Astronomy 101 Midterm Exam Questions
and Answers Graded A+
Suppose you are in an elevator that is traveling upward at constant speed. How
does your weight compare to your normal weight on the ground? - Correct answer-
It is the same.
Suppose you have a 100-watt light bulb that you leave turned on for one minute.
How much energy does it use? - Correct answer-6,000 joules.
Which of the following conditions lead you to see an absorption line spectrum
from a cloud of gas in interstellar space? - Correct answer-The cloud is cool and
lies between you and a hot star.
Why are astronauts weightless in the Space Station? - Correct answer-The Space
Station is constantly in free-fall around the Earth.
Gamma rays have a very small ______. - Correct answer-wavelength
Which of the following is not a major reason why astronomers would like an
observatory on the far side of the Moon? - Correct answer-Telescopes on the Moon
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,could see objects in all parts of the sky equally well, whereas telescopes on Earth
can see only portions of the sky that depend on their latitude.
Which of the following represents a case in which you are not accelerating? -
Correct answer-Driving in a straight line at 60 miles per hour.
Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily
visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. What would most likely be true in that
case? - Correct answer-A week would have eight days instead of seven.
Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order? - Correct
answer-You, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local
Supercluster, universe.
A net force acting on an object will always cause a change in the object's
_________. - Correct answer-momentum
Imagine another solar system, with a star more massive than the Sun. Suppose a
planet with the same mass as Earth orbits at a distance of 1 AU from the star. How
would the planet's year (orbital period) compare to Earth's year? - Correct answer-
The planet's year would be shorter than Earth's.
Which planet has the most extreme seasons? - Correct answer-Uranus
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, What is true about Scientific Theory? - Correct answer-A scientific theory cannot
be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt.
Suppose you kick a soccer ball straight up to a height of 10 meters. Which of the
following is true about the gravitational potential energy of the ball during its
flight? - Correct answer-The ball's gravitational potential energy is greatest at the
instant when the ball is at its highest point.
When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it _________. -
Correct answer-as it was 1,000 years ago
Which of the following telescopes would benefit most from adaptive optics? -
Correct answer-The Keck I telescope on Mauna Kea.
Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science? -
Correct answer-Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true
explanations of reality.
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the
planets? - Correct answer-The planets moved along small circles that moved on
larger circles around the Earth.
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and Answers Graded A+
Suppose you are in an elevator that is traveling upward at constant speed. How
does your weight compare to your normal weight on the ground? - Correct answer-
It is the same.
Suppose you have a 100-watt light bulb that you leave turned on for one minute.
How much energy does it use? - Correct answer-6,000 joules.
Which of the following conditions lead you to see an absorption line spectrum
from a cloud of gas in interstellar space? - Correct answer-The cloud is cool and
lies between you and a hot star.
Why are astronauts weightless in the Space Station? - Correct answer-The Space
Station is constantly in free-fall around the Earth.
Gamma rays have a very small ______. - Correct answer-wavelength
Which of the following is not a major reason why astronomers would like an
observatory on the far side of the Moon? - Correct answer-Telescopes on the Moon
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,could see objects in all parts of the sky equally well, whereas telescopes on Earth
can see only portions of the sky that depend on their latitude.
Which of the following represents a case in which you are not accelerating? -
Correct answer-Driving in a straight line at 60 miles per hour.
Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily
visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. What would most likely be true in that
case? - Correct answer-A week would have eight days instead of seven.
Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order? - Correct
answer-You, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local
Supercluster, universe.
A net force acting on an object will always cause a change in the object's
_________. - Correct answer-momentum
Imagine another solar system, with a star more massive than the Sun. Suppose a
planet with the same mass as Earth orbits at a distance of 1 AU from the star. How
would the planet's year (orbital period) compare to Earth's year? - Correct answer-
The planet's year would be shorter than Earth's.
Which planet has the most extreme seasons? - Correct answer-Uranus
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, What is true about Scientific Theory? - Correct answer-A scientific theory cannot
be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt.
Suppose you kick a soccer ball straight up to a height of 10 meters. Which of the
following is true about the gravitational potential energy of the ball during its
flight? - Correct answer-The ball's gravitational potential energy is greatest at the
instant when the ball is at its highest point.
When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it _________. -
Correct answer-as it was 1,000 years ago
Which of the following telescopes would benefit most from adaptive optics? -
Correct answer-The Keck I telescope on Mauna Kea.
Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science? -
Correct answer-Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true
explanations of reality.
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the
planets? - Correct answer-The planets moved along small circles that moved on
larger circles around the Earth.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
