Question 1

Convection cannot take place in the Earth's mantle because it is not molten.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

The lithosphere of a planet is:

Accepted Answer

A) the molten layer under the crust 
B) the layer of the atmosphere in which clouds form 
C) the upper layer of its atmosphere 
D) its solid surface 
E) its frozen surface 
A) the molten layer under the crust 
B) the layer of the atmosphere in which clouds form 
C) the upper layer of its atmosphere 
D) its solid surface 
E) its frozen surface

Question 3

What is one major difference between the volcanoes on Venus and Mars and the volcanoes on the Earth? What might explain this difference?

Accepted Answer

Venus and Mars have many more shield vol

Question 4

If the Himalaya mountain range is presently 8,000 meters in height and is rising at a rate of 0.5 meters per century because of the convergence of two continental plates,how long did it take to create this mountain range?

Accepted Answer

A) 1,600 years 
B) 160,000 years 
C) 1.6 million years 
D) 160 million years 
E) 1.6 billion years 
A) 1,600 years 
B) 160,000 years 
C) 1.6 million years 
D) 160 million years 
E) 1.6 billion years

Question 5

Describe two reasons why we know that the Earth's magnetic field cannot be a result of permanent magnetism in a solid iron core.

Accepted Answer

First,Earth's interior temperature is to

Question 6

Suppose an earthquake occurs on an imaginary planet.Scientists on the other side of the planet detect primary waves but not secondary waves after the quake occurs.This suggests that:

Accepted Answer

A) part of the planet's interior is liquid 
B) all of the planet's interior is solid 
C) the planet has an iron core 
D) the planet's interior consists entirely of rocky materials 
E) The planet's mantle is liquid 
A) part of the planet's interior is liquid 
B) all of the planet's interior is solid 
C) the planet has an iron core 
D) the planet's interior consists entirely of rocky materials 
E) The planet's mantle is liquid

Question 7

Which is NOT a reason that we suspect Mars once had liquid water on its surface?

Accepted Answer

A) Mapping satellites have detected dry river beds. 
B) Rovers have detected minerals that must have formed in the presence of liquid water. 
C) Mapping satellites have detected outflow channels coming from impact craters. 
D) The observed presence of water ice in Mars's polar icecaps. 
E) All of the above are reasons. 
A) Mapping satellites have detected dry river beds. 
B) Rovers have detected minerals that must have formed in the presence of liquid water. 
C) Mapping satellites have detected outflow channels coming from impact craters. 
D) The observed presence of water ice in Mars's polar icecaps. 
E) All of the above are reasons.

Question 8

To survive passage through the Earth's atmosphere without burning or breaking up before it hits the ground,an asteroid must be:

Accepted Answer

A) at least 1 meter in size 
B) at least 10 meters in size 
C) at least 100 meters in size 
D) at least 1 kilometer in size 
E) at least 1,000 kilometers in size 
A) at least 1 meter in size 
B) at least 10 meters in size 
C) at least 100 meters in size 
D) at least 1 kilometer in size 
E) at least 1,000 kilometers in size

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a factor that helps explain Earth's lack of craters compared to the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A) wind erosion 
B) larger atmosphere 
C) higher density interior 
D) liquid water on surface 
E) active tectonics and volcanism 
A) wind erosion 
B) larger atmosphere 
C) higher density interior 
D) liquid water on surface 
E) active tectonics and volcanism

Question 10

The fact that Earth's interior is differentiated suggests that:

Accepted Answer

A) it formed first from denser material and then afterward accreted lighter material 
B) it has both a liquid and solid core 
C) it was entirely liquid at some point in the past 
D) only the crust is solid;the rest of Earth's interior is liquid 
E) it formed first from lighter material,then afterward accreted heavier material 
A) it formed first from denser material and then afterward accreted lighter material 
B) it has both a liquid and solid core 
C) it was entirely liquid at some point in the past 
D) only the crust is solid;the rest of Earth's interior is liquid 
E) it formed first from lighter material,then afterward accreted heavier material

Question 11

The observation that the Moon's average density is similar to the density of the Earth's _________ supports the collision theory of the Moon's origin.

Accepted Answer

A) oceans 
B) average density 
C) core 
D) atmosphere 
E) mantle 
A) oceans 
B) average density 
C) core 
D) atmosphere 
E) mantle

Question 12

If you obtained a sample of Martian rock,determined the abundances of 230U and 207Pb in it,and found that for every one uranium atom there were seven lead atoms,then what would the age of this rock be? Note that 230U decays to 207Pb with a half-life of 700 million years.Assume that there was no 207Pb in the rock when it originally formed.

Accepted Answer

The ratio of the original amount of uran

Question 13

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Approximately 65 million years ago,a 10-km wide asteroid struck Earth and wiped out more than 50 percent of all living species. 
B) The Moon probably was formed by a collision between a Mars-sized body and the Earth. 
C) During summer in the northern hemisphere of Mars,the polar ice cap melts and liquid water flows outward from it in rivers. 
D) The surface of Venus is relatively young with an estimated age of less than 1 billion years. 
E) Mercury has many fractures and faults on its surface that probably arose when it cooled very rapidly and shrank. 
A) Approximately 65 million years ago,a 10-km wide asteroid struck Earth and wiped out more than 50 percent of all living species. 
B) The Moon probably was formed by a collision between a Mars-sized body and the Earth. 
C) During summer in the northern hemisphere of Mars,the polar ice cap melts and liquid water flows outward from it in rivers. 
D) The surface of Venus is relatively young with an estimated age of less than 1 billion years. 
E) Mercury has many fractures and faults on its surface that probably arose when it cooled very rapidly and shrank.

Question 14

The oldest rocks on the Earth are approximately 4 billion years old.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

How did the radioactive heating of Earth vary from when it was first formed 4.6 billion years ago until today?

Accepted Answer

Radioactivity in the rocks on Earth (or

Question 16

Suppose that two planets of the same size formed from the same material.If planet A had differentiated and planet B had not,how would samples of their surface rock differ? Explain why.

Accepted Answer

Planet A's surface rock would be lower i

Question 17

Of the following methods,the age of the Solar System can be determined most accurately by:

Accepted Answer

A) measuring the number of craters per square meter on Mercury 
B) radioactive dating of rocks retrieved from the Moon 
C) carbon dating of rocks from mountains on the Earth 
D) measurement of the magnetic field variations in rocks under the Earth's oceans 
E) measuring the rate of energy production in the Sun 
A) measuring the number of craters per square meter on Mercury 
B) radioactive dating of rocks retrieved from the Moon 
C) carbon dating of rocks from mountains on the Earth 
D) measurement of the magnetic field variations in rocks under the Earth's oceans 
E) measuring the rate of energy production in the Sun

Question 18

Earth's innermost core is solid,not liquid,because:

Accepted Answer

A) the core temperature is too low to melt iron 
B) differentiation caused all of the heavy,solid material to sink to the bottom while Earth was forming 
C) all the liquid has moved up into the mantle via convection 
D) the pressure is too high for the material to be in a liquid state 
E) Iron does not melt 
A) the core temperature is too low to melt iron 
B) differentiation caused all of the heavy,solid material to sink to the bottom while Earth was forming 
C) all the liquid has moved up into the mantle via convection 
D) the pressure is too high for the material to be in a liquid state 
E) Iron does not melt

Question 19

Mars has many large shield volcanoes because it does not have plate tectonics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What is the main reason that the Earth's interior is liquid today?

Accepted Answer

A) tidal force of the Moon on the Earth 
B) seismic waves that travel through Earth's interior 
C) decay of radioactive elements 
D) convective motions in the mantle 
E) pressure on the core from Earth's outer layers. 
A) tidal force of the Moon on the Earth 
B) seismic waves that travel through Earth's interior 
C) decay of radioactive elements 
D) convective motions in the mantle 
E) pressure on the core from Earth's outer layers.

Exam 8: The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Convection cannot take place in the Earth's mantle because it is not molten.

The lithosphere of a planet is:

What is one major difference between the volcanoes on Venus and Mars and the volcanoes on the Earth? What might explain this difference?

If the Himalaya mountain range is presently 8,000 meters in height and is rising at a rate of 0.5 meters per century because of the convergence of two continental plates,how long did it take to create this mountain range?

Describe two reasons why we know that the Earth's magnetic field cannot be a result of permanent magnetism in a solid iron core.

Suppose an earthquake occurs on an imaginary planet.Scientists on the other side of the planet detect primary waves but not secondary waves after the quake occurs.This suggests that:

Which is NOT a reason that we suspect Mars once had liquid water on its surface?

To survive passage through the Earth's atmosphere without burning or breaking up before it hits the ground,an asteroid must be:

Which of the following is NOT a factor that helps explain Earth's lack of craters compared to the Moon?

The fact that Earth's interior is differentiated suggests that:

The observation that the Moon's average density is similar to the density of the Earth's _________ supports the collision theory of the Moon's origin.

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

The oldest rocks on the Earth are approximately 4 billion years old.

How did the radioactive heating of Earth vary from when it was first formed 4.6 billion years ago until today?

Suppose that two planets of the same size formed from the same material.If planet A had differentiated and planet B had not,how would samples of their surface rock differ? Explain why.

Of the following methods,the age of the Solar System can be determined most accurately by:

Earth's innermost core is solid,not liquid,because:

Mars has many large shield volcanoes because it does not have plate tectonics.

What is the main reason that the Earth's interior is liquid today?

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