PHYS 1600 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS | 2026 |
GUARANTEED PASS
All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth.
True
False - Answers -True
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 - Answers -sidereal
The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n):
ellipse
circle
hyperbola
parabola - Answers -ellipse
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. - Answers -faster than anywhere
else in the orbit.
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. - Answers -...a shorter year
than a planet further from the Sun.
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. - Answers -the orbits were circular
rather than elliptical.
,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. - Answers -measure planetary positions very
accurately.
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 - Answers -circular
What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope?
phases of Venus
large moons of Jupiter
Uranus
sunspots - Answers -Uranus
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. - Answers -4 times her weight on the Earth.
The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is
called:
retrograde rotation
retrograde revolution
retrograde motion
reverse motion - Answers -retrograde motion
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 - 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?
parabolic, Sun, nothing
circular, Earth, Sun
circular, Sun, nothing
parabolic, Earth, Sun
elliptical, Sun, nothing - Answers -elliptical, Sun, nothing
,The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). At which point is the planet moving
fastest?
A
B
C
D
E - Answers -A
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 - Answers -225 days
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. - Answers -That planets orbit the Sun
along circular paths.
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 - Answers -Tycho Brahe
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. - Answers -a long, narrow ellipse.
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. - Answers -Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and
appeared largest when it was at crescent phase.
, 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. - Answers -It decreases by a factor of 4.
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. - Answers -The
rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the north.
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. - Answers -The
plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the ecliptic plane
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 - Answers -New Moon
The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What time does
the Moon rise?
Sunset
Midnight
Sunrise
Noon - Answers -Sunrise
The figure shows the Sun-Earth Moon system. What eclipse can be occurring?
Lunar
Solar
No eclipse can occur - Answers -No eclipse can occur
GUARANTEED PASS
All planets undergo retrograde motion as seen from Earth.
True
False - Answers -True
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 - Answers -sidereal
The shape of a Mar's orbit around the Sun is best described as a(n):
ellipse
circle
hyperbola
parabola - Answers -ellipse
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. - Answers -faster than anywhere
else in the orbit.
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. - Answers -...a shorter year
than a planet further from the Sun.
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. - Answers -the orbits were circular
rather than elliptical.
,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. - Answers -measure planetary positions very
accurately.
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 - Answers -circular
What did Galileo not observe with his new telescope?
phases of Venus
large moons of Jupiter
Uranus
sunspots - Answers -Uranus
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. - Answers -4 times her weight on the Earth.
The occasional westward (left to right) motion of planets across the celestial sphere is
called:
retrograde rotation
retrograde revolution
retrograde motion
reverse motion - Answers -retrograde motion
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 - 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?
parabolic, Sun, nothing
circular, Earth, Sun
circular, Sun, nothing
parabolic, Earth, Sun
elliptical, Sun, nothing - Answers -elliptical, Sun, nothing
,The figure is of a planetary orbit about the Sun (S). At which point is the planet moving
fastest?
A
B
C
D
E - Answers -A
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 - Answers -225 days
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. - Answers -That planets orbit the Sun
along circular paths.
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 - Answers -Tycho Brahe
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. - Answers -a long, narrow ellipse.
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. - Answers -Venus showed phases similar to those of the Moon and
appeared largest when it was at crescent phase.
, 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. - Answers -It decreases by a factor of 4.
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. - Answers -The
rotation of the Earth is clockwise viewed from the north.
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. - Answers -The
plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° to the ecliptic plane
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 - Answers -New Moon
The figure shows the Sun-Earth-Moon system viewed from the north. What time does
the Moon rise?
Sunset
Midnight
Sunrise
Noon - Answers -Sunrise
The figure shows the Sun-Earth Moon system. What eclipse can be occurring?
Lunar
Solar
No eclipse can occur - Answers -No eclipse can occur
