Beyond Earth Unit Test Review

Think about how the Sun's gravity affects the Earth. Which would cause the Earth to be pulled into the Sun?

• Mercury and Venus speed up in their orbit.

• The Earth suddenly loses its inertia.

• The Sun loses its gravitational pull.

• The core of the Earth grows causing it to lose some of its gravitational pull

Using a string, a ball, and a hollow tube for a handle, Julie makes a model as shown below. Holding the center of the handle, she swings the ball in a circle to show how Earth orbits the sun. She knows that the orbit of Earth depends upon the gravitational pull.

• the ball

• the handle

• the string

• the direction of rotation

Think about the position of the planets in the Solar System. Neptune is farther away from the Sun than is Earth. Students in an Earth science class were asked to explain how the effect of the Sun's gravity on Neptune compares with the effect of the Sun's gravity on Earth. Four students' explanations are presented below. Which student's explanation is best?

• Student 1: The Sun has less gravitational pull on Earth because it is closer.

• Student 3: The Sun has the same gravitational pull on all planets that are in orbit.

• Student 2: The Sun has less gravitational pull on Neptune because it is bigger.

• Student 4: The Sun has less gravitational pull on Neptune because it is farther away.

According to Sir Isaac Newton, gravity depends on two factors. What are they?

• mass and volume

• volume and density

• mass and distance

• size and shape

The model above was created by a student in Earth science class to show gravity and inertia working together to create an orbit path. The model illustrates that the Sun is the largest object in the Solar System, and the planets and other objects in the Solar System all revolve around the sun.

Which of the following best explains how this model would need to be revised if the sun did not exist?

• The planets would float off into space because the gravitational force of the sun would no longer be there

• The planets would start crashing into each other because without the sun gravity would pull all of the planets together.

• The planets would start crashing into each other because the forward motion of inertia would pull them toward each other.

• The planets would float off into space because without the sun inertia would cease to exist and the planets would stop moving forward.

Who is the person recognized as the originator of the heliocentric model of our universe?

• Ptolemy

• Copernicus

• Aristotle

• Galileo

Why was the heliocentric theory rejected when it was first proposed?

• the scientists with telescopes could see the other planets revolving around the Earth

• the powerful church did not think the idea was supported by the Bibl

• the sun was too far away to be sure

• the scientist who proposed it was insane

The diagram below represents a simple geocentric model. Which object is represented by the letter X?

• Mercury

• Sun

• Moon

• Earth

Which statement best explains how Ptolemy's and Copernicus's models of the solar system differed?

• Ptolemy's views of the solar system were rejected, but Copernicus' views were widely accepted.

• Ptolemy believed everything revolved around the Sun, while Copernicus believed everything revolved around the Earth.

• Ptolemy did not have an explanation for why planets would seem to move backwards, but Copernicus did.

• Ptolemy believed in the geocentric solar system, while Copernicus believed in the heliocentric solar system.

Our solar system is referred to as heliocentric. What does that mean?

• The Earth revolves around the Sun

• The Earth has life

• The Earth rotates around the Sun

• The Earth has a moon