WorksheetsSolar System: Inner Space
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 18mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
In the geocentric model of the universe objects in the sky are
a)
in layered spheres with the Sun at the center
b)
attached to the stars of the firmament
c)
making elliptical orbits around Earth
d)
in layered spheres with the Sun in the fourth sphere
2.
The first evidence that objects could orbit something besides Earth came from observations of
a)
the Galilean moons.
b)
Saturn's rings.
c)
the phases of Venus.
d)
planetary epicycles.
3.
The heliocentric model of the solar system was
a)
invented by Aristotle and other Greek philosophers.
b)
described by Copernicus and supported by Galileo.
c)
invented by Galileo.
d)
invented by Ptolemy and supported by Aristotle.
4.
Why is a day on Mercury equal to 57 Earth days?
a)
Mercury rotates very slowly on its axis
b)
Mercury revolves very slowly around the Sun
c)
Venus has a gravitational pull on Mercury
d)
On Mercury, the time for one revolution is the same as for one rotation
5.
The force of gravity between objects depends on their __________ and __________
a)
volume; their acceleration
b)
mass; the distance between them
c)
size; their gravitational potential energy
d)
density; kinetic energy
6.
Material in the nebula was drawn together by gravity, which released ____________ energy; small particles collided to create large particles, which released __________ energy.
a)
gravitational; potential
b)
gravitational potential; potential
c)
gravitational potential; kinetic
d)
gravitational; kinetic
7.
The inner planets and outer planets are, in order from the Sun
a)
inner: Venus, Mercury, Mars, Earth; outer: Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus
b)
inner: Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury; outer: Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune
c)
inner: Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars; outer: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter
d)
inner: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars; outer: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
8.
A day is
a)
the time it takes for a planet to rotate once on its axis
b)
the time it takes for Earth to rotate once on its axis
c)
the time it takes for a planet to go around the Sun once
d)
the time it takes for the Sun to rotate once on its axis
9.
Why does Mars appear red?
a)
blood from many Martian wars
b)
iron oxide in the soil
c)
lava flowing across the surface
d)
large storms
10.
Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, is on the planet ___________ and is a __________ volcano.
a)
Mars; composite
b)
Mars; shield
c)
Jupiter; shield
d)
Jupiter; composite
11.
Regarding life on the inner planets:
a)
Earth has biodiversity
b)
Venus is thought to have microbes beneath its thick atmosphere
c)
Mars has fossil microbes so life existed there at some time
d)
all of these
12.
Why is Venus the hottest planet?
a)
It is closest to the Sun.
b)
It has a powerful greenhouse effect.
c)
It has the most internal heat.
d)
It spins the fastest.
13.
What is the atmosphere of Venus made of?
a)
nitrogen and oxygen, with some carbon dioxide
b)
sulfur dioxide and methane
c)
carbon dioxide, with some sulfur dioxide
d)
methane and ammonia
14.
Evidence for liquid water in the Martian past include
a)
water-eroded canyons
b)
crystals known to precipitate from water
c)
the presence of polar ice currently
d)
all of these
15.
Regarding the atmosphere of the inner planets
a)
Earth has the most greenhouse effect
b)
Mars has the thickest
c)
Venus and Mercury are very similar
d)
none of these
16.
How long does it take Jupiter to revolve around the Sun?
a)
1 Earth Year
b)
6 Earth Years
c)
12 Earth Years
d)
None of these
17.
How long does it take light from the Sun to reach Uranus?
a)
5 days
b)
1 minute
c)
2 hours and 40 minutes
d)
3 days and 4 hours
18.
What is the Giant Red Spot?
a)
A giant storm on Jupiter
b)
Mars
c)
A an enormous volcano on Neptune
d)
The outermost ring on Saturn
19.
Uranus and Neptune appear blue because
a)
they are composed of solid water ice
b)
their methane filters out red light
c)
they are covered by blue oceans
d)
they are covered by blue algae
20.
Near-Earth asteroids
a)
have orbits that cross Earth's
b)
number more than 4,500
c)
could strike Earth at any time
d)
all of these
21.
What could Pluto-Charon be classified as?
a)
two asteroids
b)
a planet and a moon
c)
a dwarf planet and a dwarf planet
d)
a planet and a dwarf planet
22.
The asteroid belt is located between which two planets?
a)
Earth & Mars
b)
Mars & Jupiter
c)
Jupiter & Neptune
d)
Mercury & Venus
23.
Pluto needed to be reclassified because
a)
it was struck by a large asteroid and got smaller
b)
technology discovered a lot about Pluto and other solar system objects
c)
astronomers wanted to have eight planets-four inner, four outer
d)
astronomers needed something to do
24.
Where do shorter period comets come from?
a)
the Kuiper belt
b)
other solar systems
c)
the Moon
d)
the asteroid belt
25.
Which of the following are dwarf planets?
a)
Makemake
b)
Pluto
c)
Eres
d)
all of these
26.
In which month does the summer solstice occur?
a)
January
b)
December
c)
July
d)
June
27.
The Sun moves which way across the sky?
a)
North to South
b)
East to West
c)
South to North
d)
West to East
28.
Two times during the year, the Sun is directly over the equator. What are these times called?
a)
equinoxes
b)
solstices
c)
eclipses
d)
capricorn and cancer
29.
If the Moon is more than half lit, but the left side is unlit, the phase is
a)
waning gibbous
b)
waxing gibbous
c)
first quarter
d)
last quarter
30.
When the full moon moves through Earth’s shadow, what occurs?
a)
solar eclipse
b)
lunar eclipse
c)
high tide
d)
low tide
31.
You know that Earth is not closer to the Sun in the summer because
a)
it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
b)
it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
c)
Earth is always the same distance from the Sun.
d)
none of these
32.
Why does the Earth have seasons?
a)
its tilt
b)
its elliptical orbit
c)
its rotation
d)
its magnetic field
33.
We only see one side of the Moon because
a)
when the far side faces us it is a new moon and it is dark.
b)
the far side faces us only at night.
c)
one rotation and one revolution take the same amount of time.
d)
we only see the side illuminated by the sun
34.
Solar flares
a)
they release large amounts of radiation.
b)
can knock out entire power grids.
c)
can knock out communications.
d)
All of these.
35.
The energy the powers the Sun comes from
a)
nuclear fission
b)
nuclear fusion
c)
nuclear bombs
d)
none of these
100 %
