GEOL 109 Final Exam Questions With 100% Verified Answers

... - correct answers Lesson 1: The Solar System Closest to Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Farthest from Sun - correct answers Which is the correct sequence of planets, based on increasing average radius of their orbits? All of these are incorrect. - correct answers The inner planets They are largely made of hydrogen and helium. - correct answers Which statement is true for the outer planets of our solar system? most abundant on the moons of the outer planets - correct answers Water ice is The moons of the outer planets generally have lower densities. - correct answers What sets the composition of the moons of the outer planets apart from the inner planets? Comets - correct answers Which objects have orbits that take them the farthest from the Sun in our solar system? Venus - correct answers Which of the following objects is most like Earth in size and composition? - Planets are much smaller in diameter than the stars around which they revolve. - Planets do not generate energy through nuclear fusion. - correct answers What is a major difference between planets and stars? (Select all that apply.) - Planets revolve around the Sun. - Moons revolve around a Sun-orbiting planet. - correct answers What are the major differences between a moon and a planet? (Select all that apply.) - The asteroids mark the transition from the rocky terrestrial planets to the outer planets. - Some asteroids appear to be rocky; some seem covered with lava; others seem to be metallic; and yet others may have water ice. - Many meteorites that fall on Earth come from the asteroid belt. - correct answers Which of the following are the characteristics of the asteroid belt? (Select all that apply.) ... - correct answers Lesson 2: Origin of the Elements About 14 billion years ago. - correct answers According to our best modern day evidence, how long ago was the Big Bang? - Protons - Neutrons - Electrons - correct answers The most basic subatomic particles include which of the following? (Select all that apply.) During a supernova explosion - correct answers How are elements heavier than iron produced? nuclear fusion - correct answers What is the principal method of light element (up to iron, atomic number 26) production? is typified by extreme fluctuations in energy and a strong magnetic field - correct answers The T-Tauri phase of a star's history collapse of a star with multiple burning shells - correct answers Many supernovas are the result of With the formation of a planetary nebula. - correct answers How will the Sun's life probably end? - They form as a star expands and the surface cools. - They evolve from medium-sized stars. - correct answers Which of the following are correct about red giant stars? (Select all that apply.) First Stage Molecular Cloud Protostar Main Sequence Star Red Giant Planetary Nebula Last Stage - correct answers Put the following stages in the evolution of a medium-sized star in the correct time order, placing the first stage on the top and the last stage on the bottom. Medium-sized stars like our Sun. - correct answers Which kind of stars have the longest lifetimes (~10 billion years)? ... - correct answers Lesson 3: Condensation It is a cool mass of gas and dust that can be light years across. - correct answers A giant molecular cloud is best described by which statement? - They are concentrations of interstellar gas and dust. - Many are the birth grounds of stars. - Some form when stars explode. - correct answers Which of the following is correct about the nebulas we see in the sky today? (Select all that apply.) protostar - correct answers A "star" that shines, but not as a result of nuclear reactions, is called a __________. 4,500,000,000 y - correct answers Condensation in the solar nebula and accretion of planets is thought to have occurred about how many years ago? did not condense to form solids. - correct answers Most of the mass of the solar nebula resided in materials which They were water ice. - correct answers What were the most common solids that condensed from the solar nebular gases? tungsten (W), osmium (Os), and zirconium (Zr) - correct answers Examples of highly refractory materials are helium (He), argon (Ar), ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4) - correct answers Which list is made of very volatile materials? Their constituents condensed at high temperatures. - correct answers Why are the inner planets depleted (poor) in volatile elements? ... - correct answers Lesson 4: Accretion of the Planets The aggregation of planetismals when they impact one another. - correct answers Which of the following is involved in collisional accretion? - As these particles accreted, the planets became hot as kinetic energy was converted to thermal energy. - The planets grew larger and larger via repeated impact. - The planets became internally differentiated to different degrees. - The particles that accreted to form the planets were in orbit around the Sun. ALL - correct answers Which of the following are true about planetary accretion? (Select all that apply.) The planets formed about the same time as the Sun in a relatively short period of time only a few million years long. - correct answers When did the planets form? The heavily cratered surfaces of the Moon and other planetary bodies. - correct answers Which of these is evidence for planetary accretion? By collapse of nebular gas onto a protoplanet's icy core. - correct answers How did the giant outer planets obtain their thick atmospheres? - between Mars and Jupiter - beyond Neptune - correct answers Large planetary bodies failed to accrete in some parts of the solar system and did not sweep their neighborhoods clear of debris. Select the two most prominent zones of this "debris." - Their orbits form a flattened disk shape. - They orbit in the equatorial plane (ecliptic) of the star. - correct answers Which of the following are characteristics of the orbits of the objects that accrete to make planets? (Select all that apply.) The impact of a large object late in the history of accretion changed the spin. - correct answers The spin axes of some planets are tilted relative to the plane in which most orbit. What could have caused this? Initially, the rate declined smoothly, but there was a later episode of heavy bombardment followed by resumption of the decline. - correct answers Think about the process of planetary accretion. Which statement best describes our current ideas about the rate of impact cratering in the inner solar system? The orbits of the outer planets changed significantly about 3.9 billion years ago as Uranus and Neptune moved outward from the Sun. - correct answers Which of the following best describes the orbital evolution of the planets in our solar system according to the Nice Model? Exoplanets are common and found around many different types of stars. - correct answers Which is true about our current understanding of extrasolar planets (exoplanets)? ... - correct answers Lesson 29 It radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. - correct answers Jupiter is different from the terrestrial planets in what important way? Turbulent winds in the atmosphere of this rapidly spinning planet. - correct answers The banding of Jupiter's atmosphere is probably related to which of the following? hydrogen and helium - correct answers Jupiter is composed mainly of ____________. It formed in the outer solar system where water ice was stable. - correct answers Why is Jupiter so much larger than all of the terrestrial planets combined? Convection in a layer of ionized hydrogen may create the magnetic field. - correct answers Where does Jupiter's large magnetic field come from? B, D, E - The clouds are made of ices of ammonia (NH3) and water. - Jupiter's atmosphere formed by trapping nebula gas on to a large icy core. - It is poor in carbon dioxide, unlike Mars. - correct answers What are some important characteristics of the atmosphere of Jupiter? (Select all that apply.) B - correct answers This diagram shows the layered structure of Jupiter. Click on the zone that consists of metallic hydrogen. Collisions at the surface of these bodies may send showers of small particles spiraling inward to Jupiter. - correct answers How are the rings of Jupiter related to the small moons Adrastea and Metis? ... - correct answers Lesson 32 Europa - correct answers The composition of the surface of Ganymede is most like which of the other satellites of Jupiter? they accreted in a thermal gradient centered around Jupiter - correct answers The icy layers of Jupiter's satellites increase in thickness as one moves from Europa to Callisto because ____________________. (Select all that apply.) Callisto - correct answers Which of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter has the most heavily cratered surface. Europa - correct answers If you were a solar system explorer in search of liquid water at or near the surface, which of the satellites of Jupiter would be most likely to have it today? D & E - The orbit of the Moon is nearly circular. - Earth only has one large moon, unlike Jupiter. - correct answers Why isn't Earth's Moon heated by tidal flexing? (Select all that apply.) A & B - No, because it is too cold. - No, because it does not have silicates near the surface that could melt. - correct answers Would you expect to find young basaltic lavas at the surface of Callisto? Why? (Select all that apply.) colorful, blueish, starred with stripes, just stars - correct answers Arrange these images of Jupiter's satellites by their distance from Jupiter as they orbit. Place the closest satellite on the top and the farthest one on the bottom. ... - correct answers Lesson 33 Jupiter - correct answers Saturn is the most similar in composition and internal structure to which of the planets below. B & D - Jupiter is denser. - Jupiter has more large satellites (those larger than the moon). - correct answers When comparing Jupiter and Saturn, which of the following is correct? (Select all that apply.) Crystals of ammonia ice in the clouds - correct answers Compared to Jupiter, Saturn has a yellowish tint. What gives it this color? The magnetic field forms by convection in a shell of metallic hydrogen. - correct answers What is the most likely explanation for Saturn's magnetic field? hydrogen - correct answers What is the most abundant of the gases comprising Saturn? heat released from the interior - correct answers What is the most important source of energy that drives the circulation of Saturn's atmosphere? The rings are composed of many small particles of water ice in orbit around Saturn. - correct answers Which of the following is true about Saturn's rings? A & C - is produced by tidal interaction between two planetary bodies - governs the distance within which orbiting materials will not accrete together - correct answers The Roche limit _________________________. (Select all that apply.) Near the outer edge of the rings. - correct answers Where is Saturn's Roche limit for small icy bodies in orbit around it? Orbital resonance of the ring particles with the larger satellites. - correct answers What causes the Cassini Division, the 400 km wide break in the rings of Saturn? ... - correct answers Lesson 34 They have densities less than 2.0 g/cm3. - correct answers What is the evidence that the moons of Saturn are generally icy? C - correct answers Enceladus (500 km across) and Mimas (400 km across) are both small, icy moons with about the same diameter. Enceladus is shown here. Which letter labels a feature that makes Enceladus so different from Mimas? Click on your answer. icy volcanism and tidal heating - correct answers What is the origin of the features identified in question 2? Because it is so small, young surfaces were not expected. It should have cooled long ago. - correct answers Why was it surprising to discover that Enceladus had the features you just identified? B & D - orbit closer to the planet than its famous rings - have equatorial ridges formed by accumulation of ring materials - correct answers Complete this sentence. Some of the satellites of Saturn ____________________. (Select all that apply.) Global rifts apparently caused by expansion. - correct answers Which of the following are common features on the icy satellites of Saturn? A & D - Many of them have highly inclined orbits. - Many have retrograde orbits around Saturn. - correct answers What is evidence that many of the outer moons of Saturn are captured rather than formed in orbit around Saturn? (Choose all that apply.) The size and hence the gravity field are not large enough to deform the irregular bodies into near spherical shapes. - correct answers Why are many of Saturn's moons shaped like this one (Phoebe), instead of being essentially spherical? ... - correct answers Lesson 35 Titan - correct answers The only satellite of Jupiter or Saturn known to have a substantial atmosphere is _________________. A, C, E - Titan is the the biggest moon of Saturn. - Titan has liquids that flow and pond on its surface. - Titan is the only moon with dunes. - correct answers What are the principal differences between Titan and the other satellites of Saturn? (Select all that apply.) methane (CH4) - correct answers Titan's atmosphere is rich in nitrogen (N2) and _____________. Titan formed farther from the Sun where ammonia and methane ice were stable in the ancient accretion disk. - correct answers Why does Titan have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen and methane while the Galilean satellites of Jupiter lack atmospheres? ALL - EXCEPT tectonics and glaciers - correct answers Which of the following Earth-like features have been identified on Titan? (Select all that apply.) C - correct answers Which of the letters on this image of Titan's dunes labels a feature that is the strongest evidence for the movement of sand in the dunes? Click on your answer. Rivers of liquid have flowed across the surface and eroded it. - correct answers What do the features in this image imply about the geologic history of Titan? ... - correct answers Lesson 36 Its spin axis is tipped from vertical by over 90 degrees. - correct answers Why is it appropriate to call Uranus the "oddball" planet? A, B, C - It has an unexpected orientation - It is tilted compared to the spin axis - It is irregular and may be experiencing a reversal. - correct answers In what way is the magnetic field of Uranus distinctive? Choose all that apply. Uranus is too small and the internal temperature and pressure are not high enough for metallic hydrogen. - correct answers Why does the interior of Uranus appear to lack a layer of metallic hydrogen like those in Saturn and Jupiter? dark and probably composed of darkened methane ice - correct answers The particles in the rings of Uranus are ______________________. slightly higher densities - correct answers In what way are the icy moons of Uranus different from those of Saturn? cracking as they expanded late in their histories - correct answers Which of the following is a common process that occurred during the evolution of the satellites of Uranus? The outer planet satellites have a lot of water ice that expands as it freezes. - correct answers The last 2 or 3 billion years of the histories of the small inner planets (like the Moon and Mercury) are dominated by contraction, whereas the late histories of the small icy satellites of Saturn and Uranus are dominated by expansion like that evidenced in Ariel. Why? B - correct answers Which letter on this image of Ariel's surface labels an area that has evidence for late expansion and possible volcanism? Click on your answer. ... - correct answers Lesson 37 Because its atmosphere contains a significant proportion of methane. - correct answers Why is Neptune blue? are tilted with respect to the axis of rotation - correct answers Both Neptune and Uranus have magnetic fields that ___________________. have water ice in their interiors - correct answers In contrast to Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are thought to ________________________. Triton is too cold for liquid nitrogen. - correct answers In the early 1980's, some planetary scientists suggested that Triton has a sea of liquid nitrogen. Voyager 2 showed that _____________________________. It is retrograde. - correct answers In what way is the orbit of Triton distinctive? B & D - Triton has many young surfaces and active "volcanic" vents. - Triton was probably heated by tidal activity. - correct answers Triton, because of its small size and frigid surface, was thought to be an unlikely spot for recent geologic activity. What did Voyager 2 reveal? (Select all that apply.) B - correct answers Which letter on this image of Triton labels the youngest area of icy volcanism? Click on your answer. D - correct answers Which letter on this image of Triton marks an area that has a composition like Earth's atmosphere? Click on your answer. Triton - correct answers These are images of two of Neptune's moons. In the photos, both are about the same size; in reality, one has a much larger diameter. Which one is larger? Click on your answer. ... - correct answers Lesson 38 Because it has not cleared its orbital path of debris. - correct answers Pluto is considered to be a dwarf planet by some astronomers. Why? A, D, E - It contains many small icy objects in orbit around the Sun. - The orbits formed a flattened disk in the outer solar system. - Pluto is one of the bodies in the Kuiper belt. - correct answers Which statements are true for the Kuiper belt? (Select all that apply.) Triton - correct answers Based on what we know today, which of the following is most like Pluto in its size, composition, and density? Nitrogen and methane that sublime from the most volatile ices on its surface. - correct answers Pluto's atmosphere is tenuous and temporary, but what are its major constituents? By convection of ice below a rigid upper layer. - correct answers How did the polygonal shapes on Pluto's Sputnik Planum form? Water - correct answers The tall mountains on Pluto are composed of what kind of ice? A large impact basin was filled with weak nitrogen ice. - correct answers How did Pluto's Sputnik Planum form? Glacial flow directions - correct answers What do the arrows in this image show? Methane from Pluto condenses at Charon's poles. - correct answers The dark reddish regions on Charon's north pole result from what process? ... - correct answers Lesson 39 Because they are composed mostly of ices. - correct answers Why are comets thought to have originated in a different part of the solar nebula than asteroids? ALL - correct answers Which of the following are important components of a comet? (Select all that apply.) is small and dark - correct answers The nucleus of a comet __________________. they reflect the light from the Sun - correct answers Comets glow in the night sky because __________________________. develops temporarily when the comet enters the inner solar system - correct answers The tail of a comet __________________. Yes. - correct answers Is this comet near the Sun (within the orbit of Jupiter)? The streaks are plumes of dust and gas ejected from the interior as the Sun heats it. - correct answers What is the origin of the light-colored streaks extending from the surface of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko? C & D - The vaporization of all of its ice and consequent disaggregation. - Explosions in the atmosphere of Jupiter - correct answers The final days of comet Shoemaker Levy 9 were marked by which of the following? (Select all that apply.) contains the orbit of comets in the outer part of the solar system - correct answers The Oort cloud _____________________. B & D - The Oort cloud is spherical, not disk-shaped. - Most long period comets come from the Oort cloud. - correct answers In which ways is the Oort cloud different than the Kuiper belt? (Select all that apply.) ... - correct answers Lesson 40 the distance from the Sun - correct answers Which of the following is most important in keeping water a liquid on Earth? A, B, D - The planets formed in a thermal gradient around the ancient Sun. - High-temperature solids could form near the ancient Sun. - Large icy cores attracted hydrogen and helium from the nebula. - correct answers Why are the planetary bodies of the inner solar system different in composition from those of the outer solar system? (Select all that apply.) early heavy cratering with declining intensity to the present - correct answers Which statement is an accurate general history of cratering on a planet? thermal (heat) - correct answers As a dense particle in a planet moves toward the core, the loss of gravitational potential energy is converted to _________ energy. It is rich in oxygen (O2). - correct answers In what way is Earth's atmosphere unique among the moons and planets? thickened "rapidly" as these worlds cooled. - correct answers The absence of large folded mountain systems on the Moon, Mars, and Mercury is evidence that the lithospheres of these planets ___________________. ALL - correct answers Why aren't running water and erosion important geologic agents on all planets? (Select all that apply.) It should be intensely cratered and lack a thick atmosphere. - correct answers Suppose that a new planet has been discovered between Venus and Earth. It is about the size of Earth's Moon. Which of the following statements about it is probably true? the Moon - correct answers Which of the following planetary bodies has the oldest surface? The thickness of its lithosphere. - correct answers What is the most important control on a planet's present level of geologic activity (especially volcanism and tectoni