Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Which of these was a contribution of Newton to astronomy?

Accepted Answer

A)   Artificial satellites could be put into orbit about the Earth.
B)   The Sun's gravity is greatest on a planet at perihelion, so the planet must speed up.
C)   The Moon pulls as strongly on us as we do on it.
D)   His differential calculus lets us calculate planetary motions more accurately.
E)   All of these were due to Newton's work.F) All of the above
G) C) and E)

Question 3

Galileo found the rotation period of the Sun was approximately

Accepted Answer

A)   a day.
B)   a week.
C)   a month.
D)   three months.
E)   a year.F) B) and D)
G) D) and E)

Question 4

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

Accepted Answer

A)   Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
B)   Only Jupiter
C)   Only Jupiter and Saturn
D)   Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune only
E)   Everything past Mars and the asteroid beltF) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 5

Kepler determined the shape of each planet's orbit by triangulation from different points on Earth's orbit, using observations made at many different times of the year.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

How would Ptolemy explain the rising of the Sun? Contrast this to Copernicus' explanation of the same event.

Accepted Answer

Ptolemy would say that the celestial sph...

Question 7

A planet (or comet) will speed up as it approaches the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The most accurate Greek attempt to explain planetary motion was the model of

Accepted Answer

A)   Aristotle.
B)   Pythagoras.
C)   Hipparchus.
D)   Ptolemy.
E)   Erastothenes.F) All of the above
G) C) and E)

Question 9

How did Galileo's observations of Venus disprove the Ptolemaic model?

Accepted Answer

Ptolemy said that the epicycles for both...

Question 10

Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if

Accepted Answer

A)   they are terrestrial and the extra size of the planet's disk can be measured.
B)   they are jovian and their oblateness can be found.
C)   they have natural satellites whose motions can be precisely measured.
D)   they are dense and easily deflect the path of passing spacecraft.
E)   they move rapidly and their periods are easily measured.F) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 11

What is meant by the Astronomical Unit?

Accepted Answer

The Astronomical uni...

Question 12

Kepler's first law worked, where Copernicus' original heliocentric model failed, because Kepler described the orbits as

Accepted Answer

A)   elliptical, not circular.
B)   much larger than Copernicus had envisioned.
C)   around the Sun, not the Earth.
D)   being on equants instead of epicycles.
E)   complex, with epicycles to account for retrograde motions.F) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 13

Explain how the eccentricity describes the shape of an ellipse.

Accepted Answer

The higher the eccentricity, t...

Question 14

Occam's Razor

Accepted Answer

A)   divides the inner planets from the outer planets.
B)   tells scientists to use the simplest model, all other things being equal.
C)   is the term that describes how thin the rings of the Jovian planets are.
D)   describes how a planet's orbital period and distance from the Sun are related.
E)   is the tool that Copernicus used to shave.F) B) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 15

Name several characteristics the orbits of the eight planets share.

Accepted Answer

All orbit in almost circular orbits of l...

Question 16

According to Newton's third law, the Voyager probes pulled just as hard on Jupiter as it did on them when they flew past it. Why were they accelerated enough to leave the solar system but Jupiter still is in orbit about the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Jupiter was much more massive ...

Question 17

A star with a large parallax

Accepted Answer

A)   is at a great distance from Earth.
B)   is moving at a great speed with respect to Earth.
C)   is at a short distance from Earth.
D)   is moving at a slow speed with respect to Earth.
E)   is not moving with respect to Earth.F) C) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 18

Planetary orbits

Accepted Answer

A)   are evenly spaced throughout the solar system.
B)   are highly inclined to the ecliptic.
C)   are almost circular, with low eccentricities.
D)   have the Sun at their exact center.
E)   are spaced more closely together as they get further from the Sun.F) B) and D)
G) C) and D)

Question 19

According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, if the Moon were three times further from Earth, the force by Earth on the Moon would

Accepted Answer

A)   increase by a factor of 3.
B)   decrease by a factor of 3.
C)   increase by a factor of 9.
D)   decrease by a factor of 9.
E)   stay the same.F) D) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 20

Like the Sun and the Moon, the stars appear to move from west to east from one day to the next.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 3: The Solar System

How would Ptolemy explain the rising of the Sun? Contrast this to Copernicus' explanation of the same event.

Correct AnswerverifiedPtolemy would say that the celestial sph...View AnswerShow Answer

Kepler determined the shape of each planet's orbit by triangulation from different points on Earth's orbit, using observations made at many different times of the year.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, if the Moon were three times further from Earth, the force by Earth on the Moon would

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A planet (or comet) will speed up as it approaches the Sun.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The most accurate Greek attempt to explain planetary motion was the model of

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A star with a large parallax

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of these was a contribution of Newton to astronomy?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following are the jovian planets?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Galileo found the rotation period of the Sun was approximately

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to Newton's third law, the Voyager probes pulled just as hard on Jupiter as it did on them when they flew past it. Why were they accelerated enough to leave the solar system but Jupiter still is in orbit about the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedJupiter was much more massive ...View AnswerShow Answer

Kepler's first law worked, where Copernicus' original heliocentric model failed, because Kepler described the orbits as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain how the eccentricity describes the shape of an ellipse.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe higher the eccentricity, t...View AnswerShow Answer

What is meant by the Astronomical Unit?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe Astronomical uni...View AnswerShow Answer

Occam's Razor

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Like the Sun and the Moon, the stars appear to move from west to east from one day to the next.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How did Galileo's observations of Venus disprove the Ptolemaic model?

Correct AnswerverifiedPtolemy said that the epicycles for both...View AnswerShow Answer

Masses of the planets are easiest to determine if

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Planetary orbits

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Name several characteristics the orbits of the eight planets share.

Correct AnswerverifiedAll orbit in almost circular orbits of l...View AnswerShow Answer

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Ptolemy would say that the celestial sph...
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Jupiter was much more massive ...
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The higher the eccentricity, t...
View Answer

Correct Answer
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The Astronomical uni...
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Correct Answer
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Ptolemy said that the epicycles for both...
View Answer

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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All orbit in almost circular orbits of l...
View Answer