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Goal 1 Astronomy Test

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 27mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The Earth ROTATES

a)

once a day causing seasons

b)

once a day causing day and night

c)

once a year causing day and night

d)

once a year causing seasons

2.

By what process does solar energy ARRIVE at (get to) the Earth?

a)

radiation

b)

fusion

c)

fission

d)

convection

3.

The gravity of the Sun and the Moon cause which of the following to occur

a)

high and low tides

b)

the Coriolis Effect

c)

the Earth’s rotation

d)

even tides throughout the world

4.

Which of the following is a true statement?

a)

High tide and low tide occur twice daily at any moon phase.

b)

High tide and low tide occur twice daily at new and full moon..

c)

High tide and low tide occur twice a month.

d)

High tide and low tide occur twice daily at 1st and 3rd quarter moon.

5.

The diagram shows the tilt of the axis of Earth. What would be the most likely result if the angle of the axis of Earth decreased to zero?

a)

There would be no occurrence of different seasons.

b)

Days would be longer than nights all through the year.

c)

There would be no changing of the phases of the Moon.

d)

Intensity of sunlight would be the same in all places.

6.

Which of these best describes the relationship between Earth and the Milky Way Galaxy?

a)

Earth is located in the Milky Way Galaxy, but far from the galaxy center.

b)

Earth is positioned at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

c)

Earth is part of a galaxy that is nearest to the Milky Way Galaxy.

d)

Earth is billions of light years away from the MIlky Way Galaxy.

7.

During what time of the year is the Sun at the highest angle in the sky?

a)

winter

b)

spring

c)

summer

d)

fall (autumn)

8.

The image below show a special alignment of the Sun, moon, and Earth. How would this perpendicular configuration affect the tides on Earth?

a)

it produces diurnal tides

b)

produces the least change between high and low tides

c)

produces the greatest change in high and low tides

d)

it produces semidiurnal tides

9.

It is hotter in the summer than in the winter because

a)

the gravity of the Sun and Moon pull on the Earth more in the winter

b)

the Sun is tilted causing rays to arrive at a lower angle

c)

the Sun is lower in the sky and the days are shorter.

d)

the Sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer

10.

Kepler’s First Law states:

a)

the shape of the planets is circular

b)

planets have thick atmospheres

c)

planets orbit the Sun

d)

planets orbit the Sun in the shape of an ellipse

11.

Solar radiation is important to living things on Earth because

a)

animals use light to break down their food through cellular respiration

b)

Gamma rays are needed to make sure DNA is not mutated

c)

light is needed for water to freeze

d)

plants use light to make their own food through photosynthesis

12.

The length of a year is determined by the amount of time it takes

a)

Earth to revolve around the Sun

b)

the Sun to rotate on its axis.

c)

the Moon to revolve around Earth

d)

Earth to rotate on its axis.

13.

In the diagram below, where in the planet’s orbit would it be moving FASTER?

a)

B at perihelion

b)

A at perihelion

c)

B at aphelion

d)

A at aphelion

14.

A process occurs in a star that converts matter into Energy. Which of these describes the process that includes the conversion of matter into Energy?

a)

Atoms acquire electrons to form negative ions.

b)

Atoms release electrons to form positive ions

c)

Atoms fuse, increasing the average size of atomic nuclei

d)

Atoms split, decreasing the average size of atomic nuclei.

15.

The Moon does NOT orbit the exact center of the Earth. Instead the Moon and the Earth are in orbit around each other. They both orbit the

a)

Precession

b)

Nutation

c)

Ellipse

d)

Barycenter

16.

What is the relationship between area 1 and area 2?

a)

Area 1 is 50% smaller than area 2.

b)

Area 1 is the same size as Area 2.

c)

Area 1 is twice as big as Area 2.

d)

Area 1 is 50% larger than area 2.

17.

Kepler’s third law shown by the equation p2=a3 shows that

a)

Pluto is no longer a planet.

b)

the Moon is drifting closer to the Earth.

c)

meteorites are space dust that impact the Earth.

d)

the further a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes it to orbit.

18.

What is happening to the size of our universe? (supported by redshift of light from other stars)

a)

collapsing

b)

expanding

c)

not changing at all

d)

shrinking

19.

Many forms of _________________________ _________________ such as radio waves, visible light, and gamma waves are produced by reactions in the Sun.

a)

geothermal energy

b)

electromagnetic radiation

c)

Coriolis Effect

d)

precessional energy

20.

The amount of gravitational force which applies everywhere in the Universe between objects with mass depends on their ____.

a)

inertia

b)

speed and direction

c)

masses and the distance between them

d)

frictional forces

21.

When it is summer in North Carolina, what season is it in South Africa?

a)

winter

b)

summer

c)

spring

d)

fall

22.

Which statement describes the scientific Big Bang Theory

a)

a TV show with Sheldon and Leonard

b)

the known Universe began as a single infinitely dense point and is still expanding

c)

the known Universe began in a fiery ball

d)

the known universe began as a ball of dust

23.

What 2 phenomena cause the seasons?

a)

The tilt of the Earth’s axis and the revolution around the Sun

b)

The distance to the Sun and the revolution around the Sun

c)

The tilt of Earth’s axis and the distance to the Sun

d)

The angle of the Sun and the distance to the Sun

24.

What caused the axis of the Earth to be tilted?

a)

an impact with a large object, Theia

b)

the pull of the oceans

c)

the gravity of the Earth to the Moon

d)

the gravity of the Sun to the Earth

25.

The eccentricity of Earth's orbit is about .017 while the eccentricity of Haley's Comet is about .97. This means that:

a)

No conculusions can be drawn from this information.

b)

Earth's orbit is almost a circle, and Haley's Comet's orbit is almost a line.

c)

They both have circular orbits.

d)

Earth's orbit is almost a line, and Haley's comet orbit is almost a circle

26.

The model shows Earth in four different positions in its orbit around the Sun. Which statement correctly explains which position of Earth represents summer in the United States?

27.

The nebular hypothesis states that

a)

the Universe formed from a large explosion.

b)

our Solar System operates under different natural laws than the rest of the Universe.

c)

the Solar System formed from gas and dust orbiting the Sun which clumped up together to form the planets.

d)

The Moon orbits the Sun because of the larger gravity of the Sun.

28.

The terrestrial planets are

a)

the farthest from the Sun

b)

are called the gas giants because they are large and are composed of gases.

c)

include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter

d)

are made of rocks and metals

29.

During an eclipse, the ______________ of the Sun is visible,

and the ____________________ , just beyond the radiative zone, is where gases both rise and sink

a)

corona, convective zone

b)

core, photosphere

c)

chromosphere, corona

d)

core, convective zone

30.

Which of these are characteristics of the dwarf planets?

a)

They are located between Mars and Jupiter

b)

They include Jupiter's moons' Europa and Callisto.

c)

They are thousands of small objects beyond the orbit of Neptune

d)

Taken together they add up the the 9th planet, Pluto.

31-34.
31.

What are sunspots?

a)

the total amount of sunlight that reaches the top of Earth's atmosphere

b)

instruments that measure the Sun's total solar radiation

c)

fierce magnetic storms that rage on the Sun's surface

d)

blemishes that dampen the Sun's brightness

32.

The text describes a debate that people are having about the cause of the rise in global temperature. Most scientist believe that global warming is largely caused by the greenhouse gases released by the burning of coal and oil. According to the text, what do other people believe causes global warming?

a)

carbon dioxide

b)

the Sun

c)

methane

d)

radiometers

33.

The graphs at the end of the text show the changes in the number of sunspots, brightness, and global average temperatures from 1880 to 2000.

Based on the evidence, what conclusions can you draw about the relationships between the number of sunspots and the global average temperature?

a)

A decrease in sunspot number causes a decrease in the global average temperature

b)

A decrease in sunspot number causes an increase in global average temperature

c)

The number of sunspots has little to no effect on the global average temperature

d)

The number of sunspots has a direct and powerful effect on the global average temperature

34.

What is the main idea of this text?

a)

In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming

b)

In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that greenhouse gases are NOT the cause of global warming

c)

In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that the Sun is the cause of global warming

d)

In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that the Sun is NOT the cause of global warming