PHYS*1600 FINAL EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth. True False
Answer:
True
Question:
2. Which word, in the list below, goes in the space? The _____________ period of a planet is the time it
takes the planet to go from a position among the fixed stars back to the same position. yearly synodic
sidereal monthly daily
Answer:
sidereal
Question:
3. The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n): ellipse circle hyperbola parabola
Answer:
ellipse
Question:
4. The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). The speed of planet when at A is... slower than
anywhere else in the orbit. faster than anywhere else in the orbit. the same as anywhere else in the orbit. the
same as at E but different from that at B and D.
Answer:
faster than anywhere else in the orbit.
Question:
5. A planet closer to the Sun will have ... ...a longer year than a planet further from the Sun. ...a shorter year
than a planet further from the Sun. ...the same length of year as a planet further from the Sun.
Answer:
...a shorter year than a planet further from the Sun.
Question:
6. The most serious flaw in the solar system model of Copernicus was Earth was at the center of the
system. the orbits were circular rather than elliptical. it failed to take precession into account. it failed to
take retrograde motion into account.
Answer:
the orbits were circular rather than elliptical.
Question:
7. The major contribution of Tycho Brahe to the development of modern astronomy was... observe the
phases of Venus. measure planetary positions very accurately. to use parallax to prove that the Earth
moves around the Sun. prove that planetary orbits are ellipses.
,Answer:
measure planetary positions very accurately.
Question:
8. An object orbiting a star with an orbital eccentricity of e=0 has an orbit whose shape is... a long, narrow
ellipse slightly elliptical, but almost circular circular
Answer:
circular
Question:
9. What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope? phases of Venus large moons of Jupiter Uranus
sunspots
Answer:
Uranus
Question:
10. If an astronaut landed on a planet of the same radius as the Earth but 4 times the mass, then the
astronaut's weight on the planet would be the same as on Earth because weight is independent of location.
16 times her weight on the Earth. 4 times her weight on the Earth. twice her weight on the Earth.
Answer:
4 times her weight on the Earth.
Question:
11. The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is called:
retrograde rotation retrograde revolution retrograde motion reverse motion
Answer:
retrograde motion
Question:
12. When a planet is directly between the Earth and the Sun it is said to be in what configuration? inferior
conjunction superior conjunction elongation opposition
Answer:
inferior conjunction
Question:
13. The Earth, and all planets, move about the Sun in ___1____ orbits with the ___2___ at one focus and
____3___ at the other. Which choice of 1, 2, 3 below is correct? parabolic, Sun, nothing circular, Earth,
Sun circular, Sun, nothing parabolic, Earth, Sun elliptical, Sun, nothing
Answer:
elliptical, Sun, nothing
Question:
14. The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). At which point is the planet moving fastest? A B C
DE
Answer:
A
,Question:
15. The planet Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth. Which value below is the sidereal period of
Venus? 225 days
4.6 yr 1 yr
Answer:
225 days
Question:
16. What assumption made Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology no more accurate than geocentric
cosmology? That the sidereal period is the true orbital period of any astronomical body. That the synodic
period is the time that elapses between successive identical configurations. That Mars and Venus must be
closer to the Sun than is the Earth. That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths.
Answer:
That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths.
Question:
17. The person who compiled the large set of accurate observations of planetary positions that formed the
basis for proving that planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun was Ptolemy Johannes Keppler
Nicolaus Copernicus Tycho Brahe
Answer:
Tycho Brahe
Question:
18. An object orbiting the Sun with an orbital eccentricity of 0.8 has an orbit whose shape is a long, narrow
ellipse. circular, but with the Sun off-centre in the circle. slightly elliptical, but almost circular.
Answer:
a long, narrow ellipse.
Question:
19. Which observation of Venus through his new telescope convinced Galileo that it orbited around the
Sun and not the Earth? He saw it move into eclipse behind the Sun during its orbital motion. He noted that
Venus always remained close to the Sun in the sky, simply moving from one side of the Sun to the other
over time. Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent
phase.
Answer:
Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent phase.
Question:
20. If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is suddenly doubled, how does the gravitational attraction
between the two bodies change? It increases by a factor of 2. It increases by a factor of 4. It decreases by a
factor of 2. It decreases by a factor of 4.
Answer:
It decreases by a factor of
4.
, Question:
21. One statement below is incorrect; which one? Leap years are necessary because the length of the year
is not an exact integral number of days. The seasons are a result of the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis
relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. The rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the
north. The rotation and revolution of the Earth are in the same direction.
Answer:
The rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the north.
Question:
22. One statement below is correct; which one? The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the
ecliptic plane Because the Moon does not rotate with respect to the distant stars, we see all sides of the
Moon once each month. In the time that the Moon makes one revolution about the Earth the Earth moves
through about 1/2 of its orbit about the Sun. In its orbit about the Earth the Moon has to travel a smaller
distance to come back to the same phase than to make one full turn with respect to the distant stars.
Answer:
The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the ecliptic plane
Question:
23. The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What is the phase of the Moon?
Full New Moon 1st quarter 3rd quarter
Answer:
New Moon
Question:
24. The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What time does the Moon rise?
Sunset Midnight Sunrise Noon
Answer:
Sunrise
Question:
25. The figure shows the Sun-Earth Moon system. What eclipse can be occurring? Lunar Solar No eclipse
can occur
Answer:
No eclipse can occur
Question:
26. The plane of the Earth's orbit around theSun, the ecliptic plane, over periods ofhundreds of years,
varies between angles of' +23.5 and -23.5°from the celestial equator through the year,making an angle of
0° to the equator atmidsummer and midwinter. remains fixed at an angle of 23.5° to thecelestial equator. is
coincident with the celestial equator,by definition.
Answer:
remains fixed at an angle of 23.5° to thecelestial equator
Question:
27. On a particular night, the Moon appearsmore than half full, and on the followingnight it appears to be
at quarter moon.What was the phase of the Moon on thefirst night? Waning gibbous Waning crescent
Waxing gibbous
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth. True False
Answer:
True
Question:
2. Which word, in the list below, goes in the space? The _____________ period of a planet is the time it
takes the planet to go from a position among the fixed stars back to the same position. yearly synodic
sidereal monthly daily
Answer:
sidereal
Question:
3. The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n): ellipse circle hyperbola parabola
Answer:
ellipse
Question:
4. The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). The speed of planet when at A is... slower than
anywhere else in the orbit. faster than anywhere else in the orbit. the same as anywhere else in the orbit. the
same as at E but different from that at B and D.
Answer:
faster than anywhere else in the orbit.
Question:
5. A planet closer to the Sun will have ... ...a longer year than a planet further from the Sun. ...a shorter year
than a planet further from the Sun. ...the same length of year as a planet further from the Sun.
Answer:
...a shorter year than a planet further from the Sun.
Question:
6. The most serious flaw in the solar system model of Copernicus was Earth was at the center of the
system. the orbits were circular rather than elliptical. it failed to take precession into account. it failed to
take retrograde motion into account.
Answer:
the orbits were circular rather than elliptical.
Question:
7. The major contribution of Tycho Brahe to the development of modern astronomy was... observe the
phases of Venus. measure planetary positions very accurately. to use parallax to prove that the Earth
moves around the Sun. prove that planetary orbits are ellipses.
,Answer:
measure planetary positions very accurately.
Question:
8. An object orbiting a star with an orbital eccentricity of e=0 has an orbit whose shape is... a long, narrow
ellipse slightly elliptical, but almost circular circular
Answer:
circular
Question:
9. What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope? phases of Venus large moons of Jupiter Uranus
sunspots
Answer:
Uranus
Question:
10. If an astronaut landed on a planet of the same radius as the Earth but 4 times the mass, then the
astronaut's weight on the planet would be the same as on Earth because weight is independent of location.
16 times her weight on the Earth. 4 times her weight on the Earth. twice her weight on the Earth.
Answer:
4 times her weight on the Earth.
Question:
11. The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is called:
retrograde rotation retrograde revolution retrograde motion reverse motion
Answer:
retrograde motion
Question:
12. When a planet is directly between the Earth and the Sun it is said to be in what configuration? inferior
conjunction superior conjunction elongation opposition
Answer:
inferior conjunction
Question:
13. The Earth, and all planets, move about the Sun in ___1____ orbits with the ___2___ at one focus and
____3___ at the other. Which choice of 1, 2, 3 below is correct? parabolic, Sun, nothing circular, Earth,
Sun circular, Sun, nothing parabolic, Earth, Sun elliptical, Sun, nothing
Answer:
elliptical, Sun, nothing
Question:
14. The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). At which point is the planet moving fastest? A B C
DE
Answer:
A
,Question:
15. The planet Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth. Which value below is the sidereal period of
Venus? 225 days
4.6 yr 1 yr
Answer:
225 days
Question:
16. What assumption made Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology no more accurate than geocentric
cosmology? That the sidereal period is the true orbital period of any astronomical body. That the synodic
period is the time that elapses between successive identical configurations. That Mars and Venus must be
closer to the Sun than is the Earth. That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths.
Answer:
That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths.
Question:
17. The person who compiled the large set of accurate observations of planetary positions that formed the
basis for proving that planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun was Ptolemy Johannes Keppler
Nicolaus Copernicus Tycho Brahe
Answer:
Tycho Brahe
Question:
18. An object orbiting the Sun with an orbital eccentricity of 0.8 has an orbit whose shape is a long, narrow
ellipse. circular, but with the Sun off-centre in the circle. slightly elliptical, but almost circular.
Answer:
a long, narrow ellipse.
Question:
19. Which observation of Venus through his new telescope convinced Galileo that it orbited around the
Sun and not the Earth? He saw it move into eclipse behind the Sun during its orbital motion. He noted that
Venus always remained close to the Sun in the sky, simply moving from one side of the Sun to the other
over time. Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent
phase.
Answer:
Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent phase.
Question:
20. If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is suddenly doubled, how does the gravitational attraction
between the two bodies change? It increases by a factor of 2. It increases by a factor of 4. It decreases by a
factor of 2. It decreases by a factor of 4.
Answer:
It decreases by a factor of
4.
, Question:
21. One statement below is incorrect; which one? Leap years are necessary because the length of the year
is not an exact integral number of days. The seasons are a result of the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis
relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. The rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the
north. The rotation and revolution of the Earth are in the same direction.
Answer:
The rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the north.
Question:
22. One statement below is correct; which one? The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the
ecliptic plane Because the Moon does not rotate with respect to the distant stars, we see all sides of the
Moon once each month. In the time that the Moon makes one revolution about the Earth the Earth moves
through about 1/2 of its orbit about the Sun. In its orbit about the Earth the Moon has to travel a smaller
distance to come back to the same phase than to make one full turn with respect to the distant stars.
Answer:
The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the ecliptic plane
Question:
23. The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What is the phase of the Moon?
Full New Moon 1st quarter 3rd quarter
Answer:
New Moon
Question:
24. The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What time does the Moon rise?
Sunset Midnight Sunrise Noon
Answer:
Sunrise
Question:
25. The figure shows the Sun-Earth Moon system. What eclipse can be occurring? Lunar Solar No eclipse
can occur
Answer:
No eclipse can occur
Question:
26. The plane of the Earth's orbit around theSun, the ecliptic plane, over periods ofhundreds of years,
varies between angles of' +23.5 and -23.5°from the celestial equator through the year,making an angle of
0° to the equator atmidsummer and midwinter. remains fixed at an angle of 23.5° to thecelestial equator. is
coincident with the celestial equator,by definition.
Answer:
remains fixed at an angle of 23.5° to thecelestial equator
Question:
27. On a particular night, the Moon appearsmore than half full, and on the followingnight it appears to be
at quarter moon.What was the phase of the Moon on thefirst night? Waning gibbous Waning crescent
Waxing gibbous
