question

_____is the only planet with a mean density less than water.

answer

Saturn

question

By itself, ________ makes up 70% of the masses of all the planets combined.

answer

Jupiter

question

________ is the planet with the slowest rotation period.

answer

Venus

question

The planet's orbital period is:

answer

the time it takes to return to the same location in the sky, relative to the Sun.

question

Which of these spacecraft went into orbit about Saturn in July 2004?

answer

Cassini

question

The "Grand Tour" of all four jovians was conducted by:

answer

Voyager 2.

question

What aspects of the planets orbits are nearly the same for most planets?

answer

shape and tilt from the ecliptic

question

All the jovian planets lie beyond the asteroid belt

answer

True

question

Of all the terrestrial planets, Mercury's orbit is most eccentric and tilted most above the ecliptic

answer

True

question

In addition to revolving around the Sun counterclockwise, most planets also rotate on their axis counterclockwise.

answer

True

question

The principal difference between the terrestrial and jovian planets is the absence of ________ and helium close to the Sun.

answer

Hydrogen

question

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

answer

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only

question

In composition, mass, and density, Jupiter is most like:

answer

the Sun.

question

Which of the characteristics below describes the terrestrial planets?

answer

possessing weak magnetic fields

question

Which characteristic listed below describes the jovian planets?

answer

low density

question

The jovian planets:

answer

all have rings around their equators.

question

All terrestrial planets have moons.

answer

False

question

All of the jovian planets rotate more rapidly than any of the terrestrial planets.

answer

True

question

All jovians have at least eight moons and equatorial rings.

answer

True

question

Most asteroids are found:

answer

between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

question

The Kuiper Belt is found where in the solar system?

answer

beyond the orbit of Neptune

question

The difference between a meteoroid and an asteroid is the object's:

answer

size.

question

The smallest sort of interplanetary matter is called:

answer

interplanetary dust.

question

Which of the following is NOT icy in composition?

answer

asteroids

question

A meteorite is:

answer

a chunk of space debris that has struck the ground.

question

Comets are easier to identify than asteroids when they are close to the Sun.

answer

True

question

Comets are not actually members of the solar system, but captured by the Sun.

answer

False

question

In general, the surfaces of the planets will be ________ than the age of the solar system.

answer

younger

question

The ________ theory describes the origin of the planets as having been formed by accretion of small particles into progressively larger and larger bodies.

answer

Condensation

question

As the solar nebula contracts due to gravitation, the cloud:

answer

spins faster

question

In light of modern solar system theory, why do the orbits of the planets all lie in the same plane?

answer

The early solar nebula flattened into a disk

question

What factor caused different planets to form out of different types of material?

answer

The variation in temperature throughout the solar nebula; the higher the temperature, the lower the percentage of light elements in the forming planet.

question

As the solar nebula contracts it:

answer

spins faster due to conservation of angular momentum

question

Any model of solar system formation must explain why the planets revolve in the same direction as the Sun rotates.

answer

True

question

Any model of solar system formation must explain why every planet is relatively isolated in space.

answer

True

question

The asteroids are very young and appear to be made from the same material.

answer

False

question

What might have made the original solar nebula begin to contract?

answer

the shock wave from a nearby exploding star

question

As a result of the ejection of planetesimals into the Oort Cloud, simulations indicate that Uranus and Neptune moved:

answer

further from the Sun

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