Question 1

For a planet to move at the highest speed,it requires

Accepted Answer

A)   the smallest orbit.
B)   the largest orbit.
C)   neither the largest nor the smallest orbits.
D)   that all planets move at the same speed.E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 2

Ptolemy developed

Accepted Answer

A)   a heliocentric model for the solar system.
B)   the design for Stonehenge.
C)   a geocentric model of the solar system.
D)   a method for the measurement of Earth's radius.E) A) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 3

Nicolaus Copernicus devised the first comprehensive Sun-centered model.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

How will the illuminated side of Mars appear to us when it is at opposition?

Accepted Answer

A)   Quarter-phase,or half-illuminated
B)   Gibbous
C)   A full circle
D)   Crescent shapedE) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

Question 5

How closely do you expect Comet Halley to obey Kepler's laws (particularly P2 = a3 with P in years and a in AU) ?

Accepted Answer

A)   Never,because it moves independently and is not related to the motions of the planets
B)   Very closely only when it is close to the Sun (within Earth's orbital distance) 
C)   Closely only at very large distances
D)   Fairly closely,because it is gravitationally bound to the SunE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 6

If the mass of the Sun were doubled,the gravitational force on Jupiter due to the Sun would

Accepted Answer

A)   stay the same.
B)   be 4 times its present value.
C)   be 16 times its present value.
D)   be 2 times its present value.E) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 7

Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Mercury?

Accepted Answer

A)   Superior conjunction
B)   Greatest elongation
C)   Inferior conjunction
D)   OppositionE) B) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 8

When observing planetary motions from Earth,the phrase "direct motion" refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   the motion of the planet directly toward or away from Earth at certain parts of the planet's orbit.
B)   a slow eastward motion of the planet from night to night against the background stars.
C)   a slow westward motion of the planet from night to night against the background stars.
D)   the apparent westward motion of the planet (along with the Sun,Moon,and stars) across the sky due to the rotation of Earth.E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 9

A significant contribution of Kepler to our understanding of the solar system was the

Accepted Answer

A)   discovery that Earth orbits the Sun.
B)   discovery that planetary orbits are not circular.
C)   observation of the phases of Venus.
D)   idea of a gravitational force between Earth and the Sun.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 10

Eccentricity is a measure of the

Accepted Answer

A)   tilt of a planet's orbital plane.
B)   tilt of a planet's rotational axis.
C)   amount of retrograde movement of a planet.
D)   relative roundness of an elliptical shape.E) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 11

Planets do not fall into the Sun during their orbits because they have a sufficiently high velocity moving them forward.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Kepler's laws describe planetary orbits,but they can also describe the motion of two stars in a binary star system.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

In Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the solar system,what name is given to the small circle around which the planet moves while the center of this circle orbits Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)   Celestial equator
B)   Ecliptic
C)   Deferent
D)   EpicycleE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 14

Why do planets orbiting in the solar system not fall into the Sun?

Accepted Answer

They have a sufficiently high ...

Question 15

At what point in its orbit is a comet closest to the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)   Perihelion
B)   Inferior conjunction
C)   Opposition
D)   AphelionE) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 16

Ptolemy's model for the solar system was

Accepted Answer

A)   Sun-centered,with planets moving in circles around it.
B)   Earth-centered,with the Sun,Moon,and planets moving in ellipses in the sky.
C)   Sun-centered,with elliptical planetary orbits.
D)   Earth-centered,with epicyclic planetary orbits.E) A) and B)
F) C) and D)

Question 17

Which of the following statements about an asteroid moving in a circular orbit around the Sun is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)   It is moving at a constant speed.
B)   It is moving on a flat plane.
C)   It is moving at a constant velocity.
D)   It is accelerating.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 18

The Sun exerts a gravitational pull on Earth.Why doesn't Earth fall into the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)   Earth is moving across Earth-Sun direction,thus Earth is pulled around in a circle.
B)   Earth also exerts a gravitational pull on the Sun that is equal and opposite to the pull it feels from the Sun.
C)   Earth and the Sun are kept apart by the interactions of their magnetic fields.
D)   Retrograde motion counteracts the gravitational pull and keeps Earth from falling into the Sun.E) B) and C)
F) A) and C)

Question 19

Which of the following objects cannot transit (pass in front of) the Sun when viewed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)   Mars
B)   Venus
C)   The Moon
D)   MercuryE) A) and B)
F) C) and D)

Question 20

If an astronaut landed on a planet that had the same radius as Earth but 4 times its mass,then the astronaut's weight on the planet would be

Accepted Answer

A)   2 times her weight on Earth.
B)   the same as on Earth because weight is independent of location.
C)   4 times her weight on Earth.
D)   16 times her weight on Earth.E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Exam 3: Analyzing Scales and Motions of the Universe

How will the illuminated side of Mars appear to us when it is at opposition?

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Planets do not fall into the Sun during their orbits because they have a sufficiently high velocity moving them forward.

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Which of the following planetary configurations is NOT possible for the planet Mercury?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For a planet to move at the highest speed,it requires

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How closely do you expect Comet Halley to obey Kepler's laws (particularly P2 = a3 with P in years and a in AU) ?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following objects cannot transit (pass in front of) the Sun when viewed from Earth?

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Kepler's laws describe planetary orbits,but they can also describe the motion of two stars in a binary star system.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When observing planetary motions from Earth,the phrase "direct motion" refers to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about an asteroid moving in a circular orbit around the Sun is NOT true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

At what point in its orbit is a comet closest to the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If an astronaut landed on a planet that had the same radius as Earth but 4 times its mass,then the astronaut's weight on the planet would be

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Eccentricity is a measure of the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Ptolemy developed

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In Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the solar system,what name is given to the small circle around which the planet moves while the center of this circle orbits Earth?

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If the mass of the Sun were doubled,the gravitational force on Jupiter due to the Sun would

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Ptolemy's model for the solar system was

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Sun exerts a gravitational pull on Earth.Why doesn't Earth fall into the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A significant contribution of Kepler to our understanding of the solar system was the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why do planets orbiting in the solar system not fall into the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedThey have a sufficiently high ...View AnswerShow Answer

Nicolaus Copernicus devised the first comprehensive Sun-centered model.

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How closely do you expect Comet Halley to obey Kepler's laws (particularly P² = a³ with P in years and a in AU) ?

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They have a sufficiently high ...
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