THE VIOLENT UNIVERSE; GEO006/PHYS
006; UCR TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Explain the difference between mass and weight - ANSWER Mass - amound of
matter in your body
Weight - the FORCE that a scale measures when you stand on it (depends on
mass AND the forces acting on it - including gravity)
What is a light year? - ANSWER The DISTANCE light can travel in 1 year
(9.46 trillion km)
What is momentum? (ie, what quantities does it depend on? - ANSWER Two
types:
Linear Momentum: mass x velocity
Angular Momentum: mass x velocity x radius
Why are there two high tides per day on Earth? - ANSWER Tidal force (caused
by the moon's gravity) stretches the Earth along the Earth-Moon line and causes
the earth to buldge both towards and away from the Moon. That plus Earth's
rotation brings us through two bulges each day (giving us two daily high tides
and two daily low tides)
Explain any one of Newton's laws and give an example. - ANSWER 1: An
object moves at a constant velocity if there is no net force acting upon it (ex a
spaceship needs no gas to fuel it and make it move once it's already going)
2. A force can change the object's momentum
3. For any force, there's always an equal and opposite reaction force
(momentum is always conserved)
, What's the equation of gravity? What does each variable represent? - ANSWER
Fg = G x M1M2/d^2
Fg = force of gravitational attraction
G = gravitational constant
M1M2 = masses of the two objects
d = distance between their centers
What happens to the force of gravity if the distance between two objects
increases? - ANSWER The gravitational force between them decreases
Explain conservation of angular momentum. - ANSWER Conservation of
angular momentum means that a planet's rotation/orbit can't change unless the
planet transfers angular momentum to another object
Name the two types of planets in our solar system and list the names that belong
to each of the two types. - ANSWER Terrestrial: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jovian: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
List at least three differences between the two types of planets - ANSWER
Small vs Large
Rocky vs gaseous
Close to sun vs Far
Why do all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction? - ANSWER
As the solar system was forming, how did the temperature of the nebula vary
with the distance from its center? - ANSWER
Why and how are planets inside of the frost line different from those outisde the
frost line in our solar system? - ANSWER Inside, it's to hot for hydrogen
compounds as solids (so planets are formed from rocky material), while outside
it's so hot, the hydrogen compounds form ice (the temperature dictates it all)
Explain why the planetesimals beyond the frost line were initially able to grow
larger than those inside the frost line. - ANSWER Cooler temperatures allowed
for Jovian planets to grow large enough for their gravity to draw in hydrogen
and helium gas
006; UCR TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Explain the difference between mass and weight - ANSWER Mass - amound of
matter in your body
Weight - the FORCE that a scale measures when you stand on it (depends on
mass AND the forces acting on it - including gravity)
What is a light year? - ANSWER The DISTANCE light can travel in 1 year
(9.46 trillion km)
What is momentum? (ie, what quantities does it depend on? - ANSWER Two
types:
Linear Momentum: mass x velocity
Angular Momentum: mass x velocity x radius
Why are there two high tides per day on Earth? - ANSWER Tidal force (caused
by the moon's gravity) stretches the Earth along the Earth-Moon line and causes
the earth to buldge both towards and away from the Moon. That plus Earth's
rotation brings us through two bulges each day (giving us two daily high tides
and two daily low tides)
Explain any one of Newton's laws and give an example. - ANSWER 1: An
object moves at a constant velocity if there is no net force acting upon it (ex a
spaceship needs no gas to fuel it and make it move once it's already going)
2. A force can change the object's momentum
3. For any force, there's always an equal and opposite reaction force
(momentum is always conserved)
, What's the equation of gravity? What does each variable represent? - ANSWER
Fg = G x M1M2/d^2
Fg = force of gravitational attraction
G = gravitational constant
M1M2 = masses of the two objects
d = distance between their centers
What happens to the force of gravity if the distance between two objects
increases? - ANSWER The gravitational force between them decreases
Explain conservation of angular momentum. - ANSWER Conservation of
angular momentum means that a planet's rotation/orbit can't change unless the
planet transfers angular momentum to another object
Name the two types of planets in our solar system and list the names that belong
to each of the two types. - ANSWER Terrestrial: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jovian: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
List at least three differences between the two types of planets - ANSWER
Small vs Large
Rocky vs gaseous
Close to sun vs Far
Why do all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction? - ANSWER
As the solar system was forming, how did the temperature of the nebula vary
with the distance from its center? - ANSWER
Why and how are planets inside of the frost line different from those outisde the
frost line in our solar system? - ANSWER Inside, it's to hot for hydrogen
compounds as solids (so planets are formed from rocky material), while outside
it's so hot, the hydrogen compounds form ice (the temperature dictates it all)
Explain why the planetesimals beyond the frost line were initially able to grow
larger than those inside the frost line. - ANSWER Cooler temperatures allowed
for Jovian planets to grow large enough for their gravity to draw in hydrogen
and helium gas
