Astronomy Pt.1 Flash Cards

If gravity stopped, what would happen to the planets?

• The planets would move in straight lines and drift away into space.

• The planets would fall into the sun.

• The planets would start to orbit each other.

• The planets would remain in their current orbits.

Why do you weigh less on the Moon?

• The Moon has less mass than Earth, so its gravity is weaker.

• The Moon has more mass than Earth, increasing its gravity.

• The Moon's atmosphere is denser, affecting weight.

• The Moon rotates faster than Earth, causing less weight.

What is an issue with using scale models?

• It is difficult to accurately show both planet sizes and distances at the same scale.

• Scale models are always too large to transport.

• Scale models can only represent one planet at a time.

• Scale models are not visually appealing.

Why is the Sun able to keep planets in orbit around it?

• Because the Sun has a very large mass, it has a strong gravitational pull that keeps planets moving around it.

• Because the Sun emits a lot of light that pushes the planets away.

• Because the Sun is the center of the universe and all planets are attracted to it.

• Because the Sun's heat creates a vacuum that pulls planets towards it.

What does a planet’s revolution tell us?

• How long it takes a planet to orbit the Sun (its year).

• The distance a planet is from the Sun.

• The speed at which a planet rotates on its axis.

• The number of moons a planet has.

Where is most of the mass located in a galaxy?

• Near the center of the galaxy.

• At the edges of the galaxy.

• Evenly distributed throughout the galaxy.

• In the outer regions of the galaxy.

Which are usually larger: inner or outer planets?

• Inner planets

• Outer planets

• Dwarf planets

• Gas giants

What two things can you do to increase the force of gravity?

• Increase the mass of the objects or decrease the distance between them.

• Increase the speed of the objects or increase the distance between them.

• Decrease the mass of the objects or increase the distance between them.

• Increase the temperature of the objects or decrease the distance between them.

What does a planet’s rotation tell us?

• How long does it take a planet to spin once on its axis (its day).

• The distance a planet travels in its orbit around the sun.

• The temperature variations on the planet's surface.

• The planet's gravitational pull on nearby objects.

Why do planets revolve around the Sun and not Jupiter?

• The Sun has much more mass and therefore much stronger gravity than Jupiter.

• Jupiter is too far away from the planets to exert any gravitational pull.

• The planets prefer the Sun's light over Jupiter's.

• Jupiter does not have any moons to attract the planets.