Wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Cosmos

Total questions: 63

Worksheet time: 2hrs 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The diagram shows planet Earth during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. What causes the difference in hours of sunlight during the summer at these types of locations?

a)

Because of the tilt of our Earth, the Northern Hemisphere receives more hours of sunlight during the summer, and the Southern Hemisphere receives less.

b)

The sun is higher than Earth in its orbit during the summer, causing the Northern Hemisphere to get more sunlight.

c)

The sun is not large enough to light two places on Earth at once, so some locations receive more sunlight than others.

d)

Locations 66° north of the equator are always closer to the sun during the day.

2.

This diagram shows the South Pole tilting toward the sun on its axis, while the North Pole is tilting away. Which is true?

a)

It is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

b)

It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

c)

It is winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

d)

It is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

3.

A class wants to make sure that their investigation of the sun’s height above the southern horizon is accurate and done well. Which of the following rules should they follow when collecting their data? Select TWO!

a)

Observations must be made by the same person each week.

b)

Observations must be made at the same time, midday, each week.

c)

Observations must be made first thing in the morning.

d)

Observations must be made from the same spot each week.

4.

These pictures represent the tilt of the sun’s rays during different seasons. Use the graph to help you match each picture to the matching season.


Which picture (A, B, or C) represents Fall (September-November)?

a)
b)
c)
5.

Which of the sentences below explains how the sun and moon can appear to be the same size in our sky?

a)

The sun is larger but closer.

b)

The moon is larger but closer.

c)

The sun is larger but farther away.

d)

The moon is dimmer but farther away.

6.

Students are doing a demo. One holds a foam sphere that is yellow like the sun. Another is holding a sphere that is painted like a blue star. The students stand still, side by side, facing the class. Their classmates sketch what they see. The student with the blue foam sphere takes 15 steps away from the class. Which of the following is not a possible outcome?

a)

The smaller foam sphere will look bigger than the larger sphere.

b)

The smaller sphere will look even smaller than it originally did.

c)

The larger foam sphere will look smaller than it originally did.

d)

The two spheres look the same size.

7.

What length of shadow would this tree produce?

a)

shortest shadow

b)

middle length shadow

c)

longest shadow

8.

The ___________ of an object tells us how much space an object takes up.

a)

volume

b)

mass

9.

What is the primary component of the Sun?

a)

Hydrogen

b)

Helium

c)

Oxygen

d)

Carbon

10.

Which planet in our solar system is known for its prominent ring system?

a)

Mars

b)

Jupiter

c)

Saturn

d)

Venus

11.

What is the term for the boundary around a black hole beyond which no light or other radiation can escape?

a)

Event Horizon

b)

Singularity

c)

Photon Sphere

d)

Accretion Disk

12.

Which of the following best describes a light year?

a)

The time it takes for light to travel around the Earth

b)

The distance light travels in one year

c)

The time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun

d)

The distance from the Earth to the Sun

13.

What is the name of the galaxy that contains our Solar System?

a)

Andromeda Galaxy

b)

Milky Way Galaxy

c)

Triangulum Galaxy

d)

Whirlpool Galaxy

14.

Which space telescope was launched in 1990 and has provided numerous images of distant galaxies?

a)

James Webb Space Telescope

b)

Chandra X-ray Observatory

c)

Hubble Space Telescope

d)

Spitzer Space Telescope

15.

What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?

a)

Magnetic Force

b)

Nuclear Force

c)

Gravitational Force

d)

Electromagnetic Force

16.

Quaoar (dwarf planet) orbits the sun at a distance of 42.0 AU. What is Quaoar’s orbital period in earth years?

(a)  

17.

The planet KOI 268.01 has an orbital period of 4.51 earth years from its star. What is KOI 268.01’s distance from their sun in kilometers?

(a)  

18.

Kepler's 3rd law tell us that __ would be dependent on __.

a)

orbital period ; distance

b)

distance ; orbital period

19.

The farther away a planet is from the sun, the _______ it takes it to orbit the sun once. 

a)

longer

b)

shorter

20.

The "Law of Harmonies" is which of Kepler's Laws?

a)

1st

b)

2nd

c)

3rd

d)

4th

21.

When a planet orbits the Sun, one of the foci of the elliptical orbit is 

a)

the axis

b)

the perihelion

c)

the center

d)

the Sun

22.

What unit to we usually use to to measure a planet's orbital period?

a)

light year

b)

year

c)

day

d)

astronomical unit

23.

This formula is about

a)

Kepler's First Law

b)

Kepler's Second Law

c)

Kepler's Third Law

24.

According to Kepler's Third Law, the square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the sun. Which of the following equations represents this law?

a)

T2∝R3T^2 \propto R^3

b)

T3∝R2T^3 \propto R^2

c)

T∝RT \propto R

d)

T2∝RT^2 \propto R

25.

If a planet's orbital period is 8 Earth years, what is the approximate average distance from the sun in astronomical units (AU) according to Kepler's Third Law?

a)

4 AU

b)

8 AU

c)

16 AU

d)

64 AU

26.

Which of the following best describes Kepler's Third Law?

a)

The orbit of a planet is an ellipse with the sun at one of the two foci.

b)

A line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

c)

The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

d)

The force of attraction between two bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses.

27.

A newly discovered exoplanet orbits its star at a distance of 10 AU. Using Kepler's Third Law, estimate its orbital period.

a)

10 Earth years

b)

31.6 Earth years

c)

100 Earth years

d)

1 Earth year

28.

Kepler's Third Law can be used to determine which of the following properties of a planet's orbit?

a)

The shape of the orbit

b)

The speed of the planet at any point in its orbit

c)

The orbital period if the average distance from the sun is known

d)

The mass of the planet

29.

If the orbital period of a planet is known, what additional information is needed to calculate the average distance from the sun using Kepler's Third Law?

a)

The mass of the planet

b)

The radius of the planet

c)

The semi-major axis of the orbit

d)

No additional information is needed

30.

Which of the following is a real-world application of Kepler's Third Law?

a)

Predicting the weather patterns on Earth

b)

Calculating the distance of a satellite from Earth based on its orbital period

c)

Determining the chemical composition of a distant star

d)

Measuring the speed of light

31.
Using Newton's law of gravity:
F = Gm1m2/d2.
What will happen to the gravitational force of a satellite if the mass and the distance from Earth’s center is doubled?
a)
G4m1m2/d2
b)
G3m1m2/2d2
c)
G3m1m2/d2
d)
Gm1m2/d2
32.
According to Kepler's 3rd law, the square of the time it takes for an object to orbit, T, is directly related to the cube of the distance, r, between the object and what it is orbiting.            
a)
 T3 = k*r2
b)
T2 = k*r3
c)
T3 = k/r2
d)
T2 = k/r3
33.
Using Newton's law of gravity: 
F = Gm1m2/d2. 
G=6.67x10-11 NM2/KG2
Calculate the force between two objects that have masses of 70 kilograms and 100 kilograms separated by a distance of 1 meter. Use  “G” for the Gravitational constant.
a)
0.0000466
b)
4.66x107
c)
-0.000000466
d)
4.66x10-7
34.
According to Kepler's 3rd law, the square of the time it takes for an object to orbit, T, is directly related to the cube of the distance, r, between the object and what it is orbiting.    
What this means is that if a satellite moves away from what it is orbiting,
a)
the larger the constant k is.
b)
the smaller the constant k is.
c)
the longer the orbital period is.
d)
the shorter the orbital period is.
35.
The speed at which any planet moves through space is constantly changing. In a perfectly circular orbit, the orbital radius of the planet would be constant and therefore so would be its observed angular velocity. In elliptical orbits, the velocity varies. In elliptical orbits, the orbital radius of the satellite will vary and therefore so will its velocity. The planet travels "faster" when closer to the Sun, then "slower"  at a more distant radius.   According to Newton's 2nd Law, what is the underlying force behind this change in velocity?
a)
Friction
b)
Gravity
c)
Mass
d)
Projectile motion 
36.
Consider the law of gravitational attraction. Two spheres with a mass, M, are attracted to each other by a force, F. If the distance between the two spheres doubles while the masses remain constant, will the force between the two spheres change? If yes, how?
a)
Yes, the forces decreases by 1/16
b)
Yes. The force decreases by 1/2
c)
Yes, the force decreases by 1/4
d)
No. The force remains constant because the masses remain constant
37.
In order for a satellite to orbit in a higher orbit, what must be true about its speed
a)
The orbital speed must be decreased
b)
The orbital speed must be increased
c)
The orbital speed must remain the same
d)
There is not enough information to draw a conclusion
38.
Kepler’s 3rd law states the square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the orbital radius. (T2=r3)

If a planet's orbital radius is doubled, what happens to the length of a year on that planet?
a)
It will become twice as long
b)
It will become about 8 times as long
c)
It will become 2.8 times as long
d)
It will remain the same
39.
Consider the model of Kepler's 2nd Law. Each colored wedge represents the same time interval. Kepler states that the area of each wedge must be equal. According to this, what conclusions can you draw about the movement of any planet?
a)
An orbiting body travels along the perimeter of the segments at a constant velocity.
b)
An orbiting body travels faster as it gets closer to the central massive body.
c)
The path of each planet around the sun is an ellipse because the sun is located at one focus.
d)
An orbiting body covers the same distance for each time interval because the speed changes.
40.
If an ellipse eccentricity is closer to 0, then it’s more eccentric. 
a)
True
b)
False
41.
If an ellipse eccentricity is closer to 1, then it’s more eccentric. 
a)
True
b)
False
42.
If my distance between foci=1 and my length of major axis=2, what is my eccentricity?
a)
¼
b)
⅛
c)
½
d)
1/16
43.
Kepler’s first law states that planets travel in a(n)  orbit.
a)
Circular
b)
Spherical
c)
Elliptical
d)
Triangular
44.

            Which of the following is NOT considered a terrestrial-planet?

a)

Mars

b)

Venus

c)

Neptune

d)

Mercury

45.

The largest of the terrestrial planets is

a)

Jupiter

b)

Earth

c)

Mars

d)

Uranus

46.

The densities of the Jovian planets are

a)

not more than about 0.5 times the density of water.

b)

not more than about 1.5 times the density of water.

c)

from 3.9 to 5.5 times the density of water.

d)

more than 5.5 times the density of water.

47.

According to scientists, the solar system formed from

a)

colliding planetesimals.

b)

rotating stars.

c)

colliding nebulae.

d)

a rotating disk of dust and gases.

48.

Which of the following is one difference between the way terrestrial planets and Jovian planets formed?

a)

The terrestrial planets formed only from bits of ice.

b)

The Jovian planets formed only from bits of ice.

c)

The terrestrial planets formed only from metals and silicate minerals.

d)

The Jovian planets formed only from metals and silicateminerals.

49.

How does the diameter of the terrestrial and Jovian planets compare?

a)

The diameters of the Jovian planets are much larger.

b)

The diameters of the terrestrial planets are much larger.

c)

All but one of the terrestrial planets have diameters about equal to the diameters of the Jovian planets.

d)

All but one of the Jovian planets have diameters about-equal to the diameters of the terrestrial planets.

50.

The fact that Mercury has no atmosphere is evidence that it

a)

reflects almost all of the sunlight that strikes it.

b)

is composed almost entirely of gases.

c)

is much farther from the sun than it appears.

d)

reflects a small percentage of the sunlight that strikes it.

51.

One reason that life as we know it is unlikely to exist on Venus is because

a)

the surface temperature is too high.

b)

the surface temperature is too low.

c)

the surface has too much ice covering it.

d)

there is no atmosphere.

52.

When viewed from Earth, Mars appears to change colors. This most likely happens because

a)

gases in the dense Martian atmosphere are constantly changing.

b)

volcanic activity produces thick gas clouds.

c)

dust storms lasting for weeks cause the atmosphere to change color.

d)

active volcanoes on the Mars surface intermittently flood the surface with lava.

53.

What is the mass of Jupiter?

a)

2.5 times the mass of Earth

b)

twice the mass of all the terrestrial planets

c)

about half the mass of all the Jovian planets

d)

 2.5 times the mass of all the other planets and their moons

54.

Which of the Jovian planets have rings?

a)

only Saturn and Jupiter

b)

Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune

c)

only Saturn and Neptune

d)

only Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus

55.

Which planet has the lowest surface temperature of any planet and an atmosphere comprised mostly of nitrogen?

a)

Jupiter

b)

Saturn

c)

Neptune

d)

Uranus

56.

Which planet has an axis of rotation parallel with the plane of its orbit?

a)

Jupiter

b)

Saturn

c)

Neptune

d)

Uranus

57.

Most asteroids lie between the orbits of

a)

Jupiter and Saturn.

b)

Mars and Jupiter.

c)

Jupiter and Neptune.

d)

Mars and Earth.

58.

Which of the following is true about asteroids?

a)

Asteroids rarely pass close to Earth.

b)

Asteroids never actually collide with planetary bodies.

c)

Recent impact craters on the moon were likely caused by asteroids.

d)

Most asteroids are no larger than a grain of sand.

59.

Which of the following is true about comets?

a)

The orbits of comets do not take them past the Jovian planets.

b)

Comets are held together by frozen gases.

c)

All comets have long tails made of vaporizing gases.

d)

The Oort cloud of comets is found between Neptune and Pluto.

60.

The Kuiper Belt is a region beyond Neptune containing

a)

comets with short orbit periods.

b)

meteors smaller than 1 km across.

c)

a dense collection of meteoroids.

d)

comets with unusually large nuclei.

61.

The nucleus of Halley’s comet is approximately

a)

1 m wide.

b)

1 km wide.

c)

16 km by 8 km.

d)

100 km wide.

62.

Scientists have been able to estimate the age of our solar system by dating

a)

comets

b)

asteroids

c)

meteors

d)

meteorites

63.

Which of the following is NOT a source of meteoroids?

a)

rocky chunks from neighboring solar systems

b)

leftover interplanetary debris

c)

material from the asteroid belt

d)

the solid remains of comets