Chapter 7 Astro – Flashcards
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How does the Sun's mass compare with that of the planets?
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It is a thousand times more massive than all the planets combined.
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Where does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?
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in its core
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Which planet has the highest average surface temperature, and why?
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Venus, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere
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The most metal-rich terrestrial planet is
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Mercury.
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Which planet, other than Earth, has visible water ice on it?
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Mars
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Pluto is different from the outer planets in all of the following ways except which one?
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Its surface temperature is very cold.
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Which of the following is farthest from the Sun?
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a comet in the Oort cloud
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Which of the following observations indicates that conditions on Mars may have been suitable for life in the past?
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There are dried-up riverbeds on Mars.
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Which planet has a ring system?
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Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune (ALL OF THE ABOVE)
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What is the primary reason why a Pluto flyby mission would be cheaper than a Pluto orbiter?
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The fuel needed for an orbiter to slow down when it reaches Pluto adds a lot of weight to the spacecraft.
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What is aerobraking?
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the technique of using a planetary atmosphere to change the orbit of a spacecraft
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Which of the following is not an advantage of spacecraft flybys over ground-based telescope observations?
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Spacecraft can monitor changes in a planet's atmosphere over long times.
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Which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?
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Most planets orbit at the same speed.
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Which of the following is not an exception to the general patterns in the solar system?
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the rings of Saturn
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Which is the densest planet in the solar system?
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Earth
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The planet closest in size to Earth is
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Venus.
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Which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets?
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They all have substantial atmospheres.
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Which of the following is not a characteristic of the outer planets?
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They have very few, if any, satellites.
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What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?
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hydrogen and helium
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Where are most of the known asteroids found?
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between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
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How do asteroids differ from comets?
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Asteroids are rocky bodies and are denser than the comets, which are made of icy material.
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Based on the frequency with which we see comets from Earth, astronomers estimate the total number of comets in the solar system to be
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1 trillion.
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Which of the following best describes Pluto in terms of the general characteristics of terrestrial and jovian planets?
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size and solid surface similar to terrestrial planets; distance similar to jovian planets
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Astronomers have decided that, rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of
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the Kuiper belt.
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Which of the following is not a pattern of motion in our solar system?
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Planets all rotate in the same direction.
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Oceans cover more of Earth's surface than land.
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TRUE
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All four of the giant outer planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-have rings.
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TRUE
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The planet Uranus held a special place in the mythology of the ancient Romans.
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FALSE
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All planets orbit the Sun in the same direction (counterclockwise as viewed from above Earth's North Pole).
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TRUE
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All the planets in the solar system have at least one moon.
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FALSE
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All comets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the planets.
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FALSE
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8) The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets.
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TRUE
