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WorksheetsFourth Nine Weeks Review for Exam
Total questions: 75
Worksheet time: 38mins
The distance between the Earth and the next closest star, Proxima Centauri, is MOST accurately measured in
magnitudes
light-years
perigees
red-shifts
Astronomers measure distances using large units called light years. Which distance between celestial would MOST likely be measured in light-years?
distance between the sun and Earth
distance between the moon and Earth
distance between two stars in the same galaxy
distances between two planets in the same solar system
What does "light-year" refer to?
the distance light travels in one Earth year
the distance between the sun and the center of the galaxy
the amount of time it takes light to travel from the sun to the Earth
the amount of light required for photosynthesis on Earth in one year
Why is the light-year used to describe distances between objects in the universe?
because of the way planets reflect light
because of the great number of bright stars
because of the way objects rotate and revolve
because of the large distance between objects in space
An astronomical unit (au) refers to the distance between
Earth and the sun
the moon and the sun
Earth and the moon
the sun and the nearest star
How far from Earth is an object that is 10 light-years from Earth?
10,000 km
10,000,000 km
the distance light can travel in 10 years
ten times the distance from Earth to the sun
Which characteristics below MOST likely accounts for our limited knowledge of the galaxies?
their tiny size
their magnetic cores
their inability to produce light
their great distance from Earth
the light-year is used to describe distances between the Earth and stars other than the sun because the astronomical unit is
too small
too large
not accurate
not well defined
Astronomers believe the Milky Way galaxy has a diameter of about 100,000 light-years. This distance is equivalent to
the distance the sun travels in 100,000 years
the distance light travels in a vacuum in 100,000 years
the time it would take a spaceship to travel 100,000 kilometers
the time it would take Earth or a star to travel 100,000 kilometers
A light-year is a measure of
time
energy
distance
direction
The Milky Way galaxy is visible as a bright region in the night sky. Modern telescopic observation has made it possible to discover that the brightness of the Milky Way is due to primarily what structure?
clouds of hot gas
large numbers of stars
high energy compounds
extremely reflective ice crystals
All galaxies in the universe
are composed of many stars
have a clockwise spin
are irregularly shaped
have the same number of stars
What do the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies in the universe have in common?
They are similar in shape
They rotate in the same direction
They contain the same number of stars
They have similar elements
A scientific article about the universe will MOST likely describe the universe as
consisting of billions of galaxies
being less than two billion years old
containing approximately ten planets
becoming smaller over time
The number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy is BEST estimated as
one hundred thousand
one hundred million
one hundred billion
one hundred trillion
What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?
spiral
elliptical
irregular
pulsar
A student observes the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky. Which characteristic of the galaxy makes it visible?
The galaxy's stellar nebulae reflect the sun's light
Billions of stars in the galaxy carry out nuclear fusion
Ton of compressed matter begin to radiate visible light from the galaxy center
The galaxy spins at a speed that generates a large amount of molecular friction
Which of these statements are true concerning the Milky Way galaxy?
There are approximately one million stars in the Milky Way galaxy
There are nine planets in the Milky Way galaxy
Earth is located in the center of the Milky Way galaxy
The sun is one star that can be found in the Milky Way galaxy
A student observes a glowing band across the night sky. This glowing band is MOST likely
obiting planets in the solar system
a partial view of the Milky Way galaxy
an asteroid orbiting the sun
light from stars in a distant galaxy
What is MOST likely to be seen without a telescope in a clear night sky?
the Milku Way galaxy
moons of other planets
asteroids
Pluto
Classification of galaxies is based on which characteristic?
the color of the galaxy
the shape of the galaxy
how many stars make up the galaxy
how many planets make up the galaxy
The Milky Way galaxy is part of 30 or more galaxies called the Local Group. Which would be the MOST likely reason these galaxies are considered to be part of the Local Group?
They are all the same type of galaxy
They all have the same number of stars
They are all attracted to each other by gravity
They can all be seen without the aid of a telescope
Which of the following has the greatest mass?
star
moon
planet
galaxy
A "shooting star" is
a comet
a meteor
an asteroid
a small star
Which list is correctly ordered from smallest to largest?
galaxy - star - solar system - universe
universe - galaxy - star - solar system
solar system - star - universe - galaxy
star - solar system - galaxy - universe
Which statement about stars is NOT accurate?
A small group of stars is called a galaxy
Stars consist mainly of hydrogen and helium
Type of stars of stars include red giants, supergiants, and dwarf stars
Constellations of stars are found in different places in the sky
Astronomers have been studying objects that are very bright and appear to be very far away. The have since concluded that these objects are distant galaxies with giant black holes at their center known as
pulsars
quasars
super novas
binary stars
The moon is in orbit around Earth. What keeps the moon from changing its orbit?
friction
gravity
weight
rotation
What keeps Mars is orbit around the sun?
friction
gravity
magnetism
solar power
Which statement about gravitational force is correct?
A planet must be larger than Earth to exert a gravitational force
The gravitational force of a planet is determined by its distance from the sun
Planets in the solar system are held in orbit by the gravitational force of the sun
The gravitational force on Earth is caused by the orbit of the moon
Earth, along with other planets, revolves around the sun. The planets revolve in a counterclockwise direction. The cause of the revolution is mostly due to which force?
electrical
frictional
gravitational
magnetic
Gravity can be defined as a force of attraction between objects. The affects of gravity can be witnessed in many systems. Which of these actions is an example of gravity influencing other systems?
surface water evaporating into the atmosphere
planets moving around the sun in an elliptical pattern
glaciers melting because of increasing temperatures
ground water moving to the surface in an artesian well
The moon revolves around the Earth because of a non-contact force. What force of Earth keeps the moon in orbit?
electrical force
magnetic force
centripetal force
gravitational force
Uranus is one of the outer planets of the solar system. The average distance of Uranus from the sun is 2.87 billion kilometers. Which BEST explains why Uranus revolves in its orbit instead of moving out into space?
The orbit of Neptune limits Uranus
Gravity pulls Uranus towards the sun
Electromagnetic energy pulls on Uranus
Other planets have the same mass as Uranus
The gravitational force of the sun is powerful enough to hold Earth in orbit even though Earth is an average of 150 million kilometers away. Which statement BEST describes why objects with much less mass than Earth are NOT pulled off the surface of Earth toward the sun?
Objects on Earth are orbiting the sun too quickly
Objects on Earth have too little mass on which to pull
Objects on Earth are held by the gravity of the moon
Objects on Earth are most influenced by Earth's gravity
The magnitude of the gravitational force between two planets depends on the
speed the planets rotate
other nearby planets
volume of the planets
distance between the planets
A red giant star differs from a main sequence star because it
burns at a cooler temperature
than is always larger than other suns
has greater density and gravity
fuses hydrogen to make helium
Scientists have studied the specific stage in the life cycle of stars. In which stage do stars spend most of their lifetime?
red giant
black dwarf
white dwarf
main sequence
stars appear to be blue, white, yellow, and red, even without the aid of a telescope. What causes the different colors of the stars?
the surface temperature
the distance from Earth
the distance from the sun
the gases that compose the star
Three main sequence stars are being compared. Which characteristic would these stars MOST likely have in common?
chemical composition
distance from Earth
temperature
brightness
Astronomers have found evidence for the existence of a super-massive black hole in the center of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. What is thought to cause black holes to form?
the death of a low-mass star
the gravity of a large nebula
the collapse of a high-mass star
the combining of material from planets
Nuclear fusion is the source of energy for stars. Besides hydrogen, which other element is MOST likely also common in stars?
helium
nitrogen
oxygen
uranium
During its lifetime, which object is known to change in brightness, color, and temperature?
star
moon
asteroid
planet
The measure of the amount of light receive on Earth from a star is known as
parallax
red shift
absolute magnitude (brightness)
apparent magnitude (brightness)
Which is the sun MOST likely to become toward the end of its lifetime?
a protostar
a black hole
a neutron star
a white dwarf star
Even though black holes cannot be seen, which fact explains their existence?
Scientists agree that black holes exist
near-by objects show the effects of a black hole's gravity
The theory of black holes was formulated many years ago
Some stars are so big that they can exert a great deal of force
Which statement is true about the solar system?
The gas planets are closer to the sun
The solid planets are closest to the sun
The planets are arranged in order of increasing size
The solid planets are much larger than the gas planets
The length of a year on Earth is a little over 365 days. The length of a year on a planet is BEST described as the time it takes for which to occur?
the planet to revolve once around the sun
the seasons to complete a full cycle
the planet to rotate once on its axis
the sun to rotate once on its axis
Which BEST describes the sun?
very small, white dwarf
medium, yellow dwarf
large, blue giant
red, super giant
Storms transport water in the form of rain. The energy that starts this process comes from which of these?
oceans
the sun
clouds
Earth
Which is the MOST common element in stars such as the sun?
helium
oxygen
nitrogen
hydrogen
Which object is made of hot gas and is the MOST massive object in the solar system?
the sun
an asteroid
a comet
a terrestrial planet
There are some towns located in valley of the Alpine Mountains. During part of the year, these towns stay dark all day because the mountains block the sun. During which season would the sun be low enough in the sky that the village stays in the shadows?
fall
spring
summer
winter
If Earth did not tilt on its axis in relation to the sun, which of the following would also be true?
there would be no seasons
one Earth-year would be 14% longer
Earth would spin at a different rate
temperatures at Earth's equator would cool
Tides on Earth are more influenced by the moon than the sun because the moon is
brighter than the sun
larger than Earth
colder than Earth
closer than the sun
Ocean tides of Earth are strongly influence by the moon. During which lunar phases are ocean tides lowest on Earth?
full moon and first quarter
full moon and new moon
last quarter and new moon
first quarter and last quarter
Tides occur in the oceans at regular times every day because of
upper atmosphere disturbances
the tilt of Earth's rotational axis
density differences caused by temperature changes
the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon
When would the highest tides occur along the Florida coast?
at sunrise
at sunset
during a full moon
during a quarter moon
All nations need to import and export goods for their economic survival. As a result, many island nations have developed advanced technology for transporting goods by
space
rail
sea
road
Which action represents the use of technology to solve a problem?
reducing the amount of heartburn with the use of herbal teas
answering mathematical equations with the use of computers
bringing down body temperature with the use of a hand fan
increasing the supply of fish with the use of fish farms
Since 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth and sending back images of space for astronomers to view and interpret. What benefit is there to a telescope that orbits Earth?
Views from outer space telescopes are clearer than views from Earth-based telescopes
Earth-based telescopes have a greater range of light detection
Human error is reduced by the use of the Hubble telescope
The Hubble telescope is used to examine events than cannot be explained
For centuries, scientists argued about the position of Earth in the solar system. What has MOST likely helped them come up with more accurate conclusions?
Scientists have reviewed old theories and studied the life cycles of stars
Scientists have gained direct observations through new technologies
Scientists have kept more accurate records of the revolution of other planets
Scientists have studied the more distant galaxies
The Global Positioning System (GPS) was a group of 24 satellites launched in 1993. It was originally designed for military navigational purposes. GPS is now a feature in automobiles, boats, planes, laptop computers, and even cell phones. What does this MOST likely suggest about technological advances?
Military technologies may eventually become available to society
Inventions should be kept secret when used for the military
Society gets most of its new ideas from the military
Scientists MOST likely prefer to use the Hubble Space Telescope instead of a land-based telescope because it provides better accuracy at
predicting solar eclipses
investigating faraway galaxies
investigating the size of Venus
predicting the phases of the moon
Since naming Pluto the ninth planet in 1930, an object larger than Pluto has been discovered. After further study, scientists have since reclassified Pluto as a "dwarf" planet. Which instrument did astronomers MOST likely need in order to make these discoveries?
telescope
microscope
camera
binoculars
Astronomers and biologists study different areas of science. Many astronomers study far distant objects in the sky. Many biologists study extremely small objects. What do these astronomers and biologists have MOST in common?
They both examine the history of life on Earth
They both make discoveries using optical devices
They both study how organisms change over time
They both search for evidence about the origins of the universe
Which tool would BEST help scientists understand relationships between oceans and climate change?
a computer model
a weather balloon
a rain gauge
radar
A scientist working on a new package design wants to use a material that is highly recyclable, biodegradable, and inexpensive. The BEST material for the package design is
aluminum
cardboard
plastic
glass
How often does the Earth orbit the Sun?
Every 24 hours
Every 7 days
Every 30 days
Every 365 days
What is the main cause of the seasons?
The tilt of the Earth in relation to the Sun
The changing distance between the Sun and the Earth
Sun activity including Sun spots
The speed that the Earth revolves around the Sun
Which pole is pointed towards the Sun when the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter?
North Pole
South Pole
Both
Neither
When it is winter in the northern hemisphere, what season is it in the southern hemisphere?
winter
spring
summer
fall
The season when the sun reaches its highest point relative to the equator is
winter
spring
summer
fall
The correct order of the seasonal cycle is
fall - spring - summer - winter
spring - fall - winter - summer
winter - spring - summer - fall
winter - summer - spring - fall
The place on Earth that receives direct heat and light from the sun all year long is
the equator
the North and South Poles
the Prime Meridian
the Earth's axis
