PHYS 1600 GUELPH FINAL EXAM REVIEW | 2026 |
GUARANTEED PASS
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 - Answers -sidereal
The Sun is at one focus of the Earth's elliptical orbit. What is at the other focus? -
Answers -nothing
A planet closer to the Sun will have ... - Answers -the orbits were circular rather than
elliptical.
The major contribution of Tycho Brahe to the development of modern astronomy was -
Answers -measure planetary positions very accurately
Which observation of Venus through his new telescope convinced Galileo that it orbited
around the Sun and not the Earth? - Answers -Venus showed phases similar to those
of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent phase
An orbit with which of the following eccentricities is most circular? - Answers -0.10
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 - Answers -4 times her weight on
the Earth.
All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth. - Answers -True
When a planet is directly between the Earth and the Sun it is said to be in what
configuration? - Answers -inferior conjunction
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? -
Answers -elliptical, Sun, nothing
Of the following planets, which takes the longest to go around the Sun? - Answers -
Uranus
The concept of the universe adopted by most ancient Greek philosophers was -
Answers -Tycho Brahe
,What two things about Venus couldn't be explained by a geocentric cosmology -
Answers -That it has phases and changes apparent size.
Its mass would be the same as it is here on Earth. - Answers -How would the mass of a
brick change if it were placed on the Moon?
The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is
called: - Answers -retrograde motion
When Mercury is at its farthest distance from the Earth, it is at - Answers -superior
conjunction
The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n): - Answers -ellipse
The planet Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth. Which value below is the sidereal
period of Venus? - Answers -225 days
What assumption made Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology no more accurate than
geocentric cosmology - Answers -That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths
An object orbiting a star with an orbital eccentricity of e=0 has an orbit whose shape is -
Answers -circular
What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope? - Answers -Uranus
If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is suddenly doubled, how does the
gravitational attraction between the two bodies change? - Answers -It decreases by a
factor of 4.
Which of the following correctly describes the
rotation of the Moon? - Answers -The Moon rotates once per month to keep
one side always pointing toward the Earth
Leap years, which contain one extra day, are needed in order to correct for the fact that
- Answers -I year is not exactly 365 days but
about 365.25 days
The Moon shows different phases because: - Answers -we view the sunlit hemisphere
of the Moon
from different angles as the Moon orbits the
Earth.
The reason why eclipses do not occur at
every new moon and every full moon is that: - Answers -the Moon's orbit is inclined at
an angle to
the Earth's orbit.
, If we choose as a model of the Earth and Moon a large dinner plate (diameter 1/3 m)
and a saucer. How far apart should they be placed to give a correct scale for the Earth-
Moon system? - Answers -10 m
What is the basic structure of Earth's interior? - Answers -solid iron inner core, molten
iron outer core, rocky mantle, lighter
rocky crust
Which of the following is necessary for the production of a substantial planetary
magnetic field? - Answers -Rapid rotation of the planet.
Which of the following statements is NOT correct? - Answers -Earth is not the only
terrestrial planet that unambiguously shows continental drift.
The planet nearest the Sun is: - Answers -Mercury
The heat that produces tectonic activity on some of the terrestrial planets comes from
the heat of the planetary interior. - Answers -True
The present structure of the surface of the
Earth is - Answers -a series of large slabs or plates that are
moving relative to one another.
One curious fact about the overall surface of the Moon is that - Answers -while there
are a large number of' maria on
the Earth facing side, there is only one small mare on the far side of the Moon.
Which of the following statements best describes how Mercury rotates relative to the
Sun? - Answers -Mercury's elliptical orbit has placed it in a tidal lock with the Sun such
that one hemisphere faces the Sun at one perihelion and the other faces the Sun at the
next perihelion, alternating
The reason Venus's surface is only lightly cratered appears to be because - Answers -
crustal melting has obliterated the early cratering, and there has been little recent
cratering.
Which of the following descriptions best characterizes the surface of' Mars? - Answers -
Two distinct hemispheres: volcanoes and volcanic plains in the northern hemisphere
and extensive impact cratering in the southern
hemisphere
Which of the following is necessary for the production of a substantial planetary
magnetic field? - Answers -A fluid electrically conducting core.
The fourth planet from the Sun is: - Answers -Mars
GUARANTEED PASS
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 - Answers -sidereal
The Sun is at one focus of the Earth's elliptical orbit. What is at the other focus? -
Answers -nothing
A planet closer to the Sun will have ... - Answers -the orbits were circular rather than
elliptical.
The major contribution of Tycho Brahe to the development of modern astronomy was -
Answers -measure planetary positions very accurately
Which observation of Venus through his new telescope convinced Galileo that it orbited
around the Sun and not the Earth? - Answers -Venus showed phases similar to those
of the Moon and appeared largest when it was at crescent phase
An orbit with which of the following eccentricities is most circular? - Answers -0.10
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 - Answers -4 times her weight on
the Earth.
All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth. - Answers -True
When a planet is directly between the Earth and the Sun it is said to be in what
configuration? - Answers -inferior conjunction
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? -
Answers -elliptical, Sun, nothing
Of the following planets, which takes the longest to go around the Sun? - Answers -
Uranus
The concept of the universe adopted by most ancient Greek philosophers was -
Answers -Tycho Brahe
,What two things about Venus couldn't be explained by a geocentric cosmology -
Answers -That it has phases and changes apparent size.
Its mass would be the same as it is here on Earth. - Answers -How would the mass of a
brick change if it were placed on the Moon?
The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is
called: - Answers -retrograde motion
When Mercury is at its farthest distance from the Earth, it is at - Answers -superior
conjunction
The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n): - Answers -ellipse
The planet Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth. Which value below is the sidereal
period of Venus? - Answers -225 days
What assumption made Copernicus' heliocentric cosmology no more accurate than
geocentric cosmology - Answers -That planets orbit the Sun along circular paths
An object orbiting a star with an orbital eccentricity of e=0 has an orbit whose shape is -
Answers -circular
What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope? - Answers -Uranus
If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is suddenly doubled, how does the
gravitational attraction between the two bodies change? - Answers -It decreases by a
factor of 4.
Which of the following correctly describes the
rotation of the Moon? - Answers -The Moon rotates once per month to keep
one side always pointing toward the Earth
Leap years, which contain one extra day, are needed in order to correct for the fact that
- Answers -I year is not exactly 365 days but
about 365.25 days
The Moon shows different phases because: - Answers -we view the sunlit hemisphere
of the Moon
from different angles as the Moon orbits the
Earth.
The reason why eclipses do not occur at
every new moon and every full moon is that: - Answers -the Moon's orbit is inclined at
an angle to
the Earth's orbit.
, If we choose as a model of the Earth and Moon a large dinner plate (diameter 1/3 m)
and a saucer. How far apart should they be placed to give a correct scale for the Earth-
Moon system? - Answers -10 m
What is the basic structure of Earth's interior? - Answers -solid iron inner core, molten
iron outer core, rocky mantle, lighter
rocky crust
Which of the following is necessary for the production of a substantial planetary
magnetic field? - Answers -Rapid rotation of the planet.
Which of the following statements is NOT correct? - Answers -Earth is not the only
terrestrial planet that unambiguously shows continental drift.
The planet nearest the Sun is: - Answers -Mercury
The heat that produces tectonic activity on some of the terrestrial planets comes from
the heat of the planetary interior. - Answers -True
The present structure of the surface of the
Earth is - Answers -a series of large slabs or plates that are
moving relative to one another.
One curious fact about the overall surface of the Moon is that - Answers -while there
are a large number of' maria on
the Earth facing side, there is only one small mare on the far side of the Moon.
Which of the following statements best describes how Mercury rotates relative to the
Sun? - Answers -Mercury's elliptical orbit has placed it in a tidal lock with the Sun such
that one hemisphere faces the Sun at one perihelion and the other faces the Sun at the
next perihelion, alternating
The reason Venus's surface is only lightly cratered appears to be because - Answers -
crustal melting has obliterated the early cratering, and there has been little recent
cratering.
Which of the following descriptions best characterizes the surface of' Mars? - Answers -
Two distinct hemispheres: volcanoes and volcanic plains in the northern hemisphere
and extensive impact cratering in the southern
hemisphere
Which of the following is necessary for the production of a substantial planetary
magnetic field? - Answers -A fluid electrically conducting core.
The fourth planet from the Sun is: - Answers -Mars
