Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
251 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The two planets with the highest eccentricities and orbital tilts are _______ and _______.
|
mecury and pluto
|
|
Asteroids and meteoroids are often _______ in composition, in contrast to comets, which are generally _______ in composition.
|
rocky
icy |
|
Most asteroids are found between the orbits of _______ and _______.
|
mars and jupiter
|
|
The Trojan asteroids share an orbit with _______.
|
Jupiter
|
|
Passage of a comet near the Sun may leave a _______ moving in the comet’s orbit.
|
meteroid swarm
|
|
When a meteoroid, asteroid, or comet fragment enters Earth’s atmosphere, you see a _______.
|
meteor
|
|
The oldest meteorites are _______ years old.
|
4.6 billion
|
|
By the time planetesimals had formed, the accretion process was accelerated by the effect of ______
|
gravity
|
|
In the final stage of accretion, the largest protoplanets were able to attract large quantities of _______ from the solar nebula.
|
gas
|
|
Unlike the planetesimals that formed the terrestrial planets, those that formed the jovian planets were made up of _______ material.
|
icy
|
|
The reason the planetesimals of the asteroid belt did not form a larger object was probably the gravitational influence of _______.
|
Jupiter
|
|
Name three differences between terrestrial and jovian planets.
|
Terrestial planets are close to the sun, smaller. Jovian planets are large, at times have rings, and far away from sun
|
|
Why are asteroids and meteoroids important to planetary scientists?
|
so they can understand formation of the universe
|
|
Do all asteroid orbits lie between Mars and Jupiter?
|
no
|
|
What are comets like when they are far from the Sun? What happens when they enter the inner solar system?
|
comets far away have no light, have no coma, start to sublimate near the sun
|
|
What are the typical ingredients of a comet nucleus?
|
ice and rock
|
|
what is a meteor?
|
in earth's atomosphere
|
|
what is a meteroid?
|
it is in the air
|
|
what is a meteroite?
|
it has already hit earth
|
|
What causes a meteor shower?
|
earth passing through the orbit of a comet
|
|
What do meteorites reveal about the age of the solar system?
|
it's about 4.2 million years old
|
|
Why are the jovian planets so much larger than the terrestrial planets?
|
low gravity, higher temperature
|
|
How did the temperature at various locations in the solar nebula determine planetary composition?
|
it diffuses particles
|
|
Where did Earth’s water come from?
|
collision of numerous comet like planetismals, injected into solar system through an interaction with jovian planets
|
|
1. Accretion occurred faster in the inner part of the solar system than in the outer regions. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
2. All planets have moons. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
3. Asteroids were recently formed by the breakup of a planet orbiting in the asteroid belt. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Comet tails always lie along the comets orbit. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Comets are the sources of meteor showers. a. True b. False
|
true
|
|
Most comets have short periods and orbit close to the ecliptic plane. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Most planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane as Earth. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
The direction of planetary revolution is the same as the direction of the Suns rotation.
a. True b. False |
a. true
|
|
The Kuiper Belt is another name for the asteroid belt. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The largest planets also have the highest densities. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
The solar system is highly differentiated. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
As spinning objects contract, they:
a. spin faster b. spin slower c. spinat the same rate d. stop spinning |
a. spin faster
|
|
If astronomers standing on another star were using the Doppler "wobble" method to detect planets around our sun, which planet would be easiest to find?
a. Pluto b. Earth c. Mercury d. Jupiter |
d. Jupiter
|
|
Planetary alignments, in which the planets orbit into a line with the sun, cause ___ on the earth:
a. magnetic pole flips b. earthquakes and resultant tidal waves c. mass extinctions d. all of the above e. none of the above |
e. none of the above
|
|
The most heavily cratered, and thus the oldest surface, of the terrestrial planets is:
a. Mars b. Earth c. Venus d. Mercury |
d. Mercury
|
|
Which of the following large meteorite impact craters is in the United States, five hours' drive from Albuquerque:
a. Barringer Crater b. Manicouagan Reservoir c. Chicxulub d. Tunguska |
a. Baringer Crate
|
|
6. Which of the following is not a way in which the terrestrial and jovian planets differ?
a. The terrestrial worlds are small and dense, while the jovian worlds are large and gaseous. b. The terrestrial worlds have few or no moons, while the jovian worlds have many moons. c. The jovian planets have orbits that are highly inclined to the ecliptic and do not revolve in the same direction as the terrestrial planets. d. The terrestrial planets that do have atmospheres have ones made of heavier compounds in general than the atmospheres of the jovian planets. e. The orbits of the terrestrial worlds are relatively close together, while the orbits of the jovian worlds are far apart. |
c. The jovian planets have orbits that are highly inclined to the ecliptic and do not revolve in the same direction as the terrestrial planets.
|
|
What is the most important defining property of the Trojan asteroids?
a. They have orbits that are large even compared to the orbit of Pluto. b. They have orbits that cross the orbit of Earth. c. They have a composition that is the most primitive of all asteroids. d. They have a composition that is metallic and rocky, indicating they originated from a differentiated body. e. They orbit the Sun in the same path as Jupiter and 60 degrees ahead of or behind it. |
e. They orbit the Sun in the same path as Jupiter and 60 degrees ahead of or behind it.
|
|
The ingredients of a typical comet's nucleus are most likely _____.
a. dust and rocky particles trapped in methane, ammonia, and water ice b. carbon monoxide, liquid nitrogen, silicon gas, and sodium metal c. metallic hydrogen with methane and ammonia ices, and rocks d. sulfur, ammonia, alcohol, and liquid carbon dioxide e. iron particles covered by liquid water, methane, and liquid hydrogen |
a. dust and rocky particles trapped in methane, ammonia, and water ice
|
|
Which of the following characterizes the Kuiper Belt?
a. It is a stable region just ahead of Jupiter in its orbit. b. It is a disk like region between the outer planets and the Oort cloud. c. It lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. d. It is up to 100,000 astronomical units in size and spherical in shape. e. It is the region occupied by the Earth-crossing Apollo asteroids. |
b. It is a disk like region between the outer planets and the Oort cloud.
|
|
Which of the following names applies to a bright streak produced when a fragment of interplanetary debris plunges through the atmosphere?
a. meteoroid b. meteor c. meteorite d. comet e. aurora |
b. meteor
|
|
What is the approximate age of the solar system according to the best available scientific evidence?
a. 5000 years b. 500,000 years c. 2.3 million years d. 4.6 billion years e. 10 to 15 billion years |
d. 4.6 billion years
|
|
How much time after the beginning of solar system formation would have been required to form the main planets, according to present mathematical modeling?
a. 100 million years b. 1 billion years c. 2 billion years d. 3 billion years e. 4 billion years |
a. 100 million years
|
|
From what characteristic or quantity are the names of meteor showers derived?
a. From the number of meteors per hour that are observed. b. From the time of year at which they occur. c. From the parent comet or meteor that produces the debris. d. From the constellation that contains the apparent point in space from which they appear to radiate. e. Meteor showers are not named since they do not tend to repeat at regular intervals, but occur randomly from time to time. |
e. Meteor showers are not named since they do not tend to repeat at regular intervals, but occur randomly from time to time.
|
|
What are terrestial planets?
|
four inner planets, terrestial derives from the words latin "earth" and "land"
Mercury Venus Mars and Earth |
|
what are the jovian planets?
|
the four most outer planets
Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune |
|
What are asteroids and meteroids?
|
fragments of rocky material, somewhat similar in composition to the outer layers of the terrestial planets
|
|
what are comets?
|
predominantly icry rather than rocky in composition
|
|
Where are the vast majority of asteroids found?
|
in the asteroid belt
|
|
what are earth-crossing asteroids?
|
asteroids that move on orbits that intersect with earth's orbit
|
|
what is the nucleus of a comet?
|
the main solid body of a comet that is only a few kilometers in diameter
|
|
what is a coma?
|
when the icy surface of a comet becomes too hot and diffuses around the nucleus of a comet to form a cloud
|
|
what is the hydrogen envelope?
|
an invisible space that streches across millions of kilometers of space engulfing the comet's coma
|
|
what is an ion tail?
|
it is an approminately straight, often made of glowing, linear streamers
|
|
what is a dust tail?
|
is usually broad, diffuse, and gently curved. rich in microscopic dust particles that rflect sunlight, making the tail viisible from afar
|
|
what is a solar wind?
|
an invisible stream of matter and radiation escaping from the sun.
|
|
what is the Kuiper belt?
|
a place that astronomers blieve short period comets originate beyond the oribt of Neptune, in a region of the outer solar system
|
|
what is an Oort cloud?
|
named after Durch astronomer Jan Oort. a huge cloud of comets lying far beyond the orbit of Pluto
|
|
what is a meteor?
|
a sudden streak of light in the night sky caused by friction between the earth's atomposhere and incoimng piece of asterioid
|
|
what is a meteorite?
|
any piece of interplanetary debris that survives the fiery passage through our atmosphere
|
|
what is a meteroid swarm?
|
fragments that intially travel in tightly knit group of dust or pebble sized objects
|
|
what are micrometeroid?
|
meteorioids that parent the comet's tail
|
|
what are extrasolar planets?
|
planets orbiting stars other than the sun
|
|
what is a nebula?
|
a large cloud of interstellar dust and gas
|
|
what is a solar nebula?
|
swirling mass destined to become our solar system
|
|
what is a nebular theory?
|
idea that planets form from the solar nebula
|
|
what is the condensation theory?
|
rests solely on old nebular theory combinign its basic physical reasoning with new information about interstellar chemistry
|
|
what is accretion?
|
the gradual growth of small objects by collision and sticking
|
|
what are planetismals?
|
objects the size of small moons, having gravitational fields strong enough to sweep up mateial that would otherwise not of colldiing with them
|
|
what are protoplanets?
|
accumulations of matter that would evenutally evolve into the planets we know today
|
|
what is fragmentation?
|
collisions that broke into small chuncks
|
|
what is a protosun?
|
the first formation of our sun
|
|
what is selection effect?
|
lightweight planets, or planets far from their parent stars, simply don'y produce large enough velocity fluctuations to be detectable
|
|
what is surface gravity?
|
strength of the gravitational force at the body's surface
|
|
what is the escape speed?
|
sppreed required for any object--an atom, a baseball, a spaceship-- to escape forever from the body's graviational pull
|
|
what is the mantle?
|
the space between outer core and crust
|
|
what is the crust
|
the surface of earth
|
|
what is the hydrosphere?
|
comprises of rivers, lakes and the liquid oceans
|
|
what is an atmosphere?
|
the air that lies above the surface
|
|
what is a magnetosphere?
|
a zone of charged particles trapped by out planet's magnetic field
|
|
what are tides?
|
a familar daily fluctuation in ocean levels
|
|
what is a tidal bulge?
|
a strecthcing along the earth and moon that produces a 3% deformoration
|
|
what is a tidal force?
|
the variation of the mon's gravity across eath is an example of differntial foce
|
|
what is synchronous orbit?
|
the rotation period of a body is precisely equal to its orbital period around another body
|
|
what is troposphere?
|
the region below about 12 km of the atmosphere
|
|
what is the stratosphere?
|
extends up to an altitutde of 40-50km in atmosphere
|
|
what is a mesphere?
|
between 50-80 km in atmosphere
|
|
what is ionosphere?
|
above 80 km in atomphere
|
|
what is convection?
|
the contrast of upwlling of warm air and concurrent downward flow of cooler air to take its place
|
|
what is the ozone layer?
|
where incoming solar ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by atmospheric oxygen, ozone, and nitrogen
|
|
what is the greenhouse effect?
|
partial trapping of solar radiation
|
|
what is an earthquake?
|
causes our planet to vibrate a little
|
|
what are seismc waves?
|
move outward from site of quake
|
|
how do we get the distance of the outercore and innercore
|
from seismic waves
|
|
what is the distance of the outer core?
|
3500 km
|
|
what is the distance of the inner core?
|
1300km
|
|
what is differentiation?
|
the variation in density and compositon
|
|
what is radioactivity?
|
the release of energy by certain unstable elements, such as uranium and thorium
|
|
what is plate tectonics?
|
technical term of the plates
|
|
what is maria?
|
means "seas", ussed to describe certain parts of the moon that Galileo thought were seas
|
|
what are highlands?
|
the place original astronomers thought were continents, but are actually just the flat plains of the moon
|
|
what are the Van Allen belts?
|
zones within the magnetosphere
|
|
what is an aurora?
|
the collisions of air molecules within the magnetosphere that createa a light show
|
|
what is intercrater plains?
|
result of meteoric bomaadment which are extensive
|
|
what is a scarp?
|
a cliff that does not appear to be result of volcanic acticity
|
|
what are sheild volcanoes?
|
built up over long periods of time by sucessful eruptions and lava flows
|
|
what are coronae?
|
largest structures on venus that are huge and roughly circular
|
|
what are runoff channels?
|
interconnected old water rivers on Mars
|
|
what are outflow channels?
|
not interconnected water things that indicate there were floods on mars
|
|
what is permafrost?
|
a layer of water ice lying just below our planet's surfeace, much like that found in artic regions
|
|
what is a secondary atomphere?
|
results from the planets release of interior energy called outgassing
|
|
what is a primary atimphereshere?
|
consists of light gasses most common in early solar system? hydrogen, helium, methane, ammonia and water vapor
|
|
what is a runaway greenhouse effect?
|
the idea that all the oceans could evaporate due to higher heat from sun, causing more carbon dioxide in atomosphere
|
|
Of Earth’s crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core, which layer is the thinnest?
|
crust
|
|
Earth is unique among the planets in that it has _______ on its surface.
|
liquid water
|
|
The tidal force is due to the _______ in the gravitational force from one side of Earth to the other.
|
variation
|
|
The _______ on the Moon are dark, flat, roughly circular regions hundreds of kilometers in diameter.
|
maria
|
|
Craters on the Moon are primarily caused by _______.
|
meteoric impact
|
|
The lunar maria’s dark, dense rock originally was part of the _______ of the Moon.
|
mantle
|
|
Earth’s atmosphere is 78 percent _______ and 21 percent _______.
|
nitrogen
oxygen |
|
The troposphere is where the process called _______ occurs.
|
convention
|
|
An increase in the level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere would _______ our planet’s temperature.
|
increase
|
|
When trapped electrons and protons from the magnetosphere eventually collide with the upper atmosphere, they produce an _______.
|
auroa
|
|
Observations of seismic waves imply that Earth’s inner core is _______ and the outer core is _______.
|
liquid
solid |
|
For differentiation to have occurred, Earth’s interior must, at some time in the past, have been largely _______.
|
molten
|
|
Explain how the Moon produces tides in Earth’s oceans.
|
moon pulls on the oceans
|
|
In contrast to Earth, the Moon undergoes extremes in temperature. Why
|
due to the moon's lack of atomposphere
|
|
Use the concept of escape speed to explain why the Moon has no atmosphere.
|
moon has low mass and low escape speed
|
|
What is the greenhouse effect? Is the greenhouse effect operating in Earth’s atmosphere helpful or harmful? What are the consequences of an enhanced greenhouse effect?
|
heating of the earth
yes it is harmful could result in global warming |
|
Give two reasons geologists believe that part of Earth’s core is liquid.
|
seismic waves travel through liquid rock
|
|
What process is responsible for the surface mountains, oceanic trenches, and other large-scale features on Earth’s surface?
|
plate tentonics
|
|
What is the primary source of erosion on the Moon? Why is the average rate of lunar erosion so much less than on Earth?
|
cratering, also the earth has no water or wind erosion
|
|
Describe the theory of the Moon’s origin currently favored by many astronomers.
|
mars sized body struck the earth
|
|
Eventually, one side of Earth will never see the moon. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Hooks and slices are curved shots in golf that are caused by differences in air pressure on opposite sides of the ball. Thus, astronauts who hit golf balls on the moon always hit the balls: a. to the left b. to the right c. straight
|
c. straight
|
|
The "dark" side of the moon is always dark. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The highest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundi, Nova Scotia, Canada. Changes in the height of the ocean's surface there can exceed 40 feet in the course of a day. These tides are caused by:
a. the rotation of Earth's core b. plate tectonics c. wind in Earth's atmosphere d. the gravitational pull of the Moon |
d. the gravitational pull of the Moon
|
|
The surface of the Moon has tides (the ground swells up and down) twice a day similarly to Earth's oceans and surface. a. True b. False
6. Turbulence can occur when an airliner flies in the: a. ionosphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. troposphere |
d. troposphere
|
|
Because of the tidal forces, the Moon is in a synchronous orbit around Earth. a. True
b. False |
a. True
|
|
Because of the tides, Earths rotation rate is increasing. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Earths atmosphere is composed primarily of oxygen. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Earths magnetic field is the result of our planets large, permanently magnetized iron core. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Like Earth, the Moon has a liquid metal core. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Lunar maria are extensive lava-flow regions. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
13. Samples of Earths core are available from volcanos. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The average density of Earth is less than the density of water. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The Moon has a weak magnetic field. a. True b. false
|
b. false
|
|
The Moon has no detectable atmosphere. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
There is one high tide and one low tide per day at any given coastal location on Earth. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Volcanic activity continues today on the surface of the Moon. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Water vapor and nitrogen are the primary greenhouse gases in Earths atmosphere. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Mercury's iron core contains a _______ fraction of the planet's mass than does Earth's core.
|
larger (1/4?)
|
|
2. Mercury's rate of rotation was first measured using _______.
|
radar
|
|
Although Mercury's daytime temperatures are always very hot, it may still be possible for the planet to have sheets of water ice at its _______.
|
poles
|
|
Mercury's _______ is about 1/100 that of Earth and was originally thought not to exist at all.
|
magnetic field
|
|
Venus's rotation is unusual because it is _______.
|
slow and retrograde
|
|
The most abundant gas in the atmosphere of Venus is _______.
|
carbon dioxide
|
|
The runaway greenhouse gas in the atmosphere of Venus is _______.
|
carbon dioxide
|
|
The surface of Venus has been mapped using _______.
|
radar
|
|
the surface of Venus appears to have been resurfaced by _______ every few hundred million years.
|
volcanism
|
|
The main difficulties in using landers to study Venus's surface are the planet's extremely high _______ and _______.
|
temperature
atmospheric pressure |
|
The southern hemisphere of Mars consists of heavily _______ highlands.
|
cratered
|
|
The Tharsis region of Mars is a large equitorial _______.
|
bulge
|
|
The great height of Martian volcanoes is a direct result of the planet's low _______.
|
gravity
|
|
The flowing-liquid appearance of the ejecta surrounding Martian impact craters is evidence of a layer of _______ just under the surface.
|
water ice
|
|
. Runoff channels on Mars carried _______ from the southern mountains into the valleys.
|
ice
|
|
In contrast to Earth, Mercury undergoes extremes in temperature. Why?
|
due to lack of atmosphere
|
|
What do Mercury's magnetic field and large average density imply about the planet's interior?
|
it is a high density
|
|
Why does Venus appear so bright to the naked eye?
|
Venus is the third brightest planet, next to the sun and moon
|
|
Venus probably has a molten iron-rich core like Earth. Why doesn't it also have a magnetic field?
|
production of magnetic fields requires iron rich core and relatively rapid rate of rotation
|
|
What are the main constituents of Venus's atmosphere? What are clouds in the upper atmosphere made of?
|
96.5 carbon dioxide
3.5 nitrogen |
|
What is the runaway greenhouse effect, and how might it have altered the climate of Venus?
|
relates to Venus and evaporation of her oceans. it would happen on earth if there was more solar heating
|
|
Why is Mars red?
|
lots of iron oxide
|
|
What is the greenhouse effect? Is the greenhouse effect operating in Earth’s atmosphere helpful or harmful? What are the consequences of an enhanced greenhouse effect?
|
heating of the earth
yes it is harmful could result in global warming |
|
Give two reasons geologists believe that part of Earth’s core is liquid.
|
seismic waves travel through liquid rock
|
|
What process is responsible for the surface mountains, oceanic trenches, and other large-scale features on Earth’s surface?
|
plate tentonics
|
|
What is the primary source of erosion on the Moon? Why is the average rate of lunar erosion so much less than on Earth?
|
cratering, also the earth has no water or wind erosion
|
|
Describe the theory of the Moon’s origin currently favored by many astronomers.
|
mars sized body struck the earth
|
|
Eventually, one side of Earth will never see the moon. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Hooks and slices are curved shots in golf that are caused by differences in air pressure on opposite sides of the ball. Thus, astronauts who hit golf balls on the moon always hit the balls: a. to the left b. to the right c. straight
|
c. straight
|
|
The "dark" side of the moon is always dark. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The highest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundi, Nova Scotia, Canada. Changes in the height of the ocean's surface there can exceed 40 feet in the course of a day. These tides are caused by:
a. the rotation of Earth's core b. plate tectonics c. wind in Earth's atmosphere d. the gravitational pull of the Moon |
d. the gravitational pull of the Moon
|
|
The surface of the Moon has tides (the ground swells up and down) twice a day similarly to Earth's oceans and surface. a. True b. False
6. Turbulence can occur when an airliner flies in the: a. ionosphere b. mesosphere c. stratosphere d. troposphere |
d. troposphere
|
|
Because of the tidal forces, the Moon is in a synchronous orbit around Earth. a. True
b. False |
a. True
|
|
Because of the tides, Earths rotation rate is increasing. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Earths atmosphere is composed primarily of oxygen. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Earths magnetic field is the result of our planets large, permanently magnetized iron core. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Like Earth, the Moon has a liquid metal core. a. True b. False
|
b. False
|
|
Lunar maria are extensive lava-flow regions. a. True b. false
|
a. true
|
|
Samples of Earths core are available from volcanos. a. True b. false
|
b. false
|
|
The average density of Earth is less than the density of water. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
. The Moon has a weak magnetic field. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The Moon has no detectable atmosphere. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
There is one high tide and one low tide per day at any given coastal location on Earth. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Volcanic activity continues today on the surface of the Moon. a. True b.false
|
b. false
|
|
Water vapor and nitrogen are the primary greenhouse gases in Earths atmosphere. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Mercury's iron core contains a _______ fraction of the planet's mass than does Earth's core.
|
larger
|
|
Mercury's rate of rotation was first measured using _______.
|
radar
|
|
Although Mercury's daytime temperatures are always very hot, it may still be possible for the planet to have sheets of water ice at its _______.
|
poles
|
|
. Mercury's _______ is about 1/100 that of Earth and was originally thought not to exist at all.
|
magnetic field
|
|
Venus's rotation is unusual because it is _______.
|
slow and retrograde
|
|
The most abundant gas in the atmosphere of Venus is _______.
|
carbon dioxide
|
|
The runaway greenhouse gas in the atmosphere of Venus is _______.
|
carbon dioxide
|
|
The surface of Venus has been mapped using _______.
|
radar
|
|
the surface of Venus appears to have been resurfaced by _______ every few hundred million years.
|
volcanism
|
|
The main difficulties in using landers to study Venus's surface are the planet's extremely high _______ and _______.
|
temperature
atmospheric pressure |
|
The southern hemisphere of Mars consists of heavily _______ highlands.
|
cratered
|
|
The Tharsis region of Mars is a large equitorial _______.
|
bulge
|
|
The great height of Martian volcanoes is a direct result of the planet's low _______.
|
gravity
|
|
The flowing-liquid appearance of the ejecta surrounding Martian impact craters is evidence of a layer of _______ just under the surface.
|
water ice
|
|
Runoff channels on Mars carried _______ from the southern mountains into the valleys.
|
ice
|
|
In contrast to Earth, Mercury undergoes extremes in temperature. Why?
|
due to lack of atmosphere
|
|
What do Mercury's magnetic field and large average density imply about the planet's interior?
|
it has a high denisty
|
|
Why does Venus appear so bright to the naked eye?
|
Venus is third brightest star in the sky, rght next to sun and moon
|
|
Venus probably has a molten iron-rich core like Earth. Why doesn't it also have a magnetic field?
|
production of magnetic fields requires iron rich core and relatively rapid rate of rotation
|
|
What are the main constituents of Venus's atmosphere? What are clouds in the upper atmosphere made of?
|
96.5 carbon dioxide
3.5 nitrogen |
|
What is the runaway greenhouse effect, and how might it have altered the climate of Venus?
|
relates to Venus
|
|
Why is Mars red?
|
lots of iron oxide
|
|
What is the evidence that water once flowed on Mars?
|
river and stream channels
|
|
Why were Martian volcanoes able to become so large?
|
gravity on mars is 40% that of earth's
|
|
Given that Mars has an atmosphere and its composition is mostly carbon dioxide, why isn't there a significant greenhouse effect to warm its surface?
|
plenty of CO, jjust no atmosphere to get warmed by it
|
|
Relative to its size, the core of Mercury is ______ than that of Earth.
a. larger b. smaller c. denser d. hotter e. more magnetized |
a. larger
|
|
Which statement is not true about the polar caps of Mars?
a. They shrink and grow with the Mars seasons. b. They contain a residual cap, which remains frozen. c. They cause variations in the atmospheric pressure. d. They are both predominantly water ice, with a small amount of carbon dioxide. e. They store a large fraction of the gas that was once contained in the Mars atmosphere. |
.d. They are both predominantly water ice, with a small amount of carbon dioxide.
|
|
. The lack of a strong magnetic field on Venus is probably due in part to which of the following considerations?
a. its nearness to the Sun b. its thick atmosphere c. its solid core d. its slow overall rotation e. its high surface temperature |
d. its slow overall rotation
|
|
The surface of Mars shows which of the following principal characteristics?
a. Uniform equal cratering throughout the planet's surface. b. Two distinctly different regions with different cratering records and histories. c. No very old regions, only newly renewed surfaces. d. Many micrometeorite impacts that have erased previous surface features. e. A pattern of crustal wrinkles from localized interior plate tectonics. |
b. Two distinctly different regions with different cratering records and histories.
|
|
Which of the following is true about the planetary feature known as Olympus Mons?
a. It is a volcanic peak on Mars nearly as big across as Texas. b. It is an island on Earth that projects above the ocean. c. It is a volcano on Venus that formed over a hot spot. d. It is an impact crater on Mercury that nearly shattered the planet. e. It was formed by slow erosion of the surrounding material |
. It is a volcanic peak on Mars nearly as big across as Texas.
|
|
Mars has a distinctive reddish surface primarily because of _____.
a. dust storms that redden the light scattered by the Sun from its surface b. iron oxide due to a process on its surface that formed rust c. sulfuric acid that etched a reddish color into its surface rocks d. a thick atmosphere that causes the blue light to be absorbed e. ancient volcanic flows that poured out vast amounts of red lava on the surface |
b. iron oxide due to a process on its surface that formed rust
|
|
Lava flows are common on the surface of Venus. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Mercury has nighttime low temperatures of 100 K, well below the freezing point of water. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Mercury has no detectable atmosphere. a. True b. false
|
a. true
|
|
Mercury’s solar day is longer than its solar year. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
Numerous surface features on Venus can be seen from Earth-based observations made in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Some volcanic activity continues today on the surface of Mercury. a. True b.
|
b. false
|
|
The average surface temperature of Venus is about 250 K. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The northern hemisphere of Mars is much older than the southern hemisphere.
a. True b. False |
b. false
|
|
The orange-red color of the surface of Mars is primarily due to rust (iron oxide) in its soil. a. True b. False
|
a. true
|
|
There are many indications of plate tectonics on Mars. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
There is strong circumstantial evidence that active volcanism continues on Venus.
a. True b. False |
a. true
|
|
Valles Marineris is similar in size to Earths Grand Canyon. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
Venus has a magnetic field similar to that of Earth. a. True b. False
|
b. false
|
|
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is estimated to be how big?
|
10 kn in size
|
|
How much mass does Haley's comet lose each orbit?
|
100 billion kilograms per orbit is lost
|
|
How many extra solar planets have been discovered as to date?
|
210 planets
|
|
How far away was the moon when 1st formed?
|
14000 miles
|
|
How many example of ricotech craters happened on the moon?
|
1
|
|
How many reversals of the earth's magnetic field has been recorded?
|
an average of about 1000
|