wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Earth/Space Midterm Review

Total questions: 35

Worksheet time: 53mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Where would a new star most likely form?

a)

in a nebula

b)

in a supernova

c)

in a black hole

d)

in an asteroid field

2.

In each diagram, the mass of the star is the same. In which diagram is the force of gravity greatest between the star and the planet shown?

a)

a

b)

b

c)

c

3.

Which of the following is true about the planets in the solar system?

a)

All planets have one moon.

b)

All planets have an elliptical orbit.

c)

All planets have the same surface temperature.

4.

In the accompanying diagram, the spectral lines of hydrogen gas from three galaxies, A, B, and C, are compared to the spectral lines of hydrogen gas observed in a laboratory.

What is the best inference that can be made concerning the movement of galaxies A, B, and C? Use the picture to help answer the question.

a)

Galaxy A is moving away from Earth, but galaxies B and C are moving toward Earth.

b)

Galaxies A, B, and C are all moving toward Earth.

c)

Galaxies A, B, and C are all moving away from Earth.

5.

Why is there a full Moon approximately once a month?

a)

The Moon revolves around the Earth once a month.

b)

The Moon rotates on its axis once a month.

c)

The Moon revolves around the Sun once a month.

6.

What are the most abundant elements in the universe?

a)

carbon and nitrogen

b)

oxygen and helium

c)

hydrogen and helium

7.

Use the picture to answer the following question.

What is an example of a hydrosphere/geosphere interaction in the above ecosystem?

a)

the river cuts the bank out of soil

b)

the fox eats grass

c)

the could absorbs sunlight

8.

The final stage of a star's existence is determined by its mass. The most massive stars will end their lives as

a)

neutron stars

b)

white dwarf stars

c)

black holes

9.

Which information best supports the inference that the universe began with a violent expansion?

a)

measurements of rates of decay using carbon-14

b)

measurements of cosmic background radiation

c)

calculations of the distance from the Sun to each asteroid in the asteroid belt

10.

Living plants and fish are shown below. What type of system is the fish tank?

a)

Open to energy closed to matter

b)

Closed to both energy and batter

c)

Open to both energy and matter

11.

The Big Bang Theory, describing the creation of the universe, is most directly supported by the

a)

redshift of light from distant galaxies

b)

presence of volcanoes on Earth

c)

presence of craters on Earth's Moon

12.

Use the picture to answer the question. Which of the following choices lists only the biosphere parts of the ecosystem?

a)

fox, tree, grass

b)

sun, stream, cloud

c)

cloud, grass, rock

13.

Which statements best describes the Big Bang Theory?

a)

Existing objects in the universe move randomly with the potential of colliding in about 13.5 billion years.

b)

Galaxies throughout the universe moved toward each other after an event that occurred about 13.5 billion years ago.

c)

Most objects in the universe are moving away from each other as a result of an event that occurred about 13.5 billion years ago.

14.

Which of the following observations is a result of Doppler Effect?

a)

A person walking notices that the pitch of a cr's horn decreases as the car passes by.

b)

Beats are produced when two tuning forks with different frequencies are heard together.

c)

A person hears the sound from a radio more clearly in certain areas of a room than in others.

15.

Many scientists hypothesize that a cloud of interstellar dust, gas, and ice collapsed to form a nebula from which our Sun and planets formed. What factor is responsible for causing most of this interstellar material to condense, forming our Sun?

a)

magnetic attraction

b)

dissipation of gases

c)

gravitational attraction

16.

Which of the following statements best describes the energy transformation that occurs when a log burns?

a)

mechanical energy to chemical energy

b)

chemical energy to heat and light energy

c)

heat and light energy changes to chemical energy

17.

The drawing shows a field habitat. What is the main source of energy in the field habitat?

a)

the Sun

b)

the plants

c)

the butterfly

18.

Which of the following colors of visible light has the longest wavelength?

a)

red

b)

blue

c)

green

d)

orange

19.

A large rotating disk of gas and dust begins to spin faster as it contracts. This is an example of

a)

conservation of heat

b)

conservation of energy

c)

conservation of angular momentum

d)

conservation of mass

20.

The table shows gravitational data for a planet traveling in an elliptical orbit around a star. The table shows the relative gravitational force between the star and this planet at eight positions in the orbit (letters A through H). Higher numbers indicate stranger gravitational attraction.

Which diagram best represents the positions of the planet in its orbit that would produce the gravitational forces shown in the data table?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

21.

Andromeda is the only known galaxy moving toward Earth at a speed of about 300 km/s. How was this information about Andromeda determined?

a)

by measuring the blueshift of its spectral lines

b)

by measuring the redshift of its spectral lines

c)

by measuring the widths of its spectral lines

d)

by measuring the distance between its spectral lines

22.

The diagram represents a planet, P, in an elliptical orbit around a star located at F1. The foci of the elliptical orbit are F1 and F2. Orbital locations are represented by P1 through P6. What is the approximate eccentricity of planets P's orbit?

a)

.52

b)

.83

c)

2.11

d)

4.47

23.

The diagram represents a planet revolving in an elliptical orbit around a star. As the planet makes one complete revolution around the star, starting at the position shown, the gravitational attraction between the star and the planet will

a)

decrease, then increase

b)

increase, then decrease

c)

continually decrease

d)

remain the same

24.

The Sun is an average yellow star in the Mily Way Galaxy, which is described as

a)

a dwarf galaxy

b)

a spiral galaxy

c)

an elliptical galaxy

d)

an irregular galaxy

25.

For 10 years, scientists have recorded the emission spectrum of a certain star. The diagram below shows the first spectrum recorded. Which emission spectrum shows that a redshift of the star has occurred?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

26.

The picture shows a plant that is bending as it grows next to a window. What type of energy most likely caused the plant to bend this way?

a)

kinetic

b)

chemical

c)

heat

d)

light

27.

The Big Bang Theory, describing the creation of the universe, is most directly supported by the

a)

redshift of light from distant galaxies

b)

presence of volcanoes on Earth

c)

apparent shape of star constellations

d)

presence of craters on Earth's Moon

28.

Astronomers have discovered vast differences in stars through their observations. One theory used to explain these differences is that

a)

the distances between stars are vast

b)

stars are at different points in their life cycles

c)

Earth's atmosphere distorts our view of the stars

d)

there is too much light pollution on Earth to study stars

29.

White light consists of wavelengths of all colors. The shorter wavelengths appear blue, and the longer wavelengths appear red. Wavelengths of blue light are scattered more easily by Earth's atmosphere than wavelengths of red light. That is why the sky appears blue during most of the day. However, at sunset the sky appears red. Which is a logical explanation consistent with current scientific knowledge for why the sky appears red at sunset?

a)

Due to the angle of the Sun when it is setting, sunlight travels a greater distance through the atmosphere. Thus, blue light gets scattered before reaching an observer on Earth.

b)

As the day draws to a close, the Sun produces less blue light. Thus, an observer on Earth sees red light even though this light does not get scattered very much.

c)

Earth's surface is warner at sunset and so absorbs more blue wavelengths of light than during the day. Thus, an observer on Earth only sees red light.

d)

As Earth's atmosphere cools, wavelengths of blue light passing through it become longer. Thus, an observer on Earth sees these longer wavelengths as red light.

30.

A diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum is shown. Sunscreen is a lotion used to protect skin from exposure to the Sun. This sunscreen protects a persons skin from wavelengths that are

a)

longer than radio waves but shorter than x-rays

b)

longer than x-rays but shorter than infrared waves

c)

longer than microwaves but shorter than infrared waves

d)

longer than visible light but shorter than radio waves

31.

Astronomers viewing leftover heat from the Big Bang in the form of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation is evidence that

a)

orbital velocities of stars are decreasing

b)

Earth's atmosphere is warming

c)

the Sun is cooling

d)

the universe is expanding

32.

The sun is a medium-sized. low mass main sequence star. What stage is next in the life cycle of the sun?

a)

a red giant

b)

black hole

c)

white dwarf

d)

neutron star

33.

Which of the following is a scientifically accepted theory of Earth's origin?

a)

Solid pieces of debris from the Big Bang become rounded due to wind erosion.

b)

The Sun and planets were condensed form parts of the same spinning cloud of dust and gas.

c)

The planets were large asteroids captured by the sun and pulled into orbit.

d)

Cooling debris from the sun was thrown off and began to orbit the sun.

34.

What property of electromagnetic waves makes it possible to use these waves to transmit information between a space shuttle and NAS mission control centers on the ground?

a)

Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves.

b)

Electromagnetic waves have very low velocity.

c)

Electromagnetic waves are all visible to human eyes.

d)

Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.

35.

Which statement explains why stars appear to change position in Earth's sky over the course of a year?

a)

Stars are orbiting a central location in our solar system.

b)

Stars are viewed from different positions in our solar system.

c)

Stars are pulled by gravity toward a black hole at the c enter of the universe.