WorksheetsEarth's Place in the Universe Review
Total questions: 37
Worksheet time: 26mins
Some scientists study the revolution of the Moon very closely and have recently suggested that the Moon is gradually moving away from Earth. Which statement below would be a prediction of how this motion might affect Earth in the distant future?
The moon would collide with Earth.
The ocean tides would get weaker.
This motion would not affect Earth.
The Moon phases would change at a faster rate
The distance between the Sun and the next closest star, Proxima Centuari, is MOST accurately measured in
Magnitudes
Light-years
Redshifts
Perigees
Astronomers measure distances using very large units called light years. Which distance between celestial objects would MOST LIKELY be measured in light years?
Distance between the Sun and Moon.
Distance between the Moon and Earth.
Distance between two stars in the same galaxy.
Distance between two planets in the same solar system.
In which structure is the Sun located?
Milky Way galaxy
Andromeda galaxy
Cat’s Eye nebula
Horseshoe nebula
Emily is preparing a model of the solar system for her science class. She gathers four objects to represent Mercury, Jupiter, Earth and the Sun. The objects are represented in the table. Which of the objects would BEST represent Mercury in Emily’s model?
Grain of sand
Small pebble
Marble
Basketball
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 Earth
The amount of light required for photosynthesis on Earth in one year
The arrows in the diagram below show how the Sun’s rays hit Earth. Each part of the dashed line on Earth shows an area lit by an equal amount of sunlight. Which statement accurately describes the strength of the sunlight?
The light is strongest at Z and weakest at Y
The light is strongest at Z and weakest at X
The light is strongest at X and weakest at Z
The light is strongest at X and weakest at Y
A student learns that one year on Mercury is about 88 Earth days. This means that it takes Mercury 88 Earth days to
Travel in orbit around its moon
Complete one rotation on its axis
Switch orbits with the nearest planet.
Make one complete orbit around the Sun
In which way is the orbit of a comet different from the orbit of Earth?
The orbit of Earth is less circular than the orbit of a comet
The orbit of comet is more elliptical that the orbit of Earth
The orbital period of Earth is much longer than the orbital period of a comet
The orbital period of a comet is more predictable than the orbital period of Earth
A meteoroid becomes a meteorite when it
Impacts the surface of a planet
Encounters the atmosphere of a planet
Makes a compete orbit around a planet
Starts to burn up in the atmosphere of a planet.
Mars is an inner planet and Jupiter is an outer planet. Which BEST describes the relationship between the two planets?
They are made of the same materials
They orbit the Sun in opposite directions
They have the same orbital period around the Sun
They are located on opposite sides of the asteroid belt
The picture shows a solar eclipse. What is the visible part of the Sun called?
Photosphere
Solar Wind
Corona
Core
Saturn has 53 known moons. Which statement would be a valid inference about the eclipse patterns on Saturn?
An eclipse on Saturn occurs more frequently than on Earth
An eclipse on Saturn occurs less frequently than on Earth
There is no way to infer the eclipse patterns on Saturn
An eclipse will not ever occur on Saturn
Students want to build a model of the solar system. They find the table in a textbook. Which column of the table provides the BEST information to help the students properly space the planets from each other in their model? A. Length of days (in Earth days) B. Distance from the Sun (km) C. Length of Year (in Earth years) D. Diameter (km)
Length of days (in Earth Days)
Distance from the Sun (km)
Length of Year (in Earth years)
Diameter (km)
The table provides data about the length of day for different planets in our solar system. The day length of each planet corresponds to the amount of time it takes to complete which type of motion?
One rotation of the planet on its axis
One orbit of the largest moon of the planet
One revolution of the planet around the Sun
One reversal of magnetic poles of the planet
Phobos is one of two large objects that orbit the planet Mars. Because Phobos orbits Mars, it should be classified as which type of body?
Asteroid
Meteor
Comet
Moon
Which characteristic is shared by all planets in the solar system?
Seasons created by the planet’s rotation
An orbit created by the force of gravity
An atmosphere that contains oxygen
Flowing water
The gravitational force of the Sun is powerful enough to hold Earth in orbit even though Earth is an average 150 million kilometers away from the Sun. Which statement BEST describes why objects with much less mass than Earth are NOT pulled off of the surface of Earth and pulled toward the Sun?
Objects on Earth have too little mass for the Sun to pull on
Objects on Earth are orbiting the Sun too quickly
Objects on Earth are held by the Moon’s gravity
Objects on Earth are most influenced by Earth
If Earth began to revolve at a faster rate, which of the following would MOST likely occur?
Annual rainfall would increase
Daylight hours would increase
Seasons would be shorter
Annual temperatures would increase
Which of the following would result from a change in Earth’s tilt on its axis?
The Earth seasons would change
The Earth month would increase or decrease
The Earth year would increase or decrease.
The Earth tides would increase or decrease
Which diagram shows the position of the Moon, Earth, and Sun, when the Moon appears full from Earth?
A
B
C
D
Kailey and LeAnn are preparing a report on ocean tides. Which of the following information should they include in their report concerning the greatest influence on the strength of a high tide in a particular area?
The position of the Moon around Earth
The position of Earth around the Sun
The rotation of the Moon
The rotation of Earth
According to scientist the Sun has an 11 year cycle of activity. 2013 was a peak of that cycle. What type of activity did scientists most likely observe during that year? A. . B. . C. D. .
Increased solar prominences and flares
Decreased solar eclipses.
Increased rotation of the Sun
Increased temperatures on Earth
he diagram shows the Moon at various positions around Earth Which position would result in Spring Tides on Earth?
1
2
3
4
In Astronomy class students are looking at various alignments of the Sun, Earth and the Moon. Which effect does the right angle alignment shown have on Earth?
There will be a solar eclipse on Earth
A full Moon will be observed from Earth
The high tides will be lower than normal on Earth
An increased gravitational force will be exerted on Earth
The diagram shows different positions of the Moon in its orbit around Earth. Based on the diagram, which position of the Moon would MOST likely result in people on Earth being able to view a total solar eclipse?
1
2
3
4
In this diagram of the Sun and Earth, possible positions of the Moon are identified by numbered points. At which location would a lunar eclipse MOST likely occur?
1
2
3
4
Approximately how many times does the Moon revolve around Earth during one revolution of Earth around the Sun?
1
12
28
365
Based on the current understanding of the solar system, what is a fundamental error in the early model shown?
Venus has a larger orbit than Mercury
Earth is shown as the center of the solar system
The orbit of Mars is located inside the orbit of Jupiter
The Moon is shown too close to Earth
The diagram represents Earth, showing two cities and the axis of rotation. The current temperature in City X is higher than the temperature in City Y. Based on the diagram, which of the following BEST explains this temperature difference?
It is winter in City Y
It is nighttime in City Y
City X is in the Northern Hemisphere
City X is closer to the Sun
The Hubble Space Telescope is a telescope that NASA launched into space in 1990. 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 the size of Venus
Predicting the phases of the Moon
Investigating far away galaxies
In 1976, the Viking I Lander was sent to Mars to analyze atmospheric gases and soil samples. The Viking I Lander is MOST likely classified as which of the following?
Space Shuttle
Spectroscope
Space Probe
Satellite
What advantage is gained by using a radio telescope as opposed to an optical telescope?
Operation is less complex
Viewed images are clearer
Ability to take up less space
Ability to see through clouds and dust
What information about stars can be learned by using a spectroscope?
Chemical Composition
Distance from Earth
Speed
Size
Which do most astronomers believe to be true about the universe?
It is contracting
It is staying the same size
It is expanding and contracting regularly
It is expanding
Based on the Doppler Effect, the electromagnetic waves reaching Earth from a galaxy that is moving away from Earth would be expected to
Experience a decrease in frequency
Experience a decrease in compressions
Experience an increase in their amplitude
Experience a decrease from transverse waves to longitudinal waves
Which of the following best describes the shape of the Milky Way galaxy?
Spherical
Irregular
Elliptical
Spiral
