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Space Unit Test

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Earth revolves around the Sun. What keeps Earth in orbit around the Sun?

a)

spherical shape of Earth

b)

gravitational attraction to the Sun

c)

movement of the sun around Earth

d)

tilt of its rotational axis toward the Sun

2.

Compare a planet with an astronomical unit of 1.5 to Earth.

a)

The planet is closer to the Sun than Earth

b)

The planet is farther from the Sun than Earth

c)

The planet has the same gravitational force as Earth

d)

The planet is the same distance from the Sun as Earth

3.

One type of light that comes from the Sun is called infrared. Human eyes cannot see this type of light, but specially built cameras can.  Why can't human eyes detect infrared light?

a)

Infrared light is too fast for our eyes to detect

b)

The energy of infrared light is too high for our eyes to detect

c)

The wavelength of infrared light is too long for our eyes to detect

d)

The Sun does not give off enough infrared light for our eyes to detect

4.

Why do temperatures on the moon’s surface vary more there than temperatures on Earth’s surface?

a)

The moon has patches of ice

b)

The moon has no atmosphere

c)

The moon’s surface has many craters

d)

The moon has lower density than Earth

5.

What object is at the center of the solar system within the heliocentric model?

a)

Ear

b)

Mercury

c)

Moon

d)

Sun

6.

Scientific models are used to understand, design, think about, predict, and test ideas in science.  Which of these is not a use of a scientific model?

a)

To study very small objects such as viruses and cells

b)

To study distant objects such as the planets, stars, and galaxies

c)

To directly observe something, such as a newly found tree species

d)

To study extremely large objects, such as layers of the Earth and tectonic plates

7.

An astronomical unit (AU) is _________.

a)

Any very large unit, such as a light-year

b)

The average distance between any two planets

c)

The average distance between the Sun and Earth

d)

The average distance between the Sun and the Astro Belt

8.

In which of these situations would light slow down?

a)

From Glass to Air

b)

From Ice to Water

c)

From Plastic to Air

d)

From Vacuum to Air

9.

When a hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, it receives indirect sunlight.  What season will occur in the Northern Hemisphere if it is receiving the most indirect rays of sunlight possible?

a)

s

b)

summer

c)

winter

d)

fall

10.

Sunlight is composed of energy that is visible to humans and energy that is not visible to humans.  Which statement describes how the visible energy from the Sun is different from the invisible energy.

a)

It has different amplitudes

b)

It has different wavelengths

c)

It travels a different distance through space

d)

It travels at a different speed through space

11.

Alex hears a loud rumble as he watches a space shuttle lift off from the launch pad. What medium does the sound wave travel through to get from the shuttle to Alex’s ears?

a)

Air Particles

b)

Empty Space

c)

Large Vibrations

d)

Mechanical Energy

12.

What is one way that electromagnetic waves differ from sound waves?

a)

Electromagnetic waves move slower

b)

There is no difference between them

c)

Electromagnetic waves are longitudinal

d)

Electromagnetic waves can travel through empty space

13.

When light is absorbed, it causes the temperature of an object to increase.  When painting a space shuttle, experts recommend that in order to keep the space shuttle cooler, people choose paint colors that will reflect the most light.  Which of these colors would reflect the most sunlight?

a)

rd

b)

black

c)

white

d)

yellow

14.

Which of the following best describes the geocentric model of stars and planets?

a)

The belief that planets revolve around the stars

b)

The belief that stars and planets revolve around Earth

c)

The belief that stars and planets revolve around the Sun.

d)

The belief that planets and the stars revolve around the Moon

15.

When you look in a mirror your image appears to be reversed.  Which interaction of light rays can produce this effect?

a)

absorbed light rays

b)

reflected light rays

c)

refracted light rays

d)

scattered light rays

16.

Which sequence describes the structure of the universe from smallest to largest?

a)

Planet, star, solar system, galaxy

b)

Galaxy, planet, star, solar system

c)

Solar systems, galaxies, star, planet

d)

Star, planet, galaxies, solar systems

17.

Ultraviolet light comes from the Sun and can sometimes cause serious health issues such as skin cancer. Why does ultraviolet light have this effect on our bodies, but visible light does not?

a)

Ultraviolet light is attracted to our skin

b)

Ultraviolet light moves faster than visible light

c)

Ultraviolet light has less energy than visible light

d)

Ultraviolet light has more energy than visible light

18.

All planets in our Solar System rotate on an axis. However, Venus has a very small axial tilt, so its poles are almost straight up and down. This means there is little difference in daylight in Venus's Northern and Southern Hemispheres during the year. Which of the following is a correct statement about Venus?

a)

Venus has no seasons because its axis is not tilted. The tilt is what causes seasons

b)

Seasons on Venus are backwards. Winters are very hot and summers are very cold

c)

Venus's seasons are very extreme. Summers are extremely hot and winters are exceptionally cold

d)

Venus's and Earth's seasons are the same. The planets experience similar temperature changes

19.

Which of these examples demonstrates light refracting?

a)

light from the sun creating a shadow

b)

light moving through a glass of water

c)

light passing underneath a closed door

d)

light from a candle flickering in the wind

20.

If two stars are 100 light-years apart, what does this mean?

a)

One of the stars formed 100 years before the other

b)

The stars are 100 million kilometers from each other

c)

It takes 100 years for light to travel from one star to the other

d)

It would take 100 years for a spaceship to travel between these two stars

21.

Dakota and Amiya were discussing the best definition to describe term, “lightyear”.  What definition would be best?

a)

The speed light travels

b)

The distance light can travel in a year

c)

How many years it takes light to be emitted

d)

How long it takes light to get to you from the sun

22.

Scientists use satellites in space to monitor and record the infrared radiation given off by Earth. In which example would a scientist most likely be using this kind of data?

a)

to study the area of land flooded by a tsunami  

b)

to study the movement of Earth's crust during earthquakes

c)

to study the rate of cloud formation over a certain continent

d)

to study the difference between the temperatures at Earth's poles

23.

Brandon learns that absolute brightness is a measure of a star's luminosity and is determined by a combination of the star's physical properties. Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the absolute brightness of two stars that have the same size?

a)

The star that is hotter will have a lower absolute brightness   

b)

The star that is hotter will have a higher absolute brightness

c)

The stars’ absolute brightness will depend on how close to they are to the Sun

d)

The stars will have the same absolute brightness since the size is the same

24.

The surface temperature of a star is indicated by which characteristic?

a)

absolute brightness

b)

color

c)

shape

d)

size

25.

The stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse, are both found in the constellation, Orion. Rigel is a blue supergiant, and Betelgeuse is a red supergiant. Which of the following correctly compares the temperatures of Rigel and Betelgeuse?

a)

Rigel is hotter than Betelgeuse, because blue stars are hotter than red stars.

b)

Betelgeuse is hotter than Rigel, because red stars are hotter than blue stars

c)

Rigel and Betelgeuse are close to the same temperature, because they are both super giants

d)

Betelgeuse and Rigel are close to the same temperature, because they are about the same distance from the Sun

26.

The Sun’s energy warms the Earth more at the equator than at the poles. Which of the following best explains why?

a)

Sunlight is less spread out near the equator

b)

Sunlight is more spread out near the equator

c)

The equator lacks ice, which reflects the sun’s energy

d)

The equator has more of a curved surface than the poles

27.

Which of these statements is a correct explanation of how objects absorb and reflect colors of light?

a)

Black objects absorb almost all wavelengths of light.

b)

White objects both absorb and reflect almost all wavelengths of light

c)

Red objects absorb red light and reflect all other wavelengths of light

d)

Blue objects absorb none of the wavelengths of light and reflect only blue light

28.

During which two phases of the moon can we expect extremely high tides and extremely low tides?

a)

First quarter and third quarter

     

b)

First quarter and crescent

c)

Third quarter and new moon

d)

Full moon and new moon

29.

Bill is swimming and drops his swim goggles in the pool.  He looks from above the top of the water to see where they fell and positions himself directly above the goggles. He dives down to the bottom of the pool with his eyes closed so that the chlorine doesn’t burn his eyes.  He tries several times to retrieve his goggles but comes up empty-handed each time.  Which interaction of light is distorting the image of where his goggles appear to be?

a)

refraction of sunlight by the water  

b)

scattering of sunlight by the water

c)

absorption of sunlight by the water

d)

reflection of sunlight on the goggles

30.

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to Earth after the Sun and is located 4.3 light years away from Earth. How long does it take light from Proxima Centauri to reach Earth?

a)

1 year

b)

4.3 yeras

c)

4

d)

10 trillion year

31.

Cameron was asked to express the distance between the Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy. What is the most appropriate unit of measurement to use?

a)

meter    

b)

kilometer

c)

light year

d)

astronomical unit

32.

Which factor is not used to determine a star's apparent magnitude?

a)

size of the star   

b)

density of the star

c)

temperature of the star

d)

distance from Earth of the star

33.

During which moon phase do we have the possibility of seeing a lunar eclipse?

a)

Full moon 

b)

New moon

c)

Gibbous moon

d)

First quarter moon

34.

The medium through which a mechanical (sound) wave passes can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Properties of a wave might change when it moves from one medium to another. What happens to the speed of a sound wave when it moves from a gas to a solid?

a)

It speeds up  

b)

It slows down

c)

It remains the same

d)

It speeds up and then slows down

35.

What holds clusters of matter together in the universe?

a)

gravity

b)

light

c)

radi

d)

supercluster

36.

The points labeled on the chart below represent the approximate size of the Earth, the Milky Way, the Moon and the Sun.  The approximate size of the Solar System is also shown. Which object represents the Sun?

a)

W

b)

X

c)

Y

d)

Z

37.

The water level at the beach changes during the day.  What causes the different water levels?

a)

Earths revoli

b)

The moon's

c)

earths magnetic field

d)

the moon's gravitational pull

38.

Saturn is 9.5 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun and Mars is only 1.5 AU from the Sun. Saturn is also much larger than Mars. Based on this information, how does the average surface temperature on Mars compare to the average surface temperature on Saturn?

a)

Since Mars is closer to the Sun than Saturn, it has a higher average surface temperature.

b)

Saturn is larger than Mars and absorbs more light, so it has a higher average surface temperature

c)

  Since both planets are more than 1 AU from the Sun, their average surface temperatures are equal

d)

Even though Saturn is further away, Saturn's rings cause it to have a lower average surface temperature

39.

The apparent brightness of a star depends on which factors?

a)

the star’s shape, distance and size   

b)

the star’s brightness, size and distance

c)

the star’s temperature, size and composition

d)

the star’s composition, shape and temperature

40.

When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, how does this affect the length of our day?

a)

Our days are longer, and our nights are longer

b)

Our days are longer, and our nights are shorter

c)

Our days are shorter, and our nights are longer

d)

The length of our days and nights are constant throughout the year