ASTR 102 Chapter 3: The Science of Astronomy – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
People of central Africa predicted the weather by A) recording the seasonal changes in average temperature. B) observing the path of the planets across the sky. C) observing the length of the lunar cycle. D) observing the orientation of the crescent Moon relative to the horizon. E) observing the location of the Moon relative to the Sun in the sky.
answer
D) observing the orientation of the crescent Moon relative to the horizon.
question
The names of the seven days of the week are based on the A) seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations. B) seven planets closest to the Sun. C) seven brightest stars in the prominent constellation Orion. D) most popular Norse gods. E) seven largest constellations of the ancient world.
answer
A) seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations.
question
Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case? A) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. B) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. C) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination. D) The discovery that Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. E) A week would have eight days instead of seven.
answer
E) A week would have eight days instead of seven.
question
Compared with the standard hour of 60 minutes used today, the hour of ancient Egypt A) was longer than the hour used today. B) was shorter than the hour used today. C) differed in length depending on the pharaoh in power at the time. D) was longer than 60 minutes in the summer and shorter than 60 minutes in the winter. E) divided the entire day into 12 equal parts.
answer
D) was longer than 60 minutes in the summer and shorter than 60 minutes in the winter.
question
In order to tell time at night, the ancient Egyptians of 3000 B.C. used A) sundials, with light provided by the Moon. B) water clocks, measuring the flow of water through an opening. C) hourglasses, measuring the flow of sand through an opening. D) Moon clocks, which measured time based on the Moon's position relative to the stars. E) star clocks, which measured time based on the positions of stars at particular times of night and particular times of year.
answer
E) star clocks, which measured time based on the positions of stars at particular times of night and particular times of year.
question
Historians trace the origins of a 24-hour day to A) the druids of Stonehenge. B) the ancient Egyptians. C) the Mayans. D) the Aztecs. E) the Babylonian astronomer, Meton.
answer
B) the ancient Egyptians.
question
What do the structures of Stonehenge, the Templo Mayor, the Sun Dagger, and the Big Horn Medicine Wheel all have in common? A) They were all places used for religious sacrifice. B) They were all built on the orders of ancient Mediterranean kings. C) They all can be used as lunar calendars. D) They were all used by ancient peoples for astronomical observations. E) all of the above
answer
D) They were all used by ancient peoples for astronomical observations.
question
At the Sun Dagger in New Mexico, a dagger-shaped beam of sunlight pierces a spiral A) every day at noon. B) at noon on the summer solstice. C) at sunset on the spring equinox. D) at noon on the day of full Moon each month. E) during the totality of a total solar eclipse.
answer
B) at noon on the summer solstice.
question
The Muslim fast of Ramadan occurs A) on the summer solstice. B) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. C) on the spring equinox. D) during a thirteenth month of the Metonic cycle. E) at the end of the Metonic cycle.
answer
B) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle.
question
The Metonic cycle is the A) 29 1/2-day period of the lunar cycle. B) 12-month period of a lunar calendar. C) 19-year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates. D) 18-year, 11-day period over which the pattern of eclipses repeats. E) period between successive Easters.
answer
C) 19-year period over which the lunar phases occur on about the same dates.
question
The Jewish calendar is kept roughly synchronized with a solar calendar by A) adding a thirteenth lunar month to 7 out of every 19 years. B) having a thirteenth month with 5 days each year. C) skipping a month every 7 out of 19 years. D) having the first lunar month begin on the spring equinox. E) having the first lunar month begin on the summer solstice.
answer
A) adding a thirteenth lunar month to 7 out of every 19 years.
question
Which ancient culture had the greatest known success in predicting eclipses? A) Aztecs B) Mayans C) Egyptians D) Babylonians E) Greeks
answer
B) Mayans
question
By the late 1600s, science and technology in China fell behind that of Europe. Many historians believe that this happened because A) the Chinese stopped making careful observations of the skies. B) the Chinese did not keep good records of past observations. C) the Chinese never learned how to do experiments. D) a culture of secrecy discouraged broad collaborative efforts. E) many Chinese scientists fled to Europe.
answer
D) a culture of secrecy discouraged broad collaborative efforts.
question
The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world? A) Central and South America B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East C) North America D) China E) Southern Asia
answer
B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East
question
When and where did the Library of Alexandria exist? A) from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1800 in Greece B) from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1800 in Egypt C) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Rome D) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Greece E) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Egypt
answer
E) from 300 B.C. to A.D. 400 in Egypt
question
How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.? A) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse B) by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse C) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes D) by sending fleets of ships around Earth E) We don't know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed.
answer
C) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes
question
Which of the following statements about scientific models is true? A) A model tries to represent all aspects of nature. B) A model tries to represent only one aspect of nature. C) A model can be used to explain and predict real phenomena. D) All models that explain nature well are correct. E) All current models are correct.
answer
C) A model can be used to explain and predict real phenomena.
question
Ptolemy was important in the history of astronomy because he A) developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries. B) developed a scientifically accurate model of the universe. C) was the first to believe in an Earth-centered universe. D) was the first to create a model of the solar system that placed the Sun rather than Earth at the center. E) was the first to believe that all orbits are perfect circles.
answer
A) developed a model of the solar system that made sufficiently accurate predictions of planetary positions to remain in use for many centuries.
question
When did Ptolemy live? A) about 5000 years ago B) about 2000 years ago C) about 1000 years ago D) about 500 years ago E) about 100 years ago
answer
B) about 2000 years ago
question
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) It held that sometimes the planets moved backward along their circular orbits. B) It placed the Sun at the center so that the planets' apparent retrograde motion was seen as Earth passed each one in its orbit. C) It varied the motion of the celestial sphere so that it sometimes moved backward. D) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Sun. E) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth.
answer
E) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth.
question
Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe? A) to explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac B) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky C) to explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax D) to properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth E) to explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth
answer
B) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky
question
Where was the Sun in Ptolemy's model of the universe? A) at the center B) slightly offset from the center C) between Earth and the Moon's orbit D) between the orbits of Venus and Mars E) at the outer edge, beyond Saturn's orbit
answer
D) between the orbits of Venus and Mars
question
During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in A) Baghdad. B) Greece. C) Rome. D) India. E) China.
answer
A) Baghdad.
question
The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
answer
B) Copernicus
question
He developed a system for predicting planetary positions that remained in use for some 1,500 years. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
answer
E) Ptolemy
question
He was the first to prove that comets lie beyond Earth's atmosphere. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Aristotle
answer
A) Tycho Brahe
question
He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
answer
C) Kepler
question
He discovered that Jupiter has moons. A) Tycho Brahe B) Aristotle C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
answer
D) Galileo
question
He discovered what we now call Newton's first law of motion. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
answer
D) Galileo
question
When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? A) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. B) Copernicus misjudged the speeds at which the planets orbit the Sun. C) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth. E) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets.
answer
E) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets.
question
When did Copernicus live? A) about 5000 years ago B) about 2000 years ago C) about 1000 years ago D) about 500 years ago E) about 100 years ago
answer
D) about 500 years ago
question
Which of the following was not observed by Galileo? A) craters on the Moon B) stellar parallax C) sunspots D) Jupiter's moons E) phases of Venus
answer
B) stellar parallax
question
One of the "nails in the coffin" for Earth-centered universe was A) the retrograde motion of the planets. B) the phases of the Moon. C) eclipses of the Sun. D) Galileo's observation of stars in the Milky Way. E) Galileo's observations of the moons of Jupiter.
answer
E) Galileo's observations of the moons of Jupiter.
question
When we see Venus in its full phase, what phase would Earth be in as seen by a hypothetical Venetian? A) full B) new C) first quarter D) third quarter E) waning crescent
answer
A) full
question
Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler's laws? A) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. B) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. C) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. D) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. E) More distant planets move at slower speeds.
answer
C) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers.
question
Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. E) All of the above are correct.
answer
E) All of the above are correct.
question
From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of A) 1/2 Earth year. B) 1 Earth year. C) 2 Earth years. D) more than 2 Earth years. E) It depends on the planet's mass.
answer
D) more than 2 Earth years.
question
From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to A) 2 astronomical units. B) 4 astronomical units. C) 8 astronomical units. D) 16 astronomical units. E) It depends on the asteroid's mass.
answer
B) 4 astronomical units.
question
Kepler's second law, which states that as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas in equal times, means that A) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. B) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. C) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. D) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. E) planets have circular orbits.
answer
A) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun.
question
All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law? A) Venus is more massive than Mercury. B) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. C) Venus is larger than Mercury. D) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury.
answer
B) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury.
question
What do scientists mean by verifiable observations? A) statements that a person can, in principle, verify for himself or herself B) statements that anyone would agree are obvious C) observations that can be interpreted in only one way D) observations that a model does not have to predict E) observations that support a scientific theory
answer
A) statements that a person can, in principle, verify for himself or herself
question
What is meant by a scientific paradigm? A) a conundrum or unexplained set of facts B) a radical change in scientific thought C) a generally well-established scientific theory or set of theories D) a pseudoscientific idea E) a historical theory that has been proved inaccurate
answer
C) a generally well-established scientific theory or set of theories
question
What is meant by a hypothesis? A) a natural phenomenon that requires explanation B) an explanation for a phenomenon that makes a prediction C) a tentative understanding of a natural phenomenon D) a pseudoscientific idea E) a historical theory that has been proved inaccurate
answer
B) an explanation for a phenomenon that makes a prediction
question
What is meant by Occam's Razor? A) a well-designed experiment that clearly shows the differences between two competing theories B) a poorly designed experiment that fails to show the difference between two competing theories C) the idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with observations D) the fine line between science and pseudoscience E) the shaving implement of a medieval scholar
answer
C) the idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with
question
Which of the following statements about scientific theories is not true? A) A theory cannot be taken seriously by scientists if it contradicts other theories developed by scientists over the past several hundred years. B) A theory is a model designed to explain a number of observed facts. C) If even a single new fact is discovered that contradicts what we expect according to a particular theory, then the theory must be revised or discarded. D) A theory must make predictions that can be checked by observation or experiment. E) A theory can never be proved beyond all doubt; we can only hope to collect more and more evidence that might support it.
answer
A) A theory cannot be taken seriously by scientists if it contradicts other theories developed by scientists
question
The ancient goal of astrology was to A) understand the origin of Earth. B) make a more accurate model of the universe. C) predict the passing of the seasons. D) predict human events. E) antagonize astronomers.
answer
D) predict human events.
question
he astrology practiced by those who cast predictive horoscopes can be tested by A) asking astrologers if it works. B) counting how many times the predictions come true. C) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance. D) polling people to find out what percentage believe their horoscopes to be accurate.
answer
C) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance.
question
Which of the following best explains the success of the central African rainfall-prediction technique of observing the waxing crescent Moon? A) When the Moon is aligned in a U-shape, it can hold more water, so there is more rain. When it is tilted, it can hold less, so the weather is drier. B) When the Moon is in Capricorn, there is always more tempestuous weather, while when in Pisces, it is just plain rainy. C) Clouds cover part of the Moon's surface, so the smaller the crescent, the more likely it is to rain. D) The Moon's orientation varies seasonally, and so does the weather.
answer
D) The Moon's orientation varies seasonally, and so does the weather.
question
Could acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery? A) No. If there is no plausible mechanism of action, then clearly acupuncture cannot be responsible for their healing. B) Yes. Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean the process does not occur. C) No. Acupuncture is not accepted by most medical doctors, therefore it isn't effective. D) Yes. If the patients got better, then the acupuncture must be effective.
answer
B) Yes. Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean the process does not occur.
question
Must acupuncture be responsible for the patients' recovery? A) No. Acupuncture may be responsible for the healing, or it may not. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. B) Yes. If the study was run by qualified M.D.s, then we should respect their findings that acupuncture cured these patients. C) No. Acupuncture is hippie, new age stuff, and is not respected by reputable doctors. D) Yes. The patients stated afterwards that they knew it had helped, and these people know their own bodies better than we do.
answer
A) No. Acupuncture may be responsible for the healing, or it may not. Correlation does not necessarily
question
Suppose the planet Uranus were much brighter in the sky, so that it was as easily visible to the naked eye as Jupiter or Saturn. Which one of the following statements would most likely be true in that case? A) A week would have eight days instead of seven. B) Its brightness would make it possible to read by starlight at night. C) Its gravity would cause the tides to be much higher than they actually are. D) The discovery that the Earth is a planet going around the Sun would have come hundreds of years earlier. E) Its slow motion through the sky would have led it to be named after the Goddess of Procrastination.
answer
A) A week would have eight days instead of seven.
question
How does a 12-month lunar calendar differ from our 12-month solar calendar? A) It has about 11 fewer days. B) It does not have seasons. C) Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1. D) It uses a 23-hour rather than a 24-hour day.
answer
A) It has about 11 fewer days.
question
Which of the following best describes a set of conditions under which archaeoastronomers would conclude that an ancient structure was used for astronomical purposes? A) The structure has holes in the ceiling that allow viewing the passage of constellations that figure prominently in the culture's folklore, and many other structures built by the same culture have ceiling holes placed in the same way. B) They find that, looking out from the center of the building, there are two windows that align with the rise and set points of two bright stars. C) The structure has 29 straight lines pointing out from a center, just like there are 29 days in the lunar cycle. D) The structure has the same dome shape as modern astronomical observatories.
answer
A) The structure has holes in the ceiling that allow viewing the passage of constellations that figure prominently in the culture's folklore, and many other structures built by the same culture have ceiling holes placed in the same way.
question
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth. B) The planets sometimes stopped moving and then reversed to move backward along their circular orbits. C) The model showed that apparent retrograde motion occurs as Earth passes by another planet in its orbit of the Sun. D) The planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise.
answer
A) The planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth.
question
When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the Ptolemaic model. Why not? A) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets. B) Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the Sun. C) Copernicus misjudged the distances between the planets. D) Copernicus placed the Sun at the center, but did not realize that the Moon orbits Earth.
answer
A) Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets.
question
Earth is farthest from the Sun in July and closest to the Sun in January. During which Northern Hemisphere season is Earth moving fastest in its orbit? A) Spring B) Summer C) Fall D) Winter
answer
D) Winter
question
According to Kepler's third law (p2 = a3), how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? A) A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun. B) More massive planets orbit the Sun at higher average speed. C) More massive planets must have more circular orbits. D) A more massive planet must have a larger semimajor axis.
answer
A) A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun.
question
All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler's third law (p2 = a3)? A) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. B) Venus is more massive than Mercury. C) Venus takes longer to rotate than it does to orbit the Sun. D) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury.
answer
A) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury.
question
Suppose a comet orbits the Sun on a highly eccentric orbit with an average (semimajor axis) distance of 1 AU. How long does it take to complete each orbit, and how do we know? A) 1 year, which we know from Kepler's third law. B) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as described by Kepler's second law. C) It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit, as described by Kepler's first law. D) Each orbit should take about 2 years, because the eccentricity is so large.
answer
A) 1 year, which we know from Kepler's third law.
question
Galileo challenged the idea that objects in the heavens were perfect by ________. A) showing that heavy objects fall at the same rate as lighter objects B) observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon C) proving Kepler's laws were correct D) inventing the telescope
answer
B) observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon
question
Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? A) phases of Venus B) four moons of Jupiter C) patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face D) The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars.
answer
A) phases of Venus
question
Which of the following is not consistent with the major hallmarks of science? A) Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality. B) Scientific explanations should be based solely on natural causes. C) Science progresses through the creation and testing of models that explain observation as simply as possible. D) A scientific model must make testable predictions.
answer
A) Science consists of proven theories that are understood to be true explanations of reality.
question
Which of the following is not part of a good scientific theory? A) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt. B) A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise. C) A scientific theory must explain a wide variety of phenomena observed in the natural world. D) A scientific theory should be based on natural processes and should not invoke the supernatural or divine.
answer
A) A scientific theory cannot be accepted until it has been proven true beyond all doubt.
question
Only one of the statements below uses the term theory in its correct, scientific sense. Which one? A) Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested and verified thousands of times. B) Evolution is only a theory, so there's no reason to think it really happened. C) I have a new theory about the cause of earthquakes, and I plan to start testing it soon. D) I wrote a theory that is 152 pages long.
answer
A) Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested and verified thousands of times.
question
The astrology practiced by those who cast predictive horoscopes can be tested by ________ A) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance. B) asking astrologers if it works. C) polling people to find out what percentage believe their horoscopes to be accurate. D) counting how many times the predictions come true.
answer
A) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance.
question
Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real) would be inconsistent with our Sun-centered view of the solar system? A) We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day. B) We discover an Earth-sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto. C) We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy. D) We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding.
answer
A) We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day.
