AS101 FINAL EXAM / TEST REVIEW
QUESTIONS & CORRECT SOLUTIONS |
GRADED A+
When we examine the types of planets making up the solar system we notice the
following
a.) there was just one type of planet round, small and rocky
b.) there are three types of plants; terrestrial, Jovian, and snowball
c.) there are two types of planets; terrestrial and Jovian
d.) there seems to be no general category of planets
e.) all planets making up the solar system are like Pluto -correct-answer-c.)
What is the origin of the atoms of hydrogen, oxygen and sodium in the
perspiration that exits your body during this astronomy test?
a.) all of these elements were synthesized inside stars more than 4.6 billion years
ago
b.) The hydrogen nuclei were produced a few minutes after the Big Bang, the
oxygen and sodium nuclei were synthesized inside stars more than 4.6 billion
years ago
c.) all of these elements were produced in the first few minutes after the big bang
event
d.) they were all fused deep inside earth
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e.) they were synthesized during the early stages of the suns formation -correct-
answer-B
According to our theory of summer formation why does the sun rotate slowly
today?
a.) The sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular momentum because
everything slows down with time
b.) The sun wants rotate much faster, but it transferred angular momentum to
charged particles caught in its magnetic field and then blew the particles away
with its strong solar wind
c.) The sun once rotated much faster, but it lost angular momentum due to
internal friction
d.) The sun once rotated much faster, but it transferred angular momentum to
planets and other objects during close encounters.
e.) The sun was born rotating slowly because the solar nebula had very little
angular momentum -correct-answer-B
The sticking together of small but solid particles is an important feature of the
solar nebula theory. What is this process known as?
a.) accretion
b.) differentiation
c.) gluons
d.) gravitational collapse
e.) condensation -correct-answer-A.)
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Which of the following solar system moons likely formed through the same
processes as our solar system?
a.) the moons of Mars; phobos and Deimos
b.) Venus' small moon, dactyl
c.) Jupiter's Galilean moons
d.) Uranus's moon, triton
e.) all of a, c, and d -correct-answer-C.)
The terrestrial planets and the giant Jovian planets have different compositions
because
a.) The giant Jovian planets are made mostly of solids
b.) The terrestrial planets have few moons
c.) The Jovian's are much larger
d.) The Jovian planets are closer to the sun
e.) The terrestrial planets are closer to the sun -correct-answer-E.)
Atmosphere was formed around some terrestrial planets because
a.) outgassing through volcanic activity plus a strong enough gravity kept the gas
from escaping into space
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b.) their gravity was great enough to capture atoms and molecules floating around
in the solar nebula
c.) radioactivity from surface rocks produced oxygen and carbon dioxide in
sufficient quantities to build up an atmosphere
d.) human activity produces carbon dioxide and plants produce oxygen which are
the main constituents of an atmosphere
e.) all of the above -correct-answer-A.)
What is a planetesimal?
a.) One of the larger planets in the solar system
b.) A smaller building block of planets
c.) an object that is in orbit around a planet
d.) A rogue planet moving around in the solar system not attached any particular
planet
e.) A smaller building block of a protostar -correct-answer-b.)
About how much of the solar nebula consisted of elements heavier than hydrogen
and helium?
a.) 2%
b.) 10%
c.) 50%
d.) 25%
e.) 98% -correct-answer-A.)