Quiz
Astronomy 103 Exam 3
Questions in this quiz (48)
1As the universe cooled shortly after the Big Bang, which was the first fundamental force to separate itself out from the others?
- AElectromagnetism
- BGravity
- CThe nuclear force
- DThe strong force
- EThe weak force
2The ability for one generation to pass on its characteristics to future generations is known as:
- ALuck
- BMutations
- CHeredity
- DSelf-replication
- EDuplication
3Which of the following Solar Systems objects is NOT a good candidate for future searches for life?
- AMars, because it once had liquid water on the surface
- BJupiter's moon Europa, because it appears to have liquid water under its frozen surface
- CSaturn's moon Titan, because it has an atmosphere containing many organic molecules
- DPluto, because a large portion of it is made of water ice.
- ESaturn's moon Enceladus, because its cryovolcanoes indicate that it has liquid water under the surface
4Why was a comet impact 65 million years ago a chance happening that benefited the evolution of humans?
- AIt deposited a significant amount of nitrogen into the Earth's atmosphere
- BIt led to an increase in global UV radiation, which killed off most of the forests and jungles
- CMammals got an evolutionary boost
- DPlant life began to decline
- EIt brought human DNA to Earth
5In 1952, chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia, methane, and hydrogen; in a closed container; zapped it with electrical sparks and found that:
- AThey could induce cold fusion to occur
- BThey could not induce any amino acids to form
- CSingle-celled microorganisms had been spontaneously created
- DThey had created many of the amino acids contained in DNA
- EThey created life in a test tube
6Why could life not have existed on land any earlier than 475 million years ago?
- AThe temperature was too high
- BThere was too little sunlight
- CThere was too little oxygen in the atmosphere
- DEarth was covered in erupting volcanoes
- EThere was no land because Earth was covered in water
7Which of the following is a likely source of the energy needed to create the first life of Earth?
- ALand volcanoes
- BAsteroid impacts
- CLightning
- DFire
- EEarthquakes
8What do astronomers mean when they say that the Sun makes energy by hydrogen burning?
- AThe Sun is combusting hydrogen in a fire and releasing energy
- BThe Sun is fusing hydrogen into uranium and releasing energy
- CThe Sun is made of mostly hydrogen at very high temperature
- DThe Sun is fusion hydrogen into helium and releasing energy
- EThe Sun is accumulating hydrogen from the solar wind and releasing energy
9When two atomic nuclei come together to form a new species of atom, this is called:
- ANuclear fission
- BNuclear recombination
- CNuclear splitting
- DNuclear fusion
- EIonization
10If the core of the Sun were hotter than it is now, how would the Sun's energy production change?
- AIt would produce less energy per second than it does now
- BIt would produce more energy per second than it does now
- CIts energy production would vary more than it does now
- DIts energy production would be more stable than it is now
- EThe Sun's energy production would not change.
11The energy that fuels the Sun is generated:
- AOnly on its surface
- BOnly in its core
- COnly in the solar wind
- DBoth in its core and on its surface
- EBy plugging into the wall socket
12The detection of solar neutrinos confirms that:
- AThe Sun's core is powered by proton-proton fusion
- BEnergy transport by radiation occurs throughout much of the solar interior
- CMagnetic fields are responsible for surface activity on the Sun
- DConvection churns the base of the solar atmosphere
- ESunspots are cooler than the rest of the photosphere
13Sunspots appear dark because they have _____ then the surrounding gas.
- AHigher densities
- BLower densities
- CHigher pressures
- DLower temperatures
- EHigher temperatures
14Which of the following are created by solar magnetic activity?
- ASunspots
- BProminences
- CCoronal mass ejections
- DSolar flares
- EAll of the above
15The darkest part of a sunspots is called the:
- APenumbra
- BUmbra
- CGranule
- DPhotosphere
- EMagnetic field
16If you observe a maximum number of sunspots right now, how long would you have to wait to see the next solar maximum?
- A24 hours
- B6 months
- C1 year
- D11 years
- E22 years
17Most asteroids are located between the orbits of:
- AEarth and Mars
- BMars and Jupiter
- CJupiter and Saturn
- DNeptune and Pluto
- EThe Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud
18The mass of all the known asteroids combined is approximately equal to:
- AHalf the mass of Earth
- BThree times the mass of Earth
- CTwice the mass of Mars
- DThe mass of Mars
- EOne-third the mass of the Moon
19Most asteroids are closest in shape to:
- AA potato
- BA banana
- CA hot dog
- DA stick
- EA baseball
20The one orbital characteristic both short- and long-period comets share is:
- AMostly prograde orbits
- BOrbits with completely random tilts
- CMostly retrograde orbits
- DOrbital periods longer than any planet
- EHighly eccentric orbits
21Comet Halley is unique because:
- AIt was the first comet whose return was predicted
- BIt is a member of the Jovian family, but has a retrograde orbit
- CIts period is less than a human lifetime
- DIt was successfully visited by a spacecraft
- EIt was the brightest comet ever observed by humans
22A large meteor shower will often occur once a year because:
- AEarth typically has one large volcanic eruption every year
- BThe Earth's orbit passes through the Apollo asteroid belt
- CThe comet-keeper has a good calendar
- DJupiter routinely disturbs the orbits of asteroids in the Jovian belt
- EThe Earth passes through the debris left behind by a specific comet
23In the early universe, when the Solar System had yet to be cleared of the debris out of which it formed, which type of object would have been most likely to deposit water onto Earth's surface?
- AComets
- BAsteroids
- CA Mars-sized protoplanet
- DA rogue moon
- EA monsoon
24Meteor showers appear as if they are coming from one particular place in the sky because:
- AThat is the direction in which the comet is coming toward us
- BThat is the direction in which the comet is moving away from us
- CThat is the direction toward which Earth is traveling
- DThat is the direction Earth just passed
- EThat is the location in the sky from which the meteors originate
25Hydrostatic equilibrium is a balance between:
- AHeat and centrifugal force
- BCore temperature and surface temperature
- CPressure and gravity
- DRadiation and heat
- ECentrifugal force gravity
26The majority of the Sun's energy comes from:
- AGravitational contraction
- BNuclear fission of uranium
- CHydrogen fusion
- DHelium burning
- EBurning material as in a fire
27Jupiter and Saturn are composed primarily of:
- AHydrogen
- BHelium
- CWater
- DAmmonia
- ECarbon
28Which planet received the least amount of energy from the Sun?
- AJupiter
- BEarth
- CNeptune
- DSaturn
- EUranus
29Which of these observations would allow you to measure the mass of a planet?
- AThe planet's orbital period
- BThe planet's rotational period
- CThe planet's distance from the Sun
- DThe orbit of one of that planet's moons
- EThe planet's blood pressure
30Which of the giant planets was predicted to exist mathematically before it was ever seen through a telescope?
- AJupiter
- BSaturn
- CUranus
- DNeptune
31How is the atmosphere of Saturn similar to the atmosphere of Earth?
- AThey are both made of mostly hydrogen and helium
- BThey both create magnetic fields
- CThey both have jet streams and periods of stormy and calm weather
- DThey both rotate in less than 11 hours
- EThey both have a seamless transition between gas and liquid
32The Great Red Spot, Jupiter's most prominent storm system, has a diameter that is _____ times the Earth's diameter.
- ATwo
- BFive
- C10
- D50
- E100
33Why aren't all clouds on Jupiter white, like on Earth?
- AJupiter's clouds are made of methane
- BJupiter's clouds are made of carbon dioxide
- CThere are chemical impurities in the ice crystals in Jupiter's clouds
- DThe Sun is not as bright when views from Jupiter compared to what it looks like from Earth
- EFor the same reason that we see colors in rainbows on Earth
34Uranus and Neptune are bluish green in color because they contain large amounts of:
- AAmmonia
- BMethane
- CWater vapor
- DHydrocarbons
- EOxygen
35We refer to some of the inner regions of Jupiter and Saturn as metallic hydrogen because they:
- AAre as dense as lead
- BAre solid
- CProvide support for the upper layers of hydrogen and helium
- DEfficiently conduct electricity
- EAre found in the core like iron is found at the core of the Earth
36Who first discovered moons around a planet in our Solar System other than the Earth?
- ANewton
- BKepler
- CGalileo
- DHuygens
- EEinstein
37Which property of a moon might lead you to believe it was a captured asteroid?
- AIt is tidally locked
- BIts orbital axis is tilted by 5 degrees compared to the planet's rotational axis
- CIt rotates in the opposite direction than its planet rotates
- DIts surface is very smooth and lacks craters
- EIt is roughly the size of Earth's moon
38Assume that we discover a new moon of Jupiter. It orbits Jupiter at a large distance and in the opposite direction that Jupiter rotates. It is much smaller than than most of Jupiter's other moons and has a density close to that of Earth rocks. Therefore, this moon is most likely:
- AA regular moon that formed with Jupiter in the early solar system
- BAn irregular moon that is most likely a captured asteroid
- CAn irregular moon that is most likely a captured comet
- DAn irregular moon that is most likely a protoplanet which collided with Jupiter in the early solar system and then was caught in orbit by Jupiter's gravity
- EMore information is needed before any conclusion can be made
39Which of the following can be used as an indicator of the age of a moon's surface
- AColor of the surface
- BCrater density
- CVolcanic activity
- DRadioactive dating
- EAll of the above
40Io has the most volcanic activity in the Solar System because:
- AIt is continually being bombarded with material in Saturn's E ring
- BIt is one of the largest moons and its interior is heated by radioactive decays
- COf gravitational friction caused by the moon Enceladus
- DIts interior is tidally heated as it orbits around Jupiter
- EThe ice on the surface creates a large pressure on the water below
41Titan is high-priority candidate for the search for life outside Earth primarily because it has:
- ALiquid water
- BA dense atmosphere like Earth's
- CWarm temperatures
- DActive volcanoes
- EOrganic material
42Which of the following moons do scientists believe most closely represents the primordial Earth, although at a much lower temperature?
- ATitan
- BEuropa
- CCallisto
- DIo
- EGanymede
43Two years after first being observed, astronomers reported that Saturn's rings vanished. What happened to them?
- AThe old ring system dissipated, and since then a new one has formed
- BThe orbital plane of the rings was seen edge-on, and the rings were too thin to be visible
- CMost telescopes used hundreds of years ago couldn't adequately resolve the ring system
- DAstronomers were looking at the wrong planet, leading to the chance discovery of Uranus
- EThey were stolen by the wicked witch of the east
44Which of the giant planets does NOT have rings?
- AJupiter
- BSaturn
- CUranus
- DNeptune
- EAll of the giant planets have rings
45Extremophiles on Earth have been found:
- AIn the scalding waters of Yellowstone's hot springs
- BIn the bone-dry oxidizing environment of Chile's Atacama Desert
- CIn the Dead Sea
- DThe deep subsurface ice of the Antarctic ice sheet
- EAll of the above
46Pluto has a density that is roughly equal to two times that of:
- AA feather
- BWater
- CLead
- DA rock
- EAir
47Why is hydrogen burning the main energy source for main-sequence stars?
- AHydrogen is the most common element in stars
- BHydrogen nuclei have the smallest positive charge
- CHydrogen burning is the most efficient of all fusion or fission reations
- DHydrogen can fuse at temperatures lower than other elements
- EAll the above are valid reasons
48When astronomers refer to "heavy elements," which elements are they talking about?
- AAll elements
- BAll elements more massive than hydrogen
- CAll elements more massive than helium
- DAll elements more massive than carbon
- EAll elements more massive than iron
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- 104 Astronomy Quiz on Astronomy 103 Exam 3, created by Natalie Balzert on 05/05/2016.
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- Natalie Balzert
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- Created on 5 May 2016 · updated on 6 Apr 2018
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