Anna Hong
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Midterm Review for Astronomy 10 with Professor Dunn at Sierra College

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Anna Hong
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Astronomy 10 Midterm

Question 1 of 70

1

Which of the following has your "address" in the correct order?

Select one of the following:

  • you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Supercluster, Local Group

  • you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Group, Local Supercluster

  • you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way, Local Supercluster

  • you, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar system, Milky Way

  • you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way

Explanation

Question 2 of 70

1

What is an astronomical unit?

Select one of the following:

  • an basic unit used in astronomy

  • the length of time it takes Earth to revolve around the Sun

  • the average distance from Earth to the Sun

  • the diameter of Earth's orbit around the Sun

  • the average speed of Earth around the Sun

Explanation

Question 3 of 70

1

Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy?

Select one of the following:

  • 100 million

  • 10 billion

  • 1 billion

  • 100 trillion

  • 100 billion

Explanation

Question 4 of 70

1

Which is the following statements about the celestial sphere in not true?

Select one of the following:

  • The "celestial sphere" is just another name for our universe.

  • The celestial sphere does not exist physically.

  • Earth is placed at the center of the celestial sphere.

  • From and location on Earth, we can see only half of the celestial sphere at any one time.

  • When we look into the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere.

Explanation

Question 5 of 70

1

Which is of the following statements about the celestial equator is true at all latitudes?

Select one of the following:

  • It cuts the dome of your sky exactly in half.

  • It extends from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south.

  • It lies along the band of light we call the Milky Way.

  • It represents an extension of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere.

  • It extends from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west.

Explanation

Question 6 of 70

1

What is the ecliptic?

Select one of the following:

  • when the Moon passes in front of the Sun

  • the Sun's apparent path along the celestial sphere

  • the Moon's apparent path along the celestial sphere

  • the Sun's daily path across the sky

  • the constellations commonly used in astrology to predict the future

Explanation

Question 7 of 70

1

Which of the following correctly describes the meridian in your sky?

Select one of the following:

  • a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through the north celestial pole, to your horizon due west

  • a half-circle extending from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west

  • the boundary between the portion of the celestial sphere you can see at any moment and the portion that you cannot see

  • the point directly over your head

  • a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south

Explanation

Question 8 of 70

1

How may arcseconds are in 1°?

Select one of the following:

  • 3,600

  • 100

  • 10,000

  • 360

  • 60

Explanation

Question 9 of 70

1

What is a circumpolar star?

Select one of the following:

  • a star that is close to the north celestial pole

  • a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles

  • a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere

  • a star that is close to the south celestial pole

  • a star that always remains above your horizon

Explanation

Question 10 of 70

1

Which of the following is not a phase of the Moon?

Select one of the following:

  • third-quarter moon

  • new moon

  • first-quarter moon

  • full moon

  • half moon

Explanation

Question 11 of 70

1

If the Moon is setting at 6 AM, the phase of the Moon must be

Select one of the following:

  • waning cresent

  • first quarter

  • new

  • third quarter

  • full

Explanation

Question 12 of 70

1

How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of the Earth in 240 BC?

Select one of the following:

  • by observing the duration of a solar eclipse

  • by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes

  • by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse

  • by sending fleets of ships around Earth

  • We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed.

Explanation

Question 13 of 70

1

Where was the Sun in Ptolemy's model of the universe?

Select one of the following:

  • between the orbits of Venus and Mars

  • slightly offset from the center

  • at the outer edge, beyond Saturn's orbit

  • at the center

  • between Earth and the Moon's orbit

Explanation

Question 14 of 70

1

The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun.

Select one of the following:

  • Tycho Brahe

  • Copernicus

  • Kepler

  • Galileo

  • Ptolemy

Explanation

Question 15 of 70

1

He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses.

Select one of the following:

  • Copernicus

  • Galileo

  • Kepler

  • Tycho Brahe

  • Ptolemy

Explanation

Question 16 of 70

1

He discovered that Jupiter has moons.

Select one of the following:

  • Aristotle

  • Galileo

  • Tycho Brahe

  • Kepler

  • Ptolemy

Explanation

Question 17 of 70

1

If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon?

Select one of the following:

  • 10 lb

  • 50 kg

  • 60 kg

  • 10 kg

  • 60 lbs

Explanation

Question 18 of 70

1

What would happen if the Space Shuttle were launched with a speed greater than Earth's escape velocity?

Select one of the following:

  • It would orbit Earth at a faster velocity

  • It would travel in a higher orbit around Earth.

  • It would be in an unstable orbit.

  • It would travel away from Earth into the solar system.

  • It would take less time to reach its bound orbit.

Explanation

Question 19 of 70

1

The force of gravity is an inverse square law. This means that, if you double the distance between two large masses, the gravitational force between them

Select one of the following:

  • also doubles

  • strengthens by a factor of 4

  • weakens by a factor of 2

  • is unaffected

  • weakens by a factor of 4

Explanation

Question 20 of 70

1

According to the universal law of gravitation, if you double the masses of both attracting objects, then the gravitational force between them will

Select one of the following:

  • not change at all

  • decrease by a factor of 4

  • increase by a factor of 4

  • increase by a factor of 2

  • decrease by a factor of 2

Explanation

Question 21 of 70

1

An atom in an excited state contains more of what type of energy than the same atom in the ground state?

Select one of the following:

  • gravitational potential energy

  • thermal energy

  • electric potential energy

  • mass-energy

  • kinetic energy

Explanation

Question 22 of 70

1

The wavelength of a wave is

Select one of the following:

  • the distance between where the wave is emitted and where it is absorbed.

  • the distance between two adjacent peaks of the wave.

  • the distance between a peak of the wave and the next trough.

  • how strong the wave is.

  • equal to the speed of the wave times the wave's frequency.

Explanation

Question 23 of 70

1

How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?

Select one of the following:

  • Longer wavelength means lower frequency and lower energy.

  • Longer wavelength means higher frequency and lower energy.

  • Longer wavelength means higher frequency and higher energy.

  • Longer wavelength means lower frequency and higher energy.

  • There is no simple relationship because different photons travel at different speeds.

Explanation

Question 24 of 70

1

From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?

Select one of the following:

  • infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, gamma rays, radio

  • radio, X rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays

  • visible light, infrared, X rays, ultraviolet, gamma rays, radio

  • radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, gamma rays

  • gamma rays, X rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio

Explanation

Question 25 of 70

1

When an electron in an atom goes from a higher energy state to a lower energy state, the atom

Select one of the following:

  • absorbs several photons of a specific frequency.

  • emits a photon of a specific frequency.

  • absorbs a photon of a specific frequency.

  • can absorb a photon of any frequency.

  • can emit a photon of any frequency.

Explanation

Question 26 of 70

1

The spectra of most galaxies show redshifts. This means that their spectral lines

Select one of the following:

  • have wavelengths that are shorter than normal.

  • have normal wavelengths, but absorption of light makes them appear red.

  • have wavelengths that are longer than normal.

  • have a higher intensity in the red part of the spectrum.

  • always are in the red part of the visible spectrum.

Explanation

Question 27 of 70

1

From laboratory measurements, we know that a particular spectral line formed by hydrogen appears at a wavelength of 121.6 nanometers (nm). The spectrum of a particular star shows the same hydrogen line appearing at a wavelength of 121.8 nm. What can we conclude?

Select one of the following:

  • The star is getting hotter.

  • The star is moving toward us.

  • The star is moving away from us.

  • The "star" actually is a planet.

  • The star is getting colder.

Explanation

Question 28 of 70

1

How does the Sun's mass compare with that of the planets?

Select one of the following:

  • It is a hundred times more massive than Earth.

  • It is a thousand times more massive than all the planets combined.

  • It is a thousand times more massive than Earth.

  • It is a hundred times more massive than all the planets combined.

  • It is about as massive as all the planets combined.

Explanation

Question 29 of 70

1

Which planet has the highest average surface temperature, and why?

Select one of the following:

  • Jupiter, because it is so big

  • Venus, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere

  • Mercury, because it is closest to the Sun

  • Mars, because of its red color

  • Mercury, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere

Explanation

Question 30 of 70

1

Which planet, other than Earth, has visible water ice on it?

Select one of the following:

  • Mars

  • Mercury

  • Venus

  • the Moon

  • Jupiter

Explanation

Question 31 of 70

1

Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?

Select one of the following:

  • Neptune

  • Pluto

  • a comet in the Kuiper belt

  • an asteroid in the asteroid belt

  • a comet in the Oort cloud

Explanation

Question 32 of 70

1

Which is the densest planet in the solar system?

Select one of the following:

  • Venus

  • Mars

  • Mercury

  • Earth

  • Jupiter

Explanation

Question 33 of 70

1

The planet closest in size to Earth is

Select one of the following:

  • Mars

  • Venus

  • the Moon

  • Pluto

  • Mercury

Explanation

Question 34 of 70

1

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets?

Select one of the following:

  • They all have solid, rocky surfaces.

  • Their orbits are relatively closely spaced.

  • They have very few, if any, satellites.

  • They are relatively smaller than the outer planets.

  • They all have substantial atmospheres.

Explanation

Question 35 of 70

1

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?

Select one of the following:

  • They are all large balls of gas.

  • Their orbits are separated by relatively large distances.

  • They are primarily made of hydrogen and helium.

  • They all have rings.

  • They have very few, if any, satellites.

Explanation

Question 36 of 70

1

Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?

Select one of the following:

  • Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat.

  • The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas.

  • Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula.

  • Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that
    heated the nebula.

  • As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to kinetic
    energy and then into thermal energy.

Explanation

Question 37 of 70

1

What kind of material in the solar nebula could remain solid at temperatures as high
as 1,500 K, such as existed in the inner regions of the nebula?

Select one of the following:

  • molecules such as methane and ammonia

  • hydrogen compounds

  • metals

  • rocks

  • silicon-based minerals

Explanation

Question 38 of 70

1

What was the frost line of the solar system?

Select one of the following:

  • the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the present-day orbit of Mercury

  • the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen compounds to condense into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter

  • the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for rocks to
    condense, between the present-day orbits of Mercury and Venus

  • the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn

  • the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for asteroids
    to form, between the present-day orbits of Venus and Earth

Explanation

Question 39 of 70

1

According to the nebular theory, what are asteroids and comets?

Select one of the following:

  • They are the shattered remains of collisions between planets.

  • They are chunks of rock or ice that condensed long after the planets and moons had formed

  • They are chunks of rock or ice that were expelled from planets by volcanoes.

  • They are the shattered remains of collisions between moons.

  • They are leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets.

Explanation

Question 40 of 70

1

40) Most of the planets discovered around other stars

Select one of the following:

  • A) are found around neutron stars.

  • B) are more massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.

  • C) are more massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.

  • D) are less massive than Earth and orbit very far from the star.

  • E) are less massive than Earth and orbit very close to the star.

Explanation

Question 41 of 70

1

41) Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest:

Select one of the following:

  • A) Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.

  • B) Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth.

  • C) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars.

  • D) Mercury, Moon, Venus, Earth, Mars.

  • E) Mercury, Moon, Mars, Earth, Venus.

Explanation

Question 42 of 70

1

42) Which of the terrestrial worlds has the strongest magnetic field?

Select one of the following:

  • Mars

  • B) the Moon

  • Mercury

  • Earth

  • Venus

Explanation

Question 43 of 70

1

Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?

Select one of the following:

  • A) It is too large.

  • B) It does not have a metallic core.

  • C) It is too close to the Sun.

  • D) Its rotation is too slow.

  • E) It has too thick an atmosphere.

Explanation

Question 44 of 70

1

Which two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet?

Select one of the following:

  • A) size and chemical composition

  • B) distance from the Sun and atmosphere

  • C) size and atmosphere

  • D) composition and distance from the Sun

  • E) internal temperature and atmosphere

Explanation

Question 45 of 70

1

45) How large is an impact crater compared to the size of the impactor?

Select one of the following:

  • A) 10 times larger

  • B) 10-20 percent larger

  • C) 100 times larger

  • D) 1,000 times larger

  • E) the same size

Explanation

Question 46 of 70

1

46) The relatively few craters that we see within the lunar maria

Select one of the following:

  • A) were formed by impacts that occurred after those that formed most of the
    craters in the lunar highlands.

  • B) were formed by impacts that occurred before those that formed most of the craters in the lunar highlands.

  • C) are sinkholes that formed when sections of the maria collapsed.

  • D) are volcanic in origin, rather than from impacts.

  • E) were created by the same large impactor that led to the formation of the maria.

Explanation

Question 47 of 70

1

The Caloris Basin on Mercury covers a large region of the planet, but few smaller craters have formed on top of it. From this we conclude that

Select one of the following:

  • A) the Caloris Basin was formed by a volcano.

  • B) Mercury's atmosphere prevented smaller objects from hitting the surface.

  • C) the Caloris Basin formed toward the end of the solar system's period of heavy bombardment.

  • D) only very large impactors hit Mercury's surface in the past.

  • E) erosion destroyed the smaller craters that formed on the basin.

Explanation

Question 48 of 70

1

48) Olympus Mons is a

Select one of the following:

  • A) shield volcano on Venus.

  • B) large lava plain on the Moon.

  • C) shield volcano on Mars.

  • D) stratovolcano on the Moon.

  • E) stratovolcano on Mercury.

Explanation

Question 49 of 70

1

49) Why does Venus have such a great difference in temperature between its "no
atmosphere" temperature and its actual temperature?

Select one of the following:

  • A) It has a slow rotation.

  • B) It is so close to the Sun.

  • C) It has a large amount of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere.

  • D) It has a high level of volcanic activity.

  • E) It has no cooling effects from oceans.

Explanation

Question 50 of 70

1

50) Which of the following worlds has the most substantial atmosphere?

Select one of the following:

  • A) the Moon

  • B) Earth

  • Mars

  • Venus

  • Mercury

Explanation

Question 51 of 70

1

51) Why doesn't Venus have seasons like Mars and Earth do?

Select one of the following:

  • A) Its rotation axis is not tilted.

  • B) It is too close to the Sun.

  • C) It does not have an ozone layer.

  • D) It does not rotate fast enough.

  • E) all of the above

Explanation

Question 52 of 70

1

52) Where is most of the water on Mars?

Select one of the following:

  • A) in its polar caps and subsurface ground ice

  • B) distributed evenly throughout its atmosphere

  • C) in deep underground deposits

  • D) frozen on the peaks of its tall volcanoes

  • E) in its clouds

Explanation

Question 53 of 70

1

53) How does Jupiter's core compare to Earth's?

Select one of the following:

  • A) It is the same size and mass.

  • B) It is about the same size but is 10 times more massive.

  • C) It is about 10 times larger in size and the same mass.

  • D) Jupiter doesn't have a core—it is made entirely from hydrogen and helium.

  • E) It is about 10 times larger both in size and mass.

Explanation

Question 54 of 70

1

54) If we know the size of an asteroid, we can determine its density by

Select one of the following:

  • A) determining its mass from its gravitational pull on a spacecraft, satellite, or
    planet.

  • B) looking for brightness variations as it rotates.

  • C) spectroscopic imaging.

  • D) radar mapping.

  • E) comparing its reflectivity to the amount of light it reflects.

Explanation

Question 55 of 70

1

55) What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

Select one of the following:

  • A) the place where Jupiter's aurora is most visible

  • B) a hurricane that comes and goes on Jupiter

  • C) the place where reddish particles from Io impact Jupiter's surface

  • D) a large mountain peak poking up above the clouds

  • E) a long-lived, high-pressure storm

Explanation

Question 56 of 70

1

56) The four Galilean moons around Jupiter are

Select one of the following:

  • A) all made of rock.

  • B) hydrogen and helium gas.

  • C) a mixture of rock and ice, with the ice fraction increasing with distance from Jupiter.

  • D) all made of ice.

  • E) a mixture of rock and ice, with the rock fraction increasing with distance from Jupiter.

Explanation

Question 57 of 70

1

57) Why are there no impact craters on the surface of Io?

Select one of the following:

  • A) Any craters that existed have been eroded through the strong winds on Io's surface.

  • B) Io did have impact craters but they have all been buried in lava flows.

  • C) Jupiter's strong gravity attracted the planetesimals more strongly than Io and thus none landed on its surface.

  • D) It is too small to have been bombarded by planetesimals in the early solar system.

  • E) Io's thick atmosphere obscures the view of the craters.

Explanation

Question 58 of 70

1

58) Which moon has the most substantial atmosphere?

Select one of the following:

  • A) Mimas

  • B) Europa

  • C) Io

  • D) Ganymede

  • E) Titan

Explanation

Question 59 of 70

1

59) How thick are Saturn's rings from top to bottom?

Select one of the following:

  • A) a few tens of thousands of kilometers

  • B) a few tens of meters

  • C) a few million kilometers

  • D) a few kilometers

  • E) a few hundred kilometers

Explanation

Question 60 of 70

1

60) Which is closest to the average distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt?

Select one of the following:

  • A) 10 thousand km

  • B) 1 million km

  • C) 10 million km

  • D) 100 thousand km

  • E) 1 thousand km

Explanation

Question 61 of 70

1

Why isn't there a planet where the asteroid belt is located?

Select one of the following:

  • A) There was too much rocky material to form a terrestrial planet, but not enough gaseous material to form a jovian planet.

  • B) There was not enough material in this part of the solar nebula to form a planet.

  • C) Gravitational tugs from Jupiter prevented material from collecting together to form a planet.

  • D) The temperature in this portion of the solar nebula was just right to prevent
    rock from sticking together.

  • E) A planet once formed here, but it was broken apart by a catastrophic collision.

Explanation

Question 62 of 70

1

62) What do we call a small piece of solar system debris found on Earth?

Select one of the following:

  • A) meteorite

  • B) solar system debris

  • C) cometary fragment

  • D) meteoroid

  • E) meteor

Explanation

Question 63 of 70

1

63) Halley's comet is named after the English scientist Edmund Halley because he

Select one of the following:

  • A) discovered it.

  • B) was the most famous astronomer in England during its appearance.

  • C) calculated its orbit and predicted that it would return in 1758.

  • D) was the first to see it in 1682.

  • E) was the first to publish pictures of it and report it to the International
    Astronomical Union (IAU).

Explanation

Question 64 of 70

1

64) What part of a comet points most directly away from the Sun?

Select one of the following:

  • A) the nucleus

  • B) the jets of gas

  • C) the dust tail

  • D) the coma

  • E) the plasma tail

Explanation

Question 65 of 70

1

65) The core of the Sun is

Select one of the following:

  • A) composed of iron.

  • B) at the same temperature and density as the surface.

  • C) at the same temperature but denser than the surface.

  • D) hotter and denser than the surface.

  • E) constantly rising to the surface through convection.

Explanation

Question 66 of 70

1

66) What two forces are balanced in what we call gravitational equilibrium?

Select one of the following:

  • A) the strong force and gravity

  • B) outward pressure and the strong force

  • C) the electromagnetic force and gravity

  • D) outward pressure and gravity

  • E) the strong force and kinetic energy

Explanation

Question 67 of 70

1

67) What is the average temperature of the surface of the Sun?

Select one of the following:

  • A) 10,000 K

  • B) 1,000 K

  • C) 1 million K

  • D) 6,000 K

  • E) 100,000 K

Explanation

Question 68 of 70

1

68) Which layer of the Sun do we normally see?

Select one of the following:

  • A) chromosphere

  • B) convection zone

  • C) photosphere

  • D) corona

  • E) radiation zone

Explanation

Question 69 of 70

1

69) At the center of the Sun, fusion converts hydrogen into

Select one of the following:

  • A) radiation and elements like carbon and nitrogen.

  • B) radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium.

  • C) plasma.

  • D) helium, energy, and neutrinos.

  • E) hydrogen compounds.

Explanation

Question 70 of 70

1

70) What is granulation in the Sun?

Select one of the following:

  • A) the bubbling pattern on the photosphere produced by the underlying convection

  • B) another name for the way sunspots look on the surface of the Sun

  • C) elements in the Sun other than hydrogen and helium

  • D) lumps of denser material in the Sun

  • E) dust particles in the Sun that haven't been turned into plasma

Explanation