
A) mountain ranges 
B) canyons 
C) volcanoes 
D) ocean trenches 
E) continental drift

Question 13

There are two main forces that shape a planet's surface: impacts and plate tectonics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The North American plate and the Pacific plate are sliding past one another at a rate of approximately 3 cm/year.San Francisco,which is located on the edge of the North American plate,is sliding southward toward Los Angles,which is located on the Pacific Plate.If they are currently separated by a distance of 600 km,how many years will it take for the two cities to meet?

Accepted Answer

A) 3 million years 
B) 300,000 years 
C) 20 million years 
D) 20,000 years 
E) 600 years 
A) 3 million years 
B) 300,000 years 
C) 20 million years 
D) 20,000 years 
E) 600 years

Question 15

What will eventually happen to the Earth when radioactive decays in its interior cease?

Accepted Answer

A) The Earth's core will solidify. 
B) Continental drift will cease. 
C) Earthquakes will cease. 
D) The strength of the Earth's magnetic field will decrease. 
E) All of the above will happen. 
A) The Earth's core will solidify. 
B) Continental drift will cease. 
C) Earthquakes will cease. 
D) The strength of the Earth's magnetic field will decrease. 
E) All of the above will happen.

Question 16

Describe one example of tectonic disruption on Mercury,Venus,and Mars,respectively,and explain how they formed.

Accepted Answer

Mercury has evidence of faults due to th

Question 17

Name the terrestrial planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun.What are the terrestrial planets in order of increasing geologic age of their surface?

Accepted Answer

In order of increasing distanc

Question 18

Mars,Venus,and Earth are much less heavily cratered than Mercury and the Moon.This is explained by the fact that:

Accepted Answer

A) the rate of cratering in the early Solar System was strongly dependent on location 
B) Mars,Venus,and Earth have thicker atmospheres 
C) Earth and Venus were shielded from impacts by the Moon,and Mars was protected by the asteroid belt 
D) Mars,Venus,and Earth were geologically active for a longer period of time than Mercury and the Moon 
E) Mars,Venus,and Earth are much larger in size than Mercury and the Moon 
A) the rate of cratering in the early Solar System was strongly dependent on location 
B) Mars,Venus,and Earth have thicker atmospheres 
C) Earth and Venus were shielded from impacts by the Moon,and Mars was protected by the asteroid belt 
D) Mars,Venus,and Earth were geologically active for a longer period of time than Mercury and the Moon 
E) Mars,Venus,and Earth are much larger in size than Mercury and the Moon

Question 19

Which is NOT a reason for the large size of volcanoes on Mars as compared to Earth's smaller volcanoes?

Accepted Answer

A) absence of plate tectonics 
B) lack of atmosphere;therefore no erosion 
C) less gravity than other terrestrial planets 
D) many repeated eruptions 
E) All of these are reasons. 
A) absence of plate tectonics 
B) lack of atmosphere;therefore no erosion 
C) less gravity than other terrestrial planets 
D) many repeated eruptions 
E) All of these are reasons.

Question 20

If you obtained a sample of a meteorite and determined the abundances of uranium (238U)and lead (207Pb)in it,and found that for every 1 uranium atom there were 15 lead atoms,then what would the age of this rock be? Note that this form of uranium decays to this form of lead with a half-life of 700 million years.For simplicity,you can assume that there was no lead in the rock when it originally formed.

Accepted Answer

A) 1.4 billion years 
B) 2.8 billion years 
C) 4.0 billion years 
D) 10.5 billion years 
E) 3.6 billion years 
A) 1.4 billion years 
B) 2.8 billion years 
C) 4.0 billion years 
D) 10.5 billion years 
E) 3.6 billion years

Exam 8: The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

The rovers named Spirit and Opportunity that recently explored the surface of Mars discovered:

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a planetary magnetic dynamo?

Present-day erosion on the surface of the Moon is primarily caused by:

On Mars,water ice is present primarily at its polar ice caps.

Which of the following will NOT be a consequence of Earth's consumption of the bulk of its radioactive "fuel" in the future?

The center of Earth has approximately the same temperature as the surface of the Sun.

The smoother,less cratered surfaces of the Moon resulted from those areas being protected by the Moon's proximity to Earth.

List the main process that shaped the planetary surface features illustrated in each of the four pictures shown below.

Based on the age of the light- and dark-colored regions of the Moon and the number of craters observed in these regions,we know that impacts in the inner Solar System:

Compared to the dark-colored regions of the surface of the Moon,the light-colored regions are approximately:

Based on the number of impact craters observed per square meter on their surface,place these terrestrial planets in order of youngest to oldest surface:

Plate tectonics is NOT responsible for:

There are two main forces that shape a planet's surface: impacts and plate tectonics.

What will eventually happen to the Earth when radioactive decays in its interior cease?

Describe one example of tectonic disruption on Mercury,Venus,and Mars,respectively,and explain how they formed.

Name the terrestrial planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun.What are the terrestrial planets in order of increasing geologic age of their surface?

Mars,Venus,and Earth are much less heavily cratered than Mercury and the Moon.This is explained by the fact that:

Which is NOT a reason for the large size of volcanoes on Mars as compared to Earth's smaller volcanoes?

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

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

Filters