WorksheetsUnit 4 Review
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 12mins
Which discovery did scientists make that supports the modern heliocentric model of the solar system?
Satellite images helped reveal a pattern of planetary composition in which those closer to the sun are denser than those farther from the sun.
Orbital observations suggested that the planets move in well-defined, circular orbits at constant speeds around the sun.
Matter is distributed throughout the solar system. Where is approximately 99% of all matter contained within the solar system?
space
planets
the sun
asteroids
Which feature is currently in the current model of the solar system has never been directly observed and is based only on theoretical calculations?
Oort Cloud
Kuiper Belt
Asteroid Belt
What are small bodies that form the planets during the protoplanetary disk phase of solar system formation?
comets
moons
planetesimals
protoplanets
Which statement describes an observation scientists have made of extrasolar systems that also provides strong support for the nebular theory of solar system development?
Extrasolar planets have only been observed around young stars.
Jupiter-sized planets with very low density orbit very close to stars.
Very young stars are surrounded by disks that comprise gas and dust.
According to Newton's law of gravitation, the force of attraction between two objects depends on two types of variables, one of which is the masses of the objects. Which is the other variable?
composition of each object
distance between the objects
magnetic field of each object
In a hypothetical planetary system, planet A is 20 million kilometers from the star and planet B is 60 million kilometers from the star. Which statement is true concerning the orbit of these planets?
Planet A moves faster than planet B because it is closer to the star.
Planet B moves faster than planet A because it is farther from the star.
Planet A has an orbit more elliptical than planet B's orbit because it is closer to the star.
Why are scientists unable to test the age of the early rock from the formation Earth?
Meteorites colliding with Earth have melted it.
Weathering and plate tectonics have destroyed it.
It is covered by ocean water and cannot be reached.
What happens to the gravitational force between a spacecraft and a planet if the orbital radius is doubled?
It increases by a factor of 4.
It decreases by a factor of 4.
How do scientists estimate the age of Earth?
by observing patterns of change in Earth’s magnetic field
by using radiometric dating of moon rocks and meteorites
by comparing chemical compositions of minerals in Earth’s crust
Which solar system model matches the following description:
The sun is stationary with elliptical orbits around it.
geocentric model
heliocentric model
Which solar system model matches the following description:
Earth is stationary with circular orbits around it.
geocentric model
heliocentric model
Which statement describes the motion of planets in their orbits around the sun?
Those with greater mass move faster.
Those with greater mass move slower.
Those farther from the sun move faster.
Those farther from the sun move slower.
Scientists have defined a number of pieces of evidence found in the planets of our solar system that help explain how the solar system formed. Which of the following statements are the best evidence to support this?
Most of the planets are made of ice
The planets rotate in different directions
The planets all orbit within a few degrees of a common plane
What are small bodies that orbit during the formation of the solar system, and are going through the process of accretion?
comets
moons
planetesimals
Which of these non-planetary objects separates the outer planets from the inner planets?
The Kuiper Belt
The Asteroid Belt
The Oort Cloud
What gave planets their initial velocity?
gravity
sun
the formation of the solar system
Kepler's third law
When early Earth's atmosphere formed, which of these gases were lost because Earth's gravity was too weak to overcome solar wind?
oxygen and helium
helium and nitrogen
helium and hydrogen
Match the phrase from Kepler's laws to the quick descriptor:
This law describes an imaginary line from the center of the sun to the center of the planet that sweeps through equal areas in equal time intervals
Kepler's First Law
Kepler's Second Law
Kepler's Third Law
Match the phrase from Kepler's laws to the quick descriptor:
The ratio of squares of the periods of two planets is equal to the ration of cubes of the average distance from the sun
Kepler's First Law
Kepler's Second Law
Kepler's Third Law
Match the phrase from Kepler's laws to the quick descriptor:
The elliptical path of the planets around the sun includes the center of the sun at one focus
Kepler's First Law
Kepler's Second Law
Kepler's Third Law
In what ways is Jupiter like the other outer planets?
It has a relatively low density
It has liquid water on its surface
It has a relatively high densityIt has a relatively high density
At which point in its orbit is a planet traveling the fastest?
When it is farthest from the sun
When it is traveling towards the sun
When it is traveling away from the sun
When it is closest to the sun
