Quiz about Ch 8 Terrestrial Planets Test Review

Question 1

Which planet is about half the size of Earth?

Accepted Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Question 2

The Martian polar caps are composed of frozen

Accepted Answer

water and carbon dioxide.

Answer

water and methane.

Answer

methane and carbon dioxide.

Answer

water and sulfuric acid.

Question 3

Other than in the polar caps, any remaining water on Mars is likely stored as

Accepted Answer

permafrost beneath the surface of the planet.

Answer

clouds high in the atmosphere of the planet.

Answer

frost on the surface of the planet.

Answer

mists in the equatorial regions of the planet.

Question 4

Which of the terrestrial planets does not have any craters?

Accepted Answer

All of them have craters.

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Earth

Answer

Venus

Answer

Mars

Question 5

The highest mountain of our Solar System exists on Earth.

Accepted Answer

false

Answer

true

Question 6

Which planet has the hottest surface temperature?

Accepted Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Question 7

The atmosphere of Venus consists mainly of _________.

Accepted Answer

carbon dioxide

Answer

nitrogen

Answer

oxygen

Answer

hydrogen

Question 8

Which terrestrial planet is tilted upside down?

Accepted Answer

Venus

Answer

Mars

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mercury

Question 9

On Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

Accepted Answer

true

Answer

false

Question 10

Which of the other terrestrial planets is closest in size to Earth?

Accepted Answer

Venus

Answer

the Moon

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Mars

Question 11

The runaway greenhouse effect on Venus is most directly responsible for which planetary characteristic?

Accepted Answer

the absence of water on Venus

Answer

Venus's polar vortex

Answer

the absence of a planetary magnetic field at Venus

Answer

the planet's retrograde rotation

Question 12

__________ is the smallest of the terrestrial planets.

Accepted Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Question 13

Mars has almost no water.

Accepted Answer

true

Answer

false

Question 14

Despite its thick cloud cover, astronomers can observe the surface of Venus with

Accepted Answer

radar.

Answer

ultraviolet light.

Answer

infrared light.

Answer

visible light.

Question 15

Why do Earth and Venus have active interiors, while Mercury and Mars do not?

Accepted Answer

Earth and Venus are much more massive, and cool more slowly, than Mars and Mercury.

Answer

Earth and Venus have rapid rotations, while Mercury and Mars do not.

Answer

None of these choices is correct.

Answer

All of these choices are correct.

Answer

Mercury and Mars have small iron cores, while Earth and Venus have large ones.

Question 16

The atmosphere of Mars consists mainly of _________.

Accepted Answer

carbon dioxide

Answer

oxygen

Answer

nitrogen

Answer

hydrogen

Answer

carbon monoxide

Question 17

Sunlight can break apart water (and other) molecules in a process called _________.

Accepted Answer

photodissociation

Answer

erosion

Answer

differentiation

Answer

sublimation

Question 18

The Valles Marineris is _________ on the surface of Mars.

Accepted Answer

a large canyon

Answer

a large volcano

Answer

a long scarp

Answer

an old riverbed

Question 19

Venus's crust is thicker than Earth's because

Accepted Answer

rocks on Venus melt at higher temperatures.

Answer

Venus has little internal activity, keeping the crust from melting.

Answer

the high temperatures at the surface of Venus have baked the crust.

Answer

volcanic eruptions continuously add more material to the surface.

Question 20

_________ is the largest of the terrestrial planets.

Accepted Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Jupiter

Question 21

Mars experiences a sequence of seasons similar to Earth's. Why?

Accepted Answer

Mars's axial tilt is almost the same as Earth's.

Answer

Mars's distance from the Sun is about the same as Earth's.

Answer

Mars has polar ice caps, much like Earth's.

Answer

Mars experiences gravitational forces from its moons, just as Earth does.

Question 22

Mars' moons are probably captured asteroids.

Accepted Answer

true

Answer

false

Question 23

Of all the terrestrial planets, ________ has the largest daily temperature variation.

Accepted Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Question 24

On which planet does plate tectonics take place?

Accepted Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Question 25

For every two trips around the Sun, Mercury only spins about its rotational axis three times.

Accepted Answer

true

Answer

false

Question 26

The surface of Mercury resembles the Moon's surface in that they are both ________.

Accepted Answer

heavily cratered

Answer

eroded by wind

Answer

newly resurfaced

Answer

covered with volcanoes

Question 27

Besides Earth, which terrestrial planet also has seasons?

Accepted Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Seasons are unique to Earth.

Question 28

Where in Venus's atmosphere are sulfuric acid clouds found?

Accepted Answer

at very high altitudes

Answer

near the surface, like fog

Answer

There are no sulfuric acid clouds on this planet.

Answer

everywhere in the atmosphere

Question 29

Ice has been discovered at Mercury's poles. How can it survive, given the planet's dayside temperature?

Accepted Answer

Parts of Mercury's poles are in permanent shadow.

Answer

Mercury rotates such that one side of the planet always faces the Sun.

Answer

Mercury's small size let the planet cool quickly.

Answer

Mercury has an elliptical orbit that carries it far from the Sun.

Question 30

What does Mercury most resemble in size and appearance?

Accepted Answer

the Moon

Answer

Earth

Answer

Venus

Answer

Mars

Question 31

The red coloration seen on the Martian surface originates from

Accepted Answer

the iron minerals in the surface rocks combining with oxygen in the atmosphere causing the surface to rust.

Answer

when Mars had flowing water, it also has red algae, which stained the surface rocks.

Answer

the atmosphere blocking out blue light, only allowing red light to reflect off the surface.

Answer

past volcanic activity covering the surface of the planet with red lava.

Question 32

Which terrestrial planet is about one-third the size of Earth?

Accepted Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Question 33

Which terrestrial planet has the most moons?

Accepted Answer

Mars

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Question 34

Why is Mercury's magnetic field so weak, relative to Earth's?

Accepted Answer

Mercury has a very small iron core that cannot sustain a strong field.

Answer

Mercury has a solid core that cannot sustain a strong field.

Answer

Mercury's dayside temperature is too high for a strong field to form.

Answer

Mercury's rotation is too slow to generate a strong field.

Question 35

Which planet has a greenhouse effect?

Accepted Answer

Venus, Earth, and Mars

Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Earth

Answer

Venus

Question 36

The clouds of Mars consist mainly of frozen carbon dioxide and frozen water.

Accepted Answer

false

Answer

true

Question 37

Which terrestrial planet has the youngest surface?

Accepted Answer

Venus

Answer

Mars

Answer

Mercury

Answer

Earth

Question 38

Which reason best explains why both Venus' and Mars' atmospheres are primarily carbon dioxide, but Earth's is much less than 1% carbon dioxide?

Accepted Answer

Plant life has existed on Earth for an extended amount of time.

Answer

Venus and Mars, being smaller than Earth, can't retain the same mixture of gases as Earth.

Answer

Earth's rocks had much less carbon and oxygen in them.

Answer

Each planet has a significantly different surface temperature.

Ch 8 Terrestrial Planets Test Review

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