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WorksheetsThe Solar System test Chapter 22
Total questions: 64
Worksheet time: 32mins
Which of the following is the largest object in the asteroid belt?
Vesta
Eros
Ceres
None of the above
What is NOT characteristic of a dwarf planet?
Has cleared the area of its orbit of smaller objects
Is big enough to be roughly spherical due to gravity
Orbits a star
All of the above
Which is the largest dwarf planet?
Ceres
Haumea
Eris
Pluto
Meteorites are
Meteors from Mars
Meteors that strike Earth’s surface
Asteroids captured by Earth’s surface
Shooting stars
Meteorites are helpful to scientists because __________.
They aren’t helpful to scientists.
They are the only reason to use a telescope.
They are rare and can be sold for lots of money.
Many were formed in the early solar system and can give information about that time.
The small core of a meteoroid that hits Earth’s surface is called a __________.
Meteorite
Meteoroid
Debris
Asteroid
Comets may be visible with the naked eye
During their entire journey around the Sun
Never
For a short time when they are near the Sun
None of these
Haley’s comet, with a period of 75 years, will next be seen in
2045
2061
2090
2050
In the early solar system, comets that struck Earth may have brought in
Water
Advanced life
Plankton
All of the above
How many extrasolar planets have been identified so far?
Around 250
Around 350
More than 800
More than 1500
The first discovery of an extrasolar planet was in the
Early 1970s
Early 1990s
Early 1960s
Early 1980s
How do scientists discover extrasolar planets?
Direct imaging by a state-of-the-art space telescope
Periodic motion of a star, consistent with the pull of an orbiting object
The temporary dimming of a star as a planet crosses in front of it
All of these
Neptune's appearance
Changes because it has a turbulent atmosphere
Changes because the gas composition is continually changing
Doesn’t change because its atmosphere is stable
Doesn’t change because its gas composition is stable
What causes Neptune to be blue in color?
A planet-wide blue ocean
No one knows
Frozen methane
Frozen water
Which is NOT a characteristic of Neptune?
One orbit around the Sun takes Neptune 165 Earth years
It is 2.8 billion miles from the Sun
It has a calm atmosphere
It is the 8th planet from the Sun
Uranus is ________ dense, but has ________ mass than Earth.
More, equal
Equally, more
More, less
If you were at the top of the clouds on Uranus, you would weigh ________ what you weigh on Earth.
More than
Equal to
An unknown amount relative to
Uranus is a blue-green color because
Clouds of methane filter out the red light
Clouds of carbon dioxide filter out the red light
Clouds of carbon dioxide filter out the blue and green light
Clouds of methane filter out the blue and green light
Select all possible answers: Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) ________.
Can support human life
May have a layer of liquid water under a layer of ice
Is larger than mercury
Has lakes made up of liquid methane and ethan
Saturn is made up of which gasses?
Hydrogen
Helium
Both A and B
None of the above
Select all possible answers: The gaps in Saturn’s rings were caused by ________.
Moons located within the rings
Repelling forces of the particles making up the rings
Competing forces of Saturn and the moons outside the rings
The strength of the Sun’s gravity
What makes up Saturn’s rings?
Water
Dust and rocks
Ice
All of the above
How do scientists know the minimum length of time the Great Red Spot has been on Jupiter?
It has been at least 300 years since it was seen through a telescope
They have done calculations and they know a feature of that type would last at least 750 years
It was first seen through the naked eye and recorded more than 400 years ago
None of these
What is the Great Red Spot found on Jupiter?
A giant storm in the atmosphere
A band of red rocks
A mark left over from reactions of hydrogen, helium, and ammonia
Iron-oxide dust blowing in a giant storm
The Galilean moons:
Were discovered by Galileo through his telescope in 1610
Are larger than the dwarf planet Pluto
Are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
All of the above
Water cannot stay in liquid form on Mars because of:
Low temperature
Low atmospheric pressure
High temperature
None of the above
Which is the first planet beyond Earth’s orbit?
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
Venus
The largest shield volcano in the solar system is on the planet:
Venus
Earth
Jupiter
Mars
The Martian volcano, Olympus Mons:
Is the largest mountain in the solar system
Is twice as tall as Mount Everest
Is a composite volcano
All of the above
What are the lighter parts of the Moon called?
Crater
Lake
Maria
Terrae
What are the dark areas of the moon called?
Terrae
Maria
Crater
Lunar
What could erase the footprints of astronauts on the moon?
Weathering and erosion
Wind and rain
Meteorite impact
Plate tectonics
Which surface features are NOT present on the moon?
Mountain ranges
Rivers
Craters
Flat lava flows
The clouds of Venus are mostly made up of ________.
Oxygen
Carbon monoxide
None of the above
Venus was named after the ___ of love because it is the brightest star in the sky.
Roman goddess
Roman god
Greek god
Greek goddess
Venus is sometimes referred to as the ___.
Red star
Blue star
Noon star
Morning star
Scientists know that Venus’ surface ___.
Has many volcanoes
Has few impact craters compared with Mercury and the Moon
Is younger than that of may other planets
All of these
If there is water on Mercury, it is likely to be ice at the planet’s poles because:
Mercury’s poles do not receive direct sunlight
The internal heat from Mercury’s core doesn’t reach the poles
Ice is only found at a planet’s poles
The poles have insulation which allows for ice to form
Select all possible answers: Many of Mercury’s craters are billions of years old, which indicates ___.
There has been no new craters caused by asteroids
There is no geological activity taking place
There is no plate tectonic activity taking place
No asteroid has hit Mercury in billions of years
Because Mercury has a large core, the planet is ________.
Large
Dense
Geologically dead
All of these
Temperatures on Mercury are ________ because Mercury ________.
Extreme; has almost no atmosphere
Moderate; has a thick atmosphere
Similar to Earth’s; has an Earth-like atmosphere
Extreme; has a thick atmosphere
The planets, comets, and meteors of the solar system are held in orbit by the Sun’s ________.
Spring force
Gravity
Tension
Friction
Gravitational force depends on ________.
The distance between the objects
The mass of the objects
The volume of the objects
Both A and B
If you are on the top of a mountain and drop an apple, it will fall to the ground, even though the apple is gravitationally attracted to you. Why?
Earth is larger and has a much stronger gravitational pull
Apples always fall down
Centrifugal forces pull the apple to the Earth and that is stronger than your gravitational pull
None of these
The time it takes a planet to make one complete orbit around the Sun is known as its _______.
Orbital period
Time of revolution
Elliptical period
Speed
How do astronomers determine the distances to other planets within the solar system?
Through orbital period
Through rotational motion
Through their diameters
All of the above
What is the shape of a planet’s orbit?
Triangular
Circular
Rectangular
Elliptical
The asteroid belt is the region of the solar system located roughly between the orbits of the planets _______ and _______.
Jupiter, Saturn
Mars, Earth
Uranus, Saturn
Mars, Jupiter
The weight of an object on a planet is related to the mass of that planet- the larger the planet, the heavier the object will be. Therefore, on which planet would your weight be closest to your weight on Earth?
Mars
Jupiter
Venus
Mercury
Which is the largest object in the solar system?
Sun
Moon
Earth
Saturn
On Venus a day is equal to 243 Earth days. What does this mean?
The length of a planet’s day is directly related to its distance from the Sun
Venus takes 243 Earth days to orbit the Sun once
Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis
The length of a planet’s day is inversely related to its distance from the Sun
Solar prominences are __________.
Cooler, darker areas
Plasma loops that connect two sunspots
Interruptions of magnetic energy
All of the above
Magnetic fields in a sunspot are __________.
Non-existent
Stronger than elsewhere on the Sun
Weaker than elsewhere on the Sun
Same as elsewhere on the Sun
Sunspots occur in __________.
1 year cycles
11 year cycles
20 year cycles
5 year cycles
Which of the following is not true of the photosphere?
It is one of the coolest layers of the Sun
It is the layer that emits sunlight
It is the outermost layer of the Sun
It is about 6,000 degrees Celsius
Jets of gas sometimes fly up through this layer:
The photosphere
The radiation zone
The chromosphere
The corona
During a solar eclipse, this ring of light is visible:
The radiation zone
The photosphere
The corona
The chromosphere
Which of the following processes take(s) place inside the Sun?
Convection
Fusion
Condensation
Both A and B
What two elements make up most of the Sun?
Helium and Hydrogen
Zeon and Neon
Oxygen and Carbon
Boron and Iron
A particle of light is called a ____________.
Futon
Photon
Electron
Proton
The Sun is made up of which state of matter?
Gas
Solid
Liquid
Plasma
Which of the following best describes the Sun’s location?
It is on the edge of the solar system
It is in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy
It is in the center of the solar system
It is orbiting around the Earth
Which of the following is not true of the SOHO spacecraft?
It is in orbit around the Sun
It has been in operation since 1995
It sends data and images of the Sun back to Earth
SOHO collects data about the Sun’s deep interior
Which of the following is true of the Sun?
It is held together by gravity
It is a ball of plasma
It is a star
All of the above
