WorksheetsAstronomy Part 3
Total questions: 28
Worksheet time: 19mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
How many planets in the solar system are there?
a)
4
b)
8
c)
9
d)
13
2.
What process heated the early solar nebula as it slowly condensed toward a central protosun?
a)
thermonuclear fusion in the protosun, followed by radiative heating of the material of the nebula
b)
release of heat from the kinetic energy in collisions of particles as they fall toward the center of the nebula
c)
release of heat as molecules such as CO2 and NH3 form from atoms and ices condense from gases such as H2O
3.
How old is the Earth?
a)
about 6000 years old
b)
about 4.6 million years old
c)
about 4.6 billion years old
d)
about 13.7 billion years old
4.
What is the smallest planet?
a)
Venus
b)
Jupiter
c)
Uranus
d)
Mercury
5.
The most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and helium, but there are also small but significant amounts of heavier elements in stars and planets and in our own bodies. Where did these heavy elements originate?
a)
in collisions between element nuclei in space, which produced heavier elements by nuclear fusion
b)
in nuclear fusion during the Big Bang
c)
in nuclear fusion deep in the interiors of stars
6.
How are most planets orbiting other stars detected?
a)
the planets are observed directly
b)
by the alternating Doppler shifts of the stars
c)
by the change in color of the star as the planet passes in front of it
d)
by the motions of moons around these planets
7.
The planets that have been discovered outside the solar system are typically most similar in mass to which of the following?
a)
the Sun
b)
the Earth
c)
Pluto
d)
Jupiter
8.
Rock and metal debris smaller than asteroids is called:
a)
planets
b)
planetesimals
c)
meteoroids
d)
comets
9.
Planetesimals collide and stick together to form protoplanets because
a)
of their mutually attractive gravitation.
b)
they are weakly charged and can attract each other.
c)
chemical bonds hold them together if they happen to collide.
d)
Both b and c
10.
Which aspect of the early solar nebula controlled the early evolution and place of formation of the terrestrial and the Jovian planets?
a)
The rotation of the nebula
b)
Distribution of hydrogen in the nebula
c)
Distribution of silicates in the nebula
d)
Temperature distribution within the nebula
11.
If a moon of a planet shows very few craters we can immediately conclude that
a)
the moon is in the shadow of a very large planet.
b)
the moon has a very hard surface.
c)
the moon is geologically active.
d)
the magnetic field of the moon shields it from meteors.
12.
The magnetic field of a planet is produced by
a)
iron inside the planet, which mimics a bar magnet.
b)
the solar wind captured by the planet.
c)
electric currents in a solid region inside the planet.
d)
electric currents in a liquid-conducting region inside the planet.
13.
How many stars are there in the solar system?
a)
1
b)
2
c)
millions
d)
billions
14.
What is a proplyd?
a)
snowball-like accretion of icy particles in the early solar nebula, first hypothesized by two early Roman philosophers, Propertius and Lydemius
b)
protoplanetary disk
c)
nonsense name for a small, particularly dense interstellar cloud
15.
The eight major planets of our solar system can be classified on the basis of their properties and orbits in which of the following ways?
a)
They are all very much alike, having many common characteristics.
b)
They divide naturally into two main groups.
c)
They are completely different from each other in all characteristics.
16.
When the solar system formed, smaller bodies joined together through collision and the force of gravity to form larger bodies called
a)
moons
b)
protoplanets
c)
planetesimals
d)
protoplanets
17.
Where in the solar system would you find Kuiper Belt objects?
a)
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
b)
in a narrow belt inside the orbit of Mercury
c)
beyond the orbit of Neptune, extending perhaps as far as 50 AU from the Sun
18.
The reason the inner planets are mostly rock and iron and the outer planets are mostly lighter material, such as hydrogen and ices, is that
a)
the inner solar system was warm enough that the lighter material vaporized (or never solidified), leaving rock and iron to form the inner planets.
b)
rotation in the protoplanetary disk flung the lighter materials into the outer solar system, leaving the heavier rock and iron to form the inner planets.
c)
rock and iron are heavy and sank toward the center of the solar system.
19.
Which of the following statements best describes how the planets of the solar system formed?
a)
They are condensed rings of matter thrown off by
the young Sun.
b)
They are the remains of an exploded star once
paired with the Sun.
c)
The Sun captured them from smaller, older nearby
stars.
d)
They formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas.
20.
A day on Saturn takes about 10 Earth hours. Which fact would best explain this short day?
a)
Saturn is less dense than Earth.
b)
Saturn is much farther from the Sun than the Earth.
c)
Saturn rotates more rapidly than Earth.
d)
Saturn’s orbit has greater eccentricity than Earth’s.
21.
Which planet in our solar system has the most moons?
a)
Earth
b)
Venus
c)
Mars
d)
Jupiter
22.
What is the primary component of the atmosphere of the gas giant planets?
a)
Nitrogen
b)
Carbon dioxide
c)
Hydrogen
d)
Oxygen
23.
Which planet is known for its prominent ring system?
a)
Mars
b)
Saturn
c)
Mercury
d)
Neptune
24.
What is the primary force responsible for the collapse of the solar nebula during the formation of the solar system?
a)
Radiation pressure
b)
Electrostatic force
c)
Gravity
d)
Magnetism
25.
What is the term for the region in the solar nebula where temperatures were low enough for ices to form, influencing planet formation?
a)
Oort cloud
b)
Asteroid belt
c)
Kuiper belt
d)
Frost line
26.
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
a)
Mercury
b)
Earth
c)
Mars
d)
Venus
27.
What is the name of the region beyond Neptune that contains many icy bodies?
a)
Asteroid Belt
b)
Kuiper Belt
c)
Oort Cloud
d)
Frost Line
28.
Which planet in our solar system is known as the 'Red Planet'?
a)
Mars
b)
Jupiter
c)
Venus
d)
Saturn
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