ESC100 Midterm Exam Questions &
Answers 100% Correct!
How large would an asteroid have to be to generate an impact crater the size of the
Chicxulub crater? - ANSWERS20 kilometers in diameter
During orientation you learn that all classrooms on campus are air conditioned. You
decide to bring a sweatshirt to class even on the hottest days. What type of reasoning
did you use? - ANSWERSDeductive
How do we define the length of a year on Earth? - ANSWERSA year is related to the
revolution of Earth around the Sun.
Consider the following statement and choose which response best applies to it.
"Over the last two centuries, there has been a marked decrease in the number of
pirates in the world at the same time that global temperatures are rising. Therefore, the
lack of pirates must be linked to global warming." - ANSWERSThis is an example of
flawed cause and effect reasoning.
How old is the Universe? - ANSWERS11-20 billion years
Which of the following natural hazards are we most likely to try to prevent? -
ANSWERSFloods
Which type of NEO explodes in the atmosphere before reaching the Earth's surface? -
ANSWERSbolide
Why does Earth have a magnetic field? - ANSWERSDue to the Earth's liquid outer core
Which method of science reasoning uses specific observations to draw general
conclusions? - ANSWERSInductive
What is the "Doppler effect?" - ANSWERSa change in the frequency of light as the
source moves relative to the observer
What would happen to the seasons if the tilt of the axis was opposite to what it is now? -
ANSWERSAll seasons would reverse
________ is name given to NEOs composed of rocky and/or metallic material that are
best described as - ANSWERSAsteroids; small chunks of rock knocked loose from a
belt between Mars and Jupiter
, Which planets are likely to have the strongest gravitational fields? - ANSWERSJovian or
gaseous
Which impact is thought to be responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs? -
ANSWERSChicxulub
The moon has what type of obit? - ANSWERSgeocentric
What comprises a comet? - ANSWERSBoth ice and rock
Why do we observe the Sun rising in the East and setting in the West? -
ANSWERSEarth rotates on its axis
Most meteors that strike the Earth's atmosphere - ANSWERScommonly burn up in the
atmosphere and never reach the ground
What process formed heavy elements, such as iron, found in your body? -
ANSWERSThey formed during supernovae of ancient stars
What scale predicts the potential threat posed by an asteroid impact? -
ANSWERSTorino Scale
Which is the order for the first six planets in our solar system starting from the Sun? -
ANSWERSMercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Suppose an extra-solar planet is discovered orbiting a nearby star. The planet is
spherical, composed primarily of ice, the size of our moon, and orbits its star at a
distance comparable to 20 AU. What type of planet has been discovered? -
ANSWERSdwarf
Does the Torino scale have a category for meteorites? - ANSWERSYes, they are
included in level 0
Plate Tectonic Theory - ANSWERSIs the theory that the Earth's lithosphere is broken
into pieces that move around and interact with each other
These seismic waves have the highest average velocity - ANSWERSP waves
What does Richter earthquake magnitude measure? - ANSWERSamplitude of seismic
waves on seismogram
What happens to tectonic plates at a convergent boundary? - ANSWERSThey are
recycled
What type of plate boundary includes the San Andreas Fault? - ANSWERStransform
Answers 100% Correct!
How large would an asteroid have to be to generate an impact crater the size of the
Chicxulub crater? - ANSWERS20 kilometers in diameter
During orientation you learn that all classrooms on campus are air conditioned. You
decide to bring a sweatshirt to class even on the hottest days. What type of reasoning
did you use? - ANSWERSDeductive
How do we define the length of a year on Earth? - ANSWERSA year is related to the
revolution of Earth around the Sun.
Consider the following statement and choose which response best applies to it.
"Over the last two centuries, there has been a marked decrease in the number of
pirates in the world at the same time that global temperatures are rising. Therefore, the
lack of pirates must be linked to global warming." - ANSWERSThis is an example of
flawed cause and effect reasoning.
How old is the Universe? - ANSWERS11-20 billion years
Which of the following natural hazards are we most likely to try to prevent? -
ANSWERSFloods
Which type of NEO explodes in the atmosphere before reaching the Earth's surface? -
ANSWERSbolide
Why does Earth have a magnetic field? - ANSWERSDue to the Earth's liquid outer core
Which method of science reasoning uses specific observations to draw general
conclusions? - ANSWERSInductive
What is the "Doppler effect?" - ANSWERSa change in the frequency of light as the
source moves relative to the observer
What would happen to the seasons if the tilt of the axis was opposite to what it is now? -
ANSWERSAll seasons would reverse
________ is name given to NEOs composed of rocky and/or metallic material that are
best described as - ANSWERSAsteroids; small chunks of rock knocked loose from a
belt between Mars and Jupiter
, Which planets are likely to have the strongest gravitational fields? - ANSWERSJovian or
gaseous
Which impact is thought to be responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs? -
ANSWERSChicxulub
The moon has what type of obit? - ANSWERSgeocentric
What comprises a comet? - ANSWERSBoth ice and rock
Why do we observe the Sun rising in the East and setting in the West? -
ANSWERSEarth rotates on its axis
Most meteors that strike the Earth's atmosphere - ANSWERScommonly burn up in the
atmosphere and never reach the ground
What process formed heavy elements, such as iron, found in your body? -
ANSWERSThey formed during supernovae of ancient stars
What scale predicts the potential threat posed by an asteroid impact? -
ANSWERSTorino Scale
Which is the order for the first six planets in our solar system starting from the Sun? -
ANSWERSMercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Suppose an extra-solar planet is discovered orbiting a nearby star. The planet is
spherical, composed primarily of ice, the size of our moon, and orbits its star at a
distance comparable to 20 AU. What type of planet has been discovered? -
ANSWERSdwarf
Does the Torino scale have a category for meteorites? - ANSWERSYes, they are
included in level 0
Plate Tectonic Theory - ANSWERSIs the theory that the Earth's lithosphere is broken
into pieces that move around and interact with each other
These seismic waves have the highest average velocity - ANSWERSP waves
What does Richter earthquake magnitude measure? - ANSWERSamplitude of seismic
waves on seismogram
What happens to tectonic plates at a convergent boundary? - ANSWERSThey are
recycled
What type of plate boundary includes the San Andreas Fault? - ANSWERStransform
