quiz : Astronomy

1.
	Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth. 100%    B. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars. C. Mercury, Moon, Venus, Earth, Mars. D. Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. E. Mercury, Moon, Mars, Earth, Venus. Score: 1.83/1.83
2.
	The planet's orbital period is: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. the time its magnetic field takes to spin once.  B. the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun. 100%    C. the time it takes it to rotate and have the same face toward us again. D. the time it takes for it to retrograde back to the same position as we pass it. E. the time it takes for a satellite to orbit it. Score: 1.83/1.83
3.
	How do the densities of the jovian and terrestrial planets compare? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. The closer a planet lies to the Sun, the less its density. B. Made from the same solar nebula, they are all similar. C. More massive jovians all have high densities, compared to the tiny terrestrials.  D. All terrestrials are more dense than any of the jovians. 100%    E. No real pattern here; densities vary greatly and are very individual to each world. Score: 1.83/1.83
4.
	The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. sixty degrees ahead or behind Jupiter B. between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus C. between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter  D. beyond the orbit of Neptune 100%    E. among the orbits of the terrestrial planets Score: 1.83/1.83
5.
	In composition and density, the asteroids most resemble: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Kuiper Belt objects like Pluto. B. comets.  C. pieces of terrestrial planets. 100%    D. jovian moons. E. the Sun. Score: 1.83/1.83
6.
	A meteorite is Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. an irregularly shaped body, mostly found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. 0% B. an icy body with a long tail extending from it. C. a streak of light in the atmosphere. D. a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground.    E. a chunk of space debris orbiting the Earth. Score: 0/1.83
7.
	The Kuiper Belt is an "outer asteroid belt" consisting of what types of solar system bodies? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. terrestrial planets  B. icy cometlike bodies 100%    C. meteoroids D. asteroids E. jovian planets Score: 1.83/1.83
8.
	The jovian planets Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. all have rings around their equators. 100%    B. are all much more dense than any of the terrestrials planets. C. all spin slower than the earth. D. all lie less than 5 AU from the Sun. E. have satellite systems with less than 4 moons. Score: 1.83/1.83
9.
	Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. they are dense and easily deflect the path of passing spacecraft.  B. they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured. 100%    C. they move rapidly and their periods are easily measured. D. they are terrestrial and the extra size of the planet's disk can be measured. E. they are jovian and their oblateness can be found. Score: 1.83/1.83
10.
	From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. core, mantle, crust 100%    B. core, crust, lithosphere C. mantle, core, crust D. mantle, crust, core Score: 1.83/1.83
11.
	Which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Mars B. Venus C. the Moon  D. Earth 100%    E. Mercury Score: 1.83/1.83
12.
	Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. It has too thick an atmosphere.  B. Its rotation is too slow. 100%    C. It is too close to the Sun. D. It does not have a metallic core. E. It is too large. Score: 1.83/1.83
13.
	There are no auroras on Venus because it Student Response Value Correct Answer A. is too hot. B. lacks atmospheric oxygen.  C. lacks a strong magnetic field. 100%    D. lacks strong winds. Score: 1.83/1.83
14.
	What process has shaped Earth's surface more than any other? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. impact cratering B. acid rain C. volcanism D. wind erosion  E. plate tectonics 100%    Score: 1.83/1.83
15.
	Which of the following worlds has the most substantial atmosphere? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Mercury B. Mars  C. Venus 100%    D. the Moon E. Earth Score: 1.83/1.83
16.
	Valles Marineris is a(n) Student Response Value Correct Answer A. huge series of cliffs on Mercury. B. extensive plain on Mars. C. large canyon on Venus.  D. large canyon on Mars. 100%    E. large valley on the Moon. Score: 1.83/1.83
17.
	Which of the following show evidence of ancient river beds? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. the Moon  B. Mars 100%    C. Mercury D. Venus E. all of the above Score: 1.83/1.83
18.
	What gas is the primary constituent of our atmosphere? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. carbon dioxide B. hydrogen  C. nitrogen 100%    D. oxygen E. helium Score: 1.83/1.83
19.
	Which statement about seismic waves is FALSE? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. P waves travel faster, so the gap between their arrival times gives the source's distance. B. S waves are blocked by the fluid outer core and cannot be observed on the other side of the planet from the epicenter.  C. Only P waves can be detected in the shadow zone. 100%    D. Close to the epicenter, both S and P waves can be recorded. E. Both S and P waves can be detected by seismographs. Score: 1.83/1.83
20.
	When strong solar winds are displaced poleward by our magnetic fields, we get Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. intense auroral displays. 100%    B. droughts and dust bowls in the American West. C. the Van Allen radiation belts. D. hurricanes in the tropics. E. sunspots. Score: 1.83/1.83
21.
	The region around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles is the: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. aurora borealis and aurstralis.  B. Van Allen Radiation Belts. 100%    C. exosphere. D. corona. E. ozone layer. Score: 1.83/1.83
22.
	We determine the structure of the Earth's core using Student Response Value Correct Answer A. deep mine shafts. B. magnetic resonance imaging. C. radar and sonar.  D. seismic wave data. 100%    E. satellite imaging. Score: 1.83/1.83
23.
	The Dynamo Theory holds that: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. lightning plays a major role in generating our magnetic fields. B. the Earth's core, like Mercury's, is now a solid, rigid bar magnet. C. any other planet of similar density will also have a strong magnetic field.  D. magnetic fields are generated by rapidly spinning, fluid magnetic interiors. 100%    E. the Earth's magnetic field must switch polarities every few million years. Score: 1.83/1.83
24.
	The principal greenhouse gases in our present atmosphere are: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. water vapor and carbon dioxide. 100%    B. hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. C. hydrogen and helium. D. methane and ammonia. E. sulfuric acid vapor and carbon dioxide. Score: 1.83/1.83
25.
	The Greenhouse Effect works by trapping Student Response Value Correct Answer A. outgoing ultraviolet radiation from the Earth. B. incoming ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. C. incoming infrared radiation from the Sun.  D. the heat from the Sun in Earth's atmosphere. 0% E. outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth.    Score: 0/1.83
26.
	At what phase are the tides least noticeable? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. new Moon B. waxing crescent C. waning gibbous D. First quarter     E. full Moon 0% Score: 0/1.83
27.
	What is true of spring tides? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. The difference between low and high tides would be smallest. B. The Moon's phase will be first quarter. C. There would be one high and one low tide each day. D. The third quarter Moon would be high overhead at dawn.  E. The difference between low and high tides would be greatest. 100%    Score: 1.83/1.83
28.
	In size, Mercury is intermediate between: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. the Moon and Mars. 100%    B. Pluto and the Moon. C. Ceres and Pluto. D. Earth and Venus. E. Mars and Earth. Score: 1.83/1.83
29.
	One of the effects of Mercury's very slow spin is Student Response Value Correct Answer A. large variations in the size of its polar cap. B. wind patterns that are slow, but global in size. C. tectonic activity.  D. extreme variations in its surface temperature. 100%    E. an intensely powerful magnetic field. Score: 1.83/1.83
30.
	All of the statements below are true. Which one gives the primary reason why the surface of Venus today is some 450°C hotter than the surface of Earth? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. Venus has a much stronger greenhouse effect than Earth. 100%    B. Venus has a much higher reflectivity than Earth. C. Venus has a higher atmospheric pressure than Earth. D. Venus is only about 73% as far from the Sun as Earth. Score: 1.83/1.83
31.
	Why is the sky blue (on Earth)? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Because molecules scatter red light more effectively than blue light. B. No one knows – this is one of the great mysteries of science. C. Because the Sun emits mostly blue light.  D. Because molecules scatter blue light more effectively than red light. 100%    E. Because deep space is blue in color. Score: 1.83/1.83
32.
	The lunar highlands are: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. formed by plate tectonics, like the Earth's Himalayas. B. brighter than the mare, since they are covered with reflective glass from the rays. C. formed by volcanic eruptions, much like our Andes. D. made of lighter colored, younger rocks than the mare.  E. more rugged, heavily cratered , and older than the lunar mare. 100%    Score: 1.83/1.83
33.
	What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. auroral displays much like Earth's B. polar caps of dry ice that vary seasonally, much like Mars  C. water ice that never melts in the deep craters 100%    D. rift valleys E. large mare basins, such as near our Moon's south pole Score: 1.83/1.83
34.
	How does Mercury's rotation relate to the Sun? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. Its rotation rate is 2/3 as long as its year, due to tidal resonances. 100%    B. Its day is the same length as its year. C. It does not spin at all, being tidal stopped by the solar tides. D. It always keeps one face tidally locked toward the Sun, as our Moon does with us. E. Its year is much shorter, only 88 days, than its slow rotation of 243 days on its axis. Score: 1.83/1.83
35.
	What is true of the Moon's orbital and rotational periods? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. They are equal. 100%    B. The rotational period varies with the Moon's phase. C. The rotational period is longer. D. The orbital period is greatest at full moon. E. The orbital period is longer. Score: 1.83/1.83
36.
	Which of these features is attributed to the shrinking of Mercury's core? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. rays B. rilles  C. scarps 100%    D. craters E. mare Score: 1.83/1.83
37.
	Mercury's surface most resembles which of these? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Venus' polar regions B. the lunar mare C. Mars' deserts  D. the lunar far side 100%    E. the earth's deserts Score: 1.83/1.83
38.
	Which of these theories seems to best explain the Moon's origin? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. Impact Theory 100%    B. Fusion Theory C. Coformation Theory D. Capture Theory E. Fission Theory Score: 1.83/1.83
39.
	Venus orbits the Sun in 225 days. How long does it take to rotate on its axis? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. 225 days, so it keeps the same face toward the Sun B. 36 days, for reasons unknown C. 450 days, exactly at 2:1 spin-orbit resonance  D. 243 days, even though the Earth's tidal pull is not involved 100%    E. 24 hours, 36 minutes, very similar to Earth and Mars Score: 1.83/1.83
40.
	Through radar observations it was found that Venus' Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. rotation on its axis is retrograde. 100%    B. atmosphere is changing rapidly. C. orbital period is 243 days. D. orbit around the Sun is speeding up. E. orbit around the Sun is in the clockwise sense. Score: 1.83/1.83
41.
	Earth and Venus are often called sister planets; in which ways are they most alike? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. surface temperature and pressure B. atmospheric composition and density C. polar caps and rusty red deserts  D. size, density, and surface gravity 100%    E. cloud composition and meteorology Score: 1.83/1.83
42.
	The surface of Venus can be observed with: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. radar observations from Arecibo. 100%    B. the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. C. most amateur telescopes. D. the Hubble Space Telescope. E. All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet. Score: 1.83/1.83
43.
	Maxwell Mons on Venus is a huge: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. impact crater larger than Texas.  B. shield volcano. 100%    C. tectonic mountain chain, like the Himalayas. D. rift valley. E. ocean basin larger than the Pacific Ocean. Score: 1.83/1.83
44.
	The largest volcanic structures on Venus are called: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. coronae. 100%    B. cinder cones. C. calderas. D. crater cones. E. shield volcanoes. Score: 1.83/1.83
45.
	What is the result of the Greenhouse effect on the surface environment of Venus? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. It has reduced the surface temperature by about 30 degrees Celsius.  B. It has raised the surface temperature by hundreds of degrees Celsius 100%    C. It causes the surface temperature of Venus to become hotter than the Sun. D. Its effect is about the same as on Earth. E. It has little or no effect. Score: 1.8/1.8
46.
	What is the main constituent of the atmosphere of Venus? Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. carbon dioxide 100%    B. oxygen C. hydrogen D. nitrogen E. sulfuric acid Score: 1.8/1.8
47.
	The highest peak on Venus is called: Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. Maxwell. 100%    B. Gula. C. Shif. D. Lakshmi. E. Cleopatra. Score: 1.8/1.8
48.
	The absence of a magnetic field on Venus probably stems from its: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. high surface temperatures. B. lower density than Earth, suggesting an absence of an iron core. C. extremely thick atmosphere.  D. slow rotation. 100%    E. nearness to the Sun. Score: 1.8/1.8
49.
	Which is the correct size order, from smallest to largest? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Venus, Mars, Earth  B. Mercury, Mars, Venus 100%    C. The Moon, Earth, Mars D. Mercury, the Moon, Mars E. Mercury, Venus, Mars Score: 1.8/1.8
50.
	How long is a day on Mars? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. 9 hours, 55 minutes B. 243 Earth days C. 23 hours, 56 minutes  D. 24 hours, 36 minutes 100%    E. about 4.2 Earth days Score: 1.82/1.82
51.
	The most prominent feature of Mars observable from Earth is Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. its bright polar caps. 100%    B. the prominent feature, Valles Marineris. C. its two prominent moons. D. the large volcano Olympus Mons. E. its thick atmosphere. Score: 1.83/1.83
52.
	Most of the dark regions on Mars visible from Earth are Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. volcanic planes like the lunar maria. 100%    B. features like the Valles Marineris. C. lava flows from active volcanoes. D. the seasonal growth of vegetation on the planet. E. mountainous regions. Score: 1.83/1.83
53.
	Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n) Student Response Value Correct Answer A. impact crater. B. oceanic trench.  C. rift valley. 100%    D. scarp. E. shield volcano. Score: 1.8/1.8
54.
	Why is Mars red? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Dust storms on the planet have blasted the planet so fiercely that the rocks have reddened. B. The ancient volcanoes poured out vast plains of molten sulfur, much as on Io, which has now solidified and preserved the reddish color. C. Sulfuric acid rain etched a reddish color into iron-rich surface rocks.  D. The iron in the surface rocks have been oxidized over time. 100%    E. Mercuric oxide is abundant and has a red tint. Score: 1.8/1.8
55.
	How many moons does Mars have? Student Response Value Correct Answer A. none B. one  C. two 100%    D. three E. four Score: 1.8/1.8
56.
	The main constituent of the martian atmosphere is Student Response Value Correct Answer  A. carbon dioxide. 100%    B. helium. C. methane. D. hydrogen. E. nitrogen. Score: 1.8/1.8
57.
	The largest shield volcano yet discovered is: Student Response Value Correct Answer A. Prometheus on Io. B. Kilimanjaro on Earth.  C. Olympus Mons on Mars. 100%    D. Maxwell Mons on Venus. E. Caloris on Mercury. Score: 1.8/1.8