WorksheetsChapter 23: Touring Our Solar System Review
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 15mins
1) The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles.
protogalactic theory
nebular hypothesis
extrastellar solar hypothesis
planetary compression theory
Most of the mass in the solar system is contained ________.
in the sun
in the sun plus Jupiter
in the outer planets
in the inner planets
Which observation supports the theory that the planets formed from a disk shaped nebula?
Pluto and comets follow elliptical orbits that pass inside the orbit of Neptune.
The Sun is the center of the solar system.
The rocky planets are close to the Sun.
The planets revolve around the Sun in approximately the same plane of the ecliptic.
Which of the following is not a Jovian planet?
Pluto
Neptune
Saturn
Jupiter
What atmospheric gas is common in the outer planets but rare in the inner planets?
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Argon
What is a popular theory for the difference in atmospheres of the Jovian planets versus terrestrial planets?
High temperatures and solar wind in the inner planets allowed most of the lighter gases to be driven off the terrestrial planets, but not the Jovian planets.
The Jovian planets are just bigger, so they trap more gases.
The Jovian planets trapped most of the comets which carried the gases.
The terrestrial planets are too cold to retain anything but heavy gases.
Which one of the following is not found on Mars?
polar ice caps
H2O-rich atmosphere
sand dunes
extinct volcanoes
The high surface temperatures of ________ have been attributed to the greenhouse effect.
Venus
Uranus
Mars
Mercury
________ are found both on Mars and Earth.
Erosional features related to flowing water
Active volcanoes
Heavily cratered landscapes preserved from early in the planets' histories
Oceans
The surface features of ________ are known only through satellite radar mapping.
Jupiter
Mecury
Venus
Mars
Compared to Earth's atmosphere, the atmosphere of Mars has surface pressures that are ________.
3 times those on Earth; major gases are water vapor and carbon dioxide
0.1 times those on Earth; major gases are water vapor and carbon dioxide
one-half those on Earth; main gases are methane and nitrogen
1.5 times those on Earth; main gases are methane and nitrogen
________ is the principal gas in the Venusian atmosphere and also a minor component of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.
Ozone
Nitrogen
Carbon dioxide
Methane
The largest known volcano in the solar system is ________.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii, on Earth
Vulcan on Venus
Solfatara on Jupiter
Olympus Mons on Mars
Why has it been so difficult to examine the surface of Venus with unmanned probes?
The atmosphere is so cloudy that it interferes with radio wave signals from earth, making communication with a probe difficult.
The Venesian magnetic field is so strong it destroys electronics on the probes.
Solar radiation is so intense that probes are lost before they reach Venus.
The air pressure at the surface is equivalent to a water depth of nearly 1km on Earth, and temperatures are very high, which tends to destroy the probes.
Venus has dense clouds and thick atmosphere, yet there is no evidence for water on the surface. Why?
It is hard to know because the clouds obscure the surface and only a few probes have survived landing.
Water could not survive as liquid water on the surface because it is too hot.
The water has all been taken up in minerals on the surface due to weather long ago because of high chemical weathering rates.
The water is bound up as sulfuric acids and other acids in the atmosphere.
What did the Mars rover Opportunity discover on Mars that relates to questions about the existence of water on Mars?
The rover found liquid water emerging from a spring, freezing to ice.
The rover found ice in the soil.
The rover found sedimentary rocks that contained minerals that could only have formed by precipitation from water.
The rover found no evidence of water ever having been on Mars.
Which planet rotates the opposite direction it revolves around the sun?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
________ has the great, red spot on its surface.
Mars
Jupiter
Venus
Uranus
________, a moon orbiting Jupiter, has an unusually smooth, uncratered, ice-covered surface.
Phobos
Titan
Miranda
Europa
Jupiter's moon Io is thought to be the volcanically active world in our solar system. What is the inferred source of heat?
Very high abundances of radioactive elements have been detected on the planet.
Io has a strong magnetic field as does Jupiter, so as Io moves through Jupiter's magnetic field, large electrical currents are generated, which heat the planet.
Io is close to Jupiter, and the strong tidal forces on planet produce frictional heating of the planet.
It is a mystery; it should be very cold because it is the same size as the moon but far from the sun.
Neptune and Uranus both appear bluish in sunlight whereas Jupiter and Saturn are multicolored. Why are Neptune and Uranus blue?
They contain ice crystals high in the atmosphere, and water ice is blue.
They contain methane ice in their atmosphere which causes the color.
They do not contain dust and debris in the atmosphere, like Saturn and Jupiter.
The effect is not real; it is just due to low light levels.
What is the most abundant element in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn?
Helium
Ammonia
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Saturn is famous for its rings. Which of the following Jovian planets does not have rings?
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
None, all of the Jovian planets have rings
Which of the following is not true of the rings of Saturn
They are remnants of the formation of the planet and have not changed over time.
They are comprised of various sized objects ranging from dust to moon-size objects.
They are mostly very thin, forming a large planar disk.
The faintest outer rings are closely associated with the moon Enceladus.
Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?
Uranus
Neptune
Venus
Mars
Pluto is now classified as a ________ in our solar system.
terrestrial planet
Jovian planet
dwarf planet
comet
Which one of the following statements is believed to be true of comets?
They have highly elliptical orbits around the Sun.
They are composed mostly of dense rock particles.
They may gain slightly in mass with each orbit around the Sun.
Their bright, glowing appearance in the night sky is due to frictional heating in Earth's atmosphere.
________ refers to the bright head of a comet.
Lima
Toma
Coma
Lira
________ are small, extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth's atmosphere.
Asteroids
Microcomets
Mesocoronas
Meteoroids
A comet is visible because ________.
it is a very large object that get stretched out by interaction with the Sun's gravity
it is a small object, but it ejects gas and dust that at is dispersed by the solar wind to form a tail thousands of km long
it is composed of white material, mostly ice
it boils off steam that streams outward along the comet's path
