MSU ISP 205 EXAM SCRIPT COMPLETE
STUDY GUIDE WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
●● Why are rocky planets close to the Sun and gas giants
farther out?
Answer: Because the center of the solar nebula was too hot for
hydrogen ices to form.
●● What is the leading scenario for the formation of the
Moon?
Answer: It formed from the material ejected in a giant impact.
●● Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?
Answer: As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was
converted to kinetic energy and then into thermal energy
●● Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition?
Answer: Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets
formed outside.
●● If the freezing point of ices of all types was at a much
lower temperature, what change would that imply for the
, formation of our solar system?
Answer: The gas giants would have to form at a larger distance.
●● Which of the following observations of an extrasolar
planet system would be inconsistent with our theory of planet
formation?
Answer: a system in which all the planets orbit in completely different
planes
●● The habitable zone is defined as a region around a star
where ...
Answer: planets could have liquid water on their surface.
●● Which of these observations would suggest the presence
of a planet orbiting a star?
Answer: A slight decrease in the brightness of a star that repeats
●● A "hot jupiter" is a gas giant with similar mass to jupiter, but ...
Answer: ... it is much closer to its star making its atmosphere
●● You are looking for extrasolar planets using the Doppler technique.
What features are most important for
you to measure?
STUDY GUIDE WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
●● Why are rocky planets close to the Sun and gas giants
farther out?
Answer: Because the center of the solar nebula was too hot for
hydrogen ices to form.
●● What is the leading scenario for the formation of the
Moon?
Answer: It formed from the material ejected in a giant impact.
●● Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?
Answer: As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was
converted to kinetic energy and then into thermal energy
●● Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition?
Answer: Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets
formed outside.
●● If the freezing point of ices of all types was at a much
lower temperature, what change would that imply for the
, formation of our solar system?
Answer: The gas giants would have to form at a larger distance.
●● Which of the following observations of an extrasolar
planet system would be inconsistent with our theory of planet
formation?
Answer: a system in which all the planets orbit in completely different
planes
●● The habitable zone is defined as a region around a star
where ...
Answer: planets could have liquid water on their surface.
●● Which of these observations would suggest the presence
of a planet orbiting a star?
Answer: A slight decrease in the brightness of a star that repeats
●● A "hot jupiter" is a gas giant with similar mass to jupiter, but ...
Answer: ... it is much closer to its star making its atmosphere
●● You are looking for extrasolar planets using the Doppler technique.
What features are most important for
you to measure?
