Quiz about Final Exam

Question 1

There are ________ planets in the Solar System.

Accepted Answer

8.

Answer

6.

Answer

12.

Answer

20.

Answer

63.

Question 2

Our galaxy and the few dozen nearest galaxies are known as the

Accepted Answer

Local Group.

Answer

Solar System.

Answer

Milky Way.

Answer

Virgo Supercluster.

Answer

Laniakea Supercluster.

Question 3

When a change occurs on the surface of the Sun, how long does it take before astronomers on Earth can see the change?

Accepted Answer

8 minutes

Answer

11 hours

Answer

1 second

Answer

1 day

Answer

It reaches us instantaneously.

Question 4

A light-year is a unit commonly used in astronomy as a measure of

Accepted Answer

distance.

Answer

time.

Answer

speed.

Answer

mass.

Answer

acceleration.

Question 5

The first event in the history of the universe is called the

Accepted Answer

Big Bang.

Answer

Cosmological Principle.

Answer

Scientific Revolution.

Answer

Virgo Supercluster.

Answer

None of these is correct, as the universe had no beginning.

Question 6

The apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of a year is called the

Accepted Answer

ecliptic.

Answer

prime meridian.

Answer

circumpolar plane.

Answer

celestial equator.

Answer

eclipse.

Question 7

The point on the sky directly above an observer is called the

Accepted Answer

zenith.

Answer

meridian.

Answer

celestial pole.

Answer

nadir.

Answer

circumpolar plane.

Question 8

The point on the sky directly below an observer is called the

Accepted Answer

nadir.

Answer

meridian.

Answer

celestial pole.

Answer

circumpolar plane.

Answer

zenith.

Question 9

Circumpolar stars are stars that are

Accepted Answer

always above the horizon.

Answer

always below the horizon.

Answer

always on the celestial equator.

Answer

always at the north celestial pole.

Answer

sometimes above the horizon.

Question 10

At approximately what time does a full Moon rise?

Accepted Answer

sunset

Answer

midnight

Answer

noon

Answer

sunrise

Answer

mid-afternoon

Question 11

During which Moon phases can an eclipse (of any type) occur?

Accepted Answer

new and full

Answer

any Moon phase

Answer

waxing and waning gibbous

Answer

waxing and waning crescent

Answer

first and third quarter

Question 12

At the center of the geocentric model of the Solar System is

Accepted Answer

Earth.

Answer

the Sun.

Answer

the Moon.

Answer

Venus.

Answer

Jupiter.

Question 13

Galileo's observation that Venus has phases and its angular size changes with each phase supports a heliocentric Solar System because:

Accepted Answer

it shows that Venus orbits the Sun, not the Earth.

Answer

it proves that Venus is closer to the Earth than the Sun.

Answer

it demonstrates that all planets have the same phases as the Moon.

Answer

it indicates that the Sun orbits around Venus.

Question 14

Between any two objects with mass, the force of gravity is always

Accepted Answer

attractive.

Answer

different for each mass.

Answer

the same value, regardless of the masses involved.

Answer

a fictitious force.

Answer

repulsive.

Question 15

Earth is held together in the shape of a sphere. This is due to

Accepted Answer

its self-gravity.

Answer

chemical bonds.

Answer

pressure from the Sun.

Answer

its rotation rate.

Answer

tidal forces.

Question 16

In a circular orbit, the force of gravity provides a(n)

Accepted Answer

centripetal force.

Answer

inertial reference frame.

Answer

drag force.

Answer

attractive force that destroys the orbit.

Answer

source of energy to sustain the orbit.

Question 17

Tidal forces can affect

Accepted Answer

all of these

Answer

moons.

Answer

galaxies.

Answer

planets.

Answer

satellites.

Question 18

Neap tides occur when Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are in which configuration(s)?

Accepted Answer

B and D

Answer

A

Answer

B

Answer

C

Answer

A and C

Question 19

If the wavelength of a beam of light were to double, how would that affect its frequency?

Accepted Answer

The frequency would be two times lower.

Answer

The frequency would be four times higher.

Answer

The frequency would be two times higher.

Answer

The frequency would be four times lower.

Answer

There is no relationship between wavelength and frequency.

Question 20

The color of visible light is determined by its

Accepted Answer

wavelength.

Answer

speed.

Answer

mass.

Answer

distance from you.

Answer

size.

Question 21

Saying that something is quantized means that it

Accepted Answer

can only be found in discrete quantities.

Answer

is a wave.

Answer

can only be observed by using a telescope.

Answer

travels at the speed of light.

Answer

is around the same size or smaller than an atom.

Question 22

Which of these stars would have the largest positive redshift?

Accepted Answer

a star moving at high speed away from you

Answer

a star moving at low speed toward you

Answer

a star moving at high speed toward you

Answer

a star moving at low speed away from you

Answer

a star that is not moving away from you or toward you

Question 23

You observe a red star and a blue star and are able to determine that they are the same size. Which star has a higher surface temperature, and why?

Accepted Answer

The blue star is hotter because it is bluer.

Answer

The red star is hotter because it is redder.

Answer

The distance to each star must also be known to determine their temperatures.

Answer

The color of a star only tells us its radial motion; more information is needed.

Answer

They must have the same temperature if they are the same size.

Question 24

An emission line is formed when electrons in an atom drop to a lower energy level and emit a photon. The pattern of lines is unique to a given element because each element has a unique arrangement of energy levels. Which of the following best explains why the emission line pattern is unique to each element?

Accepted Answer

Each element has a unique arrangement of energy levels.

Answer

All elements have the same energy levels.

Answer

Emission lines are caused by the absorption of photons.

Answer

The pattern depends on the temperature of the element.

Question 25

A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the property of

Accepted Answer

refraction.

Answer

reflection.

Answer

magnification.

Answer

resolution.

Answer

aberration.

Question 26

The first astronomical detector was

Accepted Answer

the human eye.

Answer

the CCD.

Answer

photoelectric tubes.

Answer

photographic plates.

Answer

35-mm film.

Question 27

A spectrograph is

Accepted Answer

a device used to measure the intensity of light at each wavelength.

Answer

a device used for clearly resolving physical details of distant objects.

Answer

typically made from two ordinary pieces of glass.

Answer

a radio telescope.

Answer

a visible-light telescope.

Question 28

Which of the following is a way for astronomers to view a wide range of infrared wavelengths from space without using a space telescope?

Accepted Answer

Mount a telescope on an airplane.

Answer

Use adaptive optics.

Answer

Place a telescope underwater.

Answer

Use a large spectrometer.

Answer

Place a telescope at the South Pole.

Question 29

LIGO and VIRGO are facilities that detect

Accepted Answer

gravitational waves.

Answer

Neutrinos.

Answer

green photons.

Answer

short wavelengths of light.

Answer

long wavelengths of light.

Question 30

Craters on Solar System objects today (such as Mercury and the Moon) would have been caused by

Accepted Answer

planetesimals impacting in the last stages of accretion.

Answer

collisions with planet-sized objects.

Answer

explosive volcanic activity after the object had formed.

Answer

explosive volcanic activity while the object was still molten and forming.

Answer

natural geological motion of the surface with time.

Question 31

In the figure below, which of the dips in the brightness of the star is (are) caused by the transit of the planet with the shortest orbital period?

Accepted Answer

A

Answer

B

Answer

C

Answer

A and B

Answer

B and C

Question 32

In the figure below, which of the dips in the brightness of the star is (are) caused by the transit of the planet with the longest orbital period?

Accepted Answer

C

Answer

A

Answer

B

Answer

A and B

Answer

B and C

Question 33

Astronomers create vibrant, multicolored images of nebulae because

Accepted Answer

although the colors are not true colors, they trace important details.

Answer

they are exactly what the human eye would see.

Answer

the false colors result in pleasing images that can be sold to increase research funding.

Answer

the choice of colors hides distortions, such as chromatic aberration.

Answer

although they are true color images, they unfortunately hide important physical details.

Question 34

Before our Solar System began forming, the material that would eventually become Earth would have been in what form?

Accepted Answer

gas and dust

Answer

a roughly Earth-sized rocky body

Answer

large complex molecules

Answer

rocky planetesimals

Answer

a giant rocky body that would later fragment

Question 35

If you are spinning in a chair and then you spread your arms out wide, you should expect

Accepted Answer

your rotation rate to slow.

Answer

your rotation rate to increase.

Answer

your body to heat up.

Answer

your body to cool down.

Answer

no effect.

Question 36

Astronomers use the Doppler effect to detect the presence of extrasolar planets by observing changes in a star's spectrum caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.

Accepted Answer

By observing changes in a star's spectrum caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.

Answer

By measuring the brightness of a star over time.

Answer

By detecting radio signals from the planet.

Answer

By capturing direct images of the planet.

Question 37

Large rocky bodies orbiting the Sun that will not necessarily impact Earth are called

Accepted Answer

asteroids.

Answer

meteorites.

Answer

meteoroids.

Answer

meteors.

Answer

comets.

Question 38

Objects less than 100 km across that are in space heading towards Earth are called

Accepted Answer

meteoroids

Answer

meteorites

Answer

meteors

Answer

asteroids

Question 39

Objects less than 100 km across that are moving through Earth's atmosphere are called

Accepted Answer

meteors

Answer

meteorites

Answer

meteoroids

Answer

asteroids

Question 40

Objects less than 100 km across that strike Earth's surface are called

Accepted Answer

meteorites

Answer

meteoroids

Answer

meteors

Answer

asteroids

Question 41

According to studies of impact cratering, which of these terrestrial objects has, on average, the oldest surface?

Accepted Answer

Mercury

Answer

Venus

Answer

Earth

Answer

Mars

Answer

the Moon

Question 42

The dynamo theory says that a planet will have a strong magnetic field if it has

Accepted Answer

fast rotation and a liquid core.

Answer

fast rotation and a solid core.

Answer

slow rotation and a liquid core.

Answer

slow rotation and a solid core.

Answer

fast rotation and a gaseous core.

Question 43

The largest volcanic mountains in the Solar System are found on

Accepted Answer

Mars.

Answer

Mercury.

Answer

Venus.

Answer

Earth.

Answer

the Moon.

Question 44

Which of the following is evidence for Mars once having had liquid water on its surface?

Accepted Answer

all of these

Answer

Mapping satellites have detected dry riverbeds.

Answer

Rovers have detected minerals that must have formed in the presence of liquid water.

Answer

Landers have found water ice just under the surface.

Answer

Large canyons exist.

Question 45

The main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the terrestrial planets are

Accepted Answer

carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Answer

oxygen and nitrogen.

Answer

methane and ozone.

Answer

hydrogen and helium.

Answer

methane and ammonia.

Question 46

What makes carbon dioxide a highly effective greenhouse gas?

Accepted Answer

It easily absorbs infrared radiation.

Answer

It easily absorbs UV radiation.

Answer

It easily absorbs visible light.

Answer

It easily reacts chemically with rock.

Answer

It easily photodissociates in the upper atmosphere.

Question 47

Without the ozone layer, life on Earth would be in danger from increased levels of _______ radiation.

Accepted Answer

UV

Answer

X-ray

Answer

gamma-ray

Answer

infrared

Answer

microwave

Question 48

Jupiter and Saturn are composed primarily of

Accepted Answer

hydrogen.

Answer

helium.

Answer

water.

Answer

ammonia.

Answer

carbon.

Question 49

Which of the gas giants effectively experiences no seasons?

Accepted Answer

Jupiter

Answer

Saturn

Answer

Uranus

Answer

Neptune

Answer

none of these

Question 50

Uranus and Neptune are bluish green in color because they contain large amounts of

Accepted Answer

methane.

Answer

ammonia.

Answer

water vapor.

Answer

hydrocarbons.

Answer

oxygen.

Question 51

How is the atmosphere of Saturn similar to the atmosphere of Earth?

Accepted Answer

They both have jet streams and periods of stormy and calm weather.

Answer

They are both made of mostly hydrogen and helium.

Answer

They both create magnetic fields.

Answer

They both rotate in less than 11 hours.

Answer

They both have a seamless transition between gas and liquid.

Question 52

A planet will have bands in its atmosphere like Jupiter and Saturn if

Accepted Answer

the wind speeds vary greatly with latitude.

Answer

the planet is more than 3 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun.

Answer

the planet rotates slowly.

Answer

the planet has a high temperature.

Answer

the planet has a large mass.

Question 53

Gas giants that have larger radii than Jupiter but that are also less massive are called

Accepted Answer

puffy Jupiters.

Answer

super-Jupiters.

Answer

mini-Neptunes.

Answer

brown dwarfs.

Answer

hot Jupiters.

Final Exam

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