# Astronomy college course/Unit 3 study guide

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## AstroTest3_Study

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### AstroTest3_Study-v1s1

    ___ a) low surface gravity
    ___ b) vulcanism
    ___ c) meteorite erosion
    ___ d) rilles
    ___ e) micrometeorite erosion
2. Rilles are caused by
    ___ a) water
    ___ b) impacts
    ___ c) meteorites
    ___ d) lava
    ___ e) meteors
3. In the Wikipedia excerpt on "Planetary Astronomy" the mechanism by which a meander grows over time was discussed. Which of the the following is best describes why meanders grow? (Pick only one best answer)
    ___ a) wind erosion
    ___ b) combination of erosion and underlying bedrock strength
    ___ c) combination of deposition and underlying bedrock strength
    ___ d) a combination of deposition and erosion
    ___ e) occasional periods of intense flooding
4. When imaged in visible light Venus appears like ______ rather than ______.
    ___ a) Mars ... Venus
    ___ b) a gas dwarf ... a rocky planet
    ___ c) an asteroid ... a terrestrial planet
    ___ d) Venus ... Mars
5. The clouds on Venus are made of
    ___ a) water
    ___ b) nitrogen
    ___ c) carbon dioxide
    ___ d) steam
    ___ e) sulfuric acid
6. The geology of Venus is predominantly
    ___ a) Picrite
    ___ b) Andesite
    ___ c) Basalt
7. Basalt is what type of rock?
    ___ a) Sedimentary
    ___ b) Igneous
    ___ c) Metamorphic
8. The rocks on Venus are mostly
    ___ a) associated with plate tectonics
    ___ b) from the seabed of a now non-existent ocean
    ___ c) from volcanoes
9. The rocky surface of the planet Venus can be detected when Venus is observed using infrared astronomy.
    ___ a) TRUE
    ___ b) FALSE
10. When Venus is viewed in the ultraviolet, its color appears brownish.
    ___ a) TRUE
    ___ b) FALSE
11. Moldavite is a mineral that may be associated with what radiation astronomy phenomenon?
    ___ a) predicting when currently dormant volcanoes will erupt
    ___ b) meteorite impacts and fireballs
    ___ c) lightening strikes
    ___ d) evidence that Venus was once a comet
12. According to Wikipedia, a "mineral" is a naturally occurring solid that
    ___ a) has useful value
    ___ b) is heterogeneous
    ___ c) does not contain carbon
    ___ d) is by a chemical formula
    ___ e) contains carbon
13. Which types of radiation astronomy directly observe the rocky-object surface of Venus?
    ___ a) visual astronomy
    ___ b) radio astronomy
    ___ c) ultraviolet astronomy
    ___ d) X-ray astronomy
    ___ e) infrared astronomy
14. One reason that Venus's atmosphere has more carbon dioxide than Earth's is that
    ___ a) Venus is exposed to a stronger solar wind strips away the other gasses
    ___ b) Venus was too hot for oceans that could absorb the carbon dioxide
    ___ c) the mass of Venus is slightly higher
    ___ d) Venus has a lower magnetic field that disassociates carbon dioxide
15. The surface temperature of Venus is about
    ___ a) 850 Fahrenheit (730 Kelvin or 230 Celsius)
    ___ b) 450 Fahrenheit (500 Kelvin or 66 Celsius)
    ___ c) 150 Fahrenheit (340 Kelvin or 66 Celsius)
16. The Venetian atmosphere consists of mostly carbon dioxide and
    ___ a) hydrogen
    ___ b) helium
    ___ c) sulfuric acid
    ___ d) nitrogen
    ___ e) oxygen
    ___ a) rilles
    ___ b) rift valleys
    ___ c) slip faults
    ___ d) subduction zones
    ___ e) optical illusions
18. Antipodal to the Tharsis bulge is
    ___ a) What Wikipedia contends IS an impact basin
    ___ b) What Wikipedia contends IS an active volcano
    ___ c) What Wikipedia contends MIGHT BE an impact basin
    ___ d) What Wikipedia contends MIGHT BE an active volcano
    ___ e) the northern lowlands
    ___ a) lava flow
    ___ b) dust storms
    ___ c) water flow
    ___ d) plate tectonics
    ___ e) wind erosion
20. The Martian dichotomy separates
    ___ a) the crust from the mantle
    ___ b) Valles Marineris from Olympus Mons
    ___ c) the highlands from the lowlands
    ___ d) the Tharsus buldge from Hellas basin
    ___ e) the rift valley from the volcanoes
21. According to Wikipedia, ______ was formed due to swelling of the Tharsis bulge which caused the crust to collapse
    ___ a) the southern lowlands
    ___ b) the northern lowlands
    ___ c) Valles Marineris
    ___ d) Hellas basin
    ___ e) Elysium
    ___ a) evidence that Mars once had active volcanoes
    ___ b) evidence that Mars now has active volcanoes
    ___ c) controversial evidence that Mars once had life
    ___ d) evidence that Mars once had oceans
    ___ e) irrefutable evidence that Mars once had life
23. The polar ice caps on Mars are ___
    ___ a) actually clouds above the surface of Mars
    ___ b) mostly water
    ___ c) caused by geysers
    ___ d) mostly carbon dioxide
    ___ e) a nearly equal mix of water and carbon dioxide
24. Liquid water cannot exist on Mars due to ___
    ___ a) high pressure
    ___ b) low pressure
    ___ c) high temperature
    ___ d) the solar wind
    ___ e) low temperature
    ___ a) evidence that Mars now has active volcanoes
    ___ b) evidence that Mars once had active volcanoes
    ___ c) controversial evidence that Mars once had life
    ___ d) irrefutable evidence that Mars once had life
    ___ e) evidence that Mars once had oceans
26. It is important to distinguish between molecules (collectively) in a gas and one individual molecule. This question is about an individual molecule. For a planet with a given mass, size, and density, which has the greater escape velocity?
    ___ a) all molecules move at the escape velocity
    ___ b) the lighter molecule has the greater escape velocity
    ___ c) no molecules have escape velocity
    ___ d) the heavier molecule has the greater escape velocity
    ___ e) all molecules have the same escape velocity
27. It is important to distinguish between molecules (collectively) in a gas and one individual molecule. This question is about a typical molecule in the gas. For a planet with a given mass, size, and density, which type of gas is more likely to escape?
    ___ a) atoms in a hotter gas is more likely to escape
    ___ b) all types of gas are equally likely to escape
    ___ c) atoms in a denser gas are more likely to escape
    ___ d) atoms in a colder gas are more likely to escape
    ___ e) atoms in a gas with more atomic mass are more likely to escape
28. Which type of gas is likely to have the faster particles?
    ___ a) a hot gas with low mass atoms
    ___ b) a cold gas with low mass atoms
    ___ c) a hot gas with high mass atoms
    ___ d) all gasses on a given planet have the same speed
    ___ e) a cold gas with high mass atoms
29. What is it about the isotopes of Argon-36 and Argon-38 that causes their relative abundance to be so unusual on Mars?
    ___ a) identical abundance
    ___ b) different speed
    ___ c) different chemical properties
    ___ d) identical mass
    ___ e) different half-life
30. In the formula, ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }v_{\mathrm {escape} }^{2}=G_{\mathrm {Newton} }{\frac {M_{\mathrm {planet} }m_{\mathrm {atom} }}{r_{\mathrm {planet} }}}$, which of the following is FALSE?
    ___ a) the formula is valid for all launch angles
    ___ b) the formula is valid only if the particle is launched from the surface of planet of radius r$_{planet}$
    ___ c) v$_{escape}$ is independent of m$_{atom}$
    ___ d) the particle is assumed to have been launched vertically
    ___ e) the formula can be used to estimate how fast an atom must move before exiting the planet
31. What statement is FALSE about ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }\langle v_{\mathrm {atom} }^{2}\rangle _{ave}={\frac {1}{2}}k_{\mathrm {B} }T$?
    ___ a) Temperature is measured in Centigrades
    ___ b) Temperature is measured in Kelvins
    ___ c) This equation does not involve the size or mass of the planet.
    ___ d) The kinetic energy is directly proportional to temperature.
    ___ e) The average speed of a low mass particle is higher than the average speed of a high mass particle
32. ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }\langle v_{\mathrm {atom} }^{2}\rangle _{ave}={\frac {1}{2}}k_{\mathrm {B} }T$, where T is temperature on the Kelvin scale. This formula describes:
    ___ a) The speed of a typical atom, where m is the mass of the atom.
    ___ b) The speed of a typical atom, where m is the mass of the planet.
    ___ c) The speed an atom needs to orbit the planet, where m is the mass of the atom.
    ___ d) The the speed an atom needs to escape the planet, where m is the mass planet.
    ___ e) The speed an atom needs to escape the planet, where m is the mass of the atom.
33. How does the density of a Galilean moon depend on its distance from Jupiter?
    ___ a) the density of the moons is unknown
    ___ b) the less dense moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
    ___ c) all the moons have nearly the same density
    ___ d) the more dense moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
    ___ e) the most dense moon is neither the closest nor the most distant
34. How does the mass of a Galilean moon depend on its distance from the central body?
    ___ a) the more massive moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
    ___ b) the less massive moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
    ___ c) the most massive moon is neither the closest nor the most distant
    ___ d) all the moons have nearly the same mass
    ___ e) the mass of the moons is unknown
35. Does Jupiter's moon Io have craters?
    ___ a) no, the surface is too new
    ___ b) yes, about half from impacts and the others from volcanoes
    ___ c) yes, from volcanoes
    ___ d) no, the surface is too old
    ___ e) yes, from impacts
36. The mechanism that heats the cores of the Galilean moons is
    ___ a) radioactive decay of heavy elements
    ___ b) radiation from the Sun and from Jupiter
    ___ c) tides from Jupiter
    ___ d) radiation from the Sun
    ___ e) tides from the other moons and Jupiter
37. Immediately after publication of Newton's laws of physics (Principia), it was possible to "calculate" the mass of Jupiter. What important caveat applied to this calculation?
    ___ a) The different moons yielded vastly different values for the mass of Jupiter.
    ___ b) The different moons yielded slightly different values for the mass of Jupiter.
    ___ c) tides from the other moons and Jupiter.
    ___ d) Only the mass of Jupiter relative to that of the Sun could be determined.
    ___ e) They needed to wait over a decade for Jupiter to make approximately one revolution around the Sun.
38. Ganymede, Europa, and Io have ratios in __________ that are 1:2:4.
    ___ a) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
    ___ b) density
    ___ c) Argon isotope abundance
    ___ d) orbital period
    ___ e) rotational period
39. Which of Jupiter's moons has an anhydrous core?
    ___ a) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
    ___ b) Ganymede
    ___ c) Ganymede
    ___ d) Io
    ___ e) Europa
40. The 1982 Voyager flyby of Miranda (a moon of Uranus) established that _____
    ___ a) Miranda has geysers.
    ___ b) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
    ___ c) inspired a theory a previous incarnation was destroyed by a collision
    ___ d) Miranda has the largest active volcano in the solar system
    ___ e) Miranda probably has an iron core
41. It has been suggested that Miranda's "racetrack"
    ___ a) is associated with tidal heating
    ___ b) is a series of rifts created by an upwelling of warm ice
    ___ c) is an impact crater
    ___ d) is antipodal to an impact crater
    ___ e) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
42. According to Wikipedia, the largest lakes on Titan are probably fed by
    ___ a) geysers
    ___ b) liquid water rain
    ___ c) methane rain
    ___ d) underground aquifers
    ___ e) rivers from the highlands
    ___ a) a volcano
    ___ b) aurora borealis (northern lights)
    ___ c) solar wind particles striking the atmosphere
    ___ d) lightening
    ___ e) a lake
44. One "year" on Saturn's largest moon Titan lasts
    ___ a) 3 hours
    ___ b) 300 days
    ___ c) 3 years
    ___ d) 30 years
    ___ e) 30 hours
    ___ a) summer windstorms and winter doldrums
    ___ b) Titan and Earth
    ___ c) winter windstorms and summer doldrums
    ___ d) wet and dry seasons
    ___ e) northern and southern hemispheres
46. The liquid water ocean of Saturn's largest moon Titan,
    ___ a) is less than one meter in depth
    ___ b) is known to contain life
    ___ c) explains how the elevation of a smooth planet seems to rise and fall
    ___ d) Two other answers are correct
    ___ e) is postulated to cover 15-30% of its surface
    ___ a) a solar eclipse
    ___ b) the shadow of a moon
    ___ c) a magnetic storm
    ___ d) an electric storm
    ___ e) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
48. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
    ___ a) The Great Red Spot is a storm that has raged for over 300 years
    ___ b) Jupiter emits more energy than it receives from the Sun
    ___ c) Jupiter has a system of rings
    ___ d) Jupiter has four large moons and many smaller ones
    ___ e) Jupiter is the largest known planet
49. What is the mechanism that heats the interior of Jupiter?
    ___ a) radioactivity
    ___ b) rain
    ___ c) tides
    ___ d) magnetism
    ___ e) electricity
50. Why is Jupiter an oblate spheroid?
    ___ a) rotation about axis
    ___ b) revolution around Sun
    ___ c) tides from the Jupiter's moons
    ___ d) tides from other gas planets
    ___ e) tides from the Sun
51. What statement best describes the Wikipedia's explanation of the helium (He) content of Jupiter's upper atmosphere (relative to the hydrogen (H) content)?
    ___ a) Jupiter's atmosphere has only 80% as much helium because the He fell to the core.
    ___ b) Jupiter's atmosphere has only 80% as much helium because the He escaped into space.
    ___ c) Jupiter's atmosphere has 80% more He because Jupiter's hydrogen escaped into space.
    ___ d) Jupiter's atmosphere has 80% more He because Jupiter's hydrogen fell to the core.
    ___ e) Jupiter and the Sun have nearly the same ratio of He to H.
52. Where is the Sun-Jupiter barycenter?
    ___ a) Just above the Sun's surface
    ___ b) The question remains unresolved
    ___ c) At the center of Jupiter
    ___ d) At the center of the Sun
    ___ e) Just above Jupiter's surface
53. The barycenter of two otherwise isolated celestial bodies is?
    ___ a) a place where two bodies exert equal and opposite gravitational forces
    ___ b) the focal point of two elliptical orbital paths
    ___ c) both of these are true
54. Knowing the barycenter of two stars is useful because it tells us the total mass
    ___ a) TRUE
    ___ b) FALSE
55. Knowing the barycenter of two stars is useful because it tells us the ratio of the two masses
    ___ a) TRUE
    ___ b) FALSE
56. Although there is some doubt as to who discovered Jupiter's great red spot, it is generally credited to
    ___ a) Galileo in 1605
    ___ b) Cassini in 1665
    ___ c) Messier in 1771
    ___ d) Tycho in
    ___ e) Newton in 1668
57. The bands in the atmosphere of Jupiter are associated with a patter of alternating wind velocities that are
    ___ a) easterly and westerly
    ___ b) updrafts and downdrafts
    ___ c) both of these
58. As one descends down to Jupiter's core, the temperature
    ___ a) decreases
    ___ b) increases
    ___ c) stays about the same
59. Which of the following is NOT used to measure the mass of a planet
    ___ a) the motion of a neighboring planet
    ___ b) all of these have been used
    ___ c) the rotation of the planet about its axis
    ___ d) the motion of an artificial satellite
    ___ e) the motion of a moon
60. What is unusual about calculations of the mass of Pluto made in the early part of the 20th century?
    ___ a) The estimates were high. Pluto was less massive than they calculated
    ___ b) It was the first time a planet's period of orbit around the sun was used to calculate the planet's mass
    ___ c) The estimates were correct to within less than 10%
    ___ d) It was the first time a moon was used to calculate the mass of a planet
    ___ e) The estimates were too low. Pluto was actually more massive than they thought.
61. Why was the discovery of Pluto peculiar?
    ___ a) It was discovered by a calculation based on flawed assumptions
    ___ b) It was the first time a planet's period of orbit around the sun was used to calculate the planet's mass
    ___ c) It was seen by Galileo, who thought it was a star
    ___ d) It was seen by Halley, who was looking for comets
    ___ e) It was discovered during a survey looking for stars
62. Which of the following is NOT used to measure the mass of a planet
    ___ a) all of these have been used
    ___ b) the motion of an artificial satellite
    ___ c) the motion of a neighboring planet
    ___ d) the motion of a moon
63. Which statement describes the relation between Pluto and Neptune
    ___ a) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit an the two bodies will eventually collide
    ___ b) Pluto's orbit lies outside Neptune's orbit
    ___ c) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit but they don't collide because of an orbital resonance between the two
    ___ d) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit but they avoid each other because Pluto's mass is too small

#### Key to AstroTest3_Study-v1s1

       - a) low surface gravity
       + b) vulcanism
       - c) meteorite erosion
       - d) rilles
       - e) micrometeorite erosion
2. Rilles are caused by
       - a) water
       - b) impacts
       - c) meteorites
       + d) lava
       - e) meteors
3. In the Wikipedia excerpt on "Planetary Astronomy" the mechanism by which a meander grows over time was discussed. Which of the the following is best describes why meanders grow? (Pick only one best answer)
       - a) wind erosion
       - b) combination of erosion and underlying bedrock strength
       - c) combination of deposition and underlying bedrock strength
       + d) a combination of deposition and erosion
       - e) occasional periods of intense flooding
4. When imaged in visible light Venus appears like ______ rather than ______.
       - a) Mars ... Venus
       + b) a gas dwarf ... a rocky planet
       - c) an asteroid ... a terrestrial planet
       - d) Venus ... Mars
5. The clouds on Venus are made of
       - a) water
       - b) nitrogen
       - c) carbon dioxide
       - d) steam
       + e) sulfuric acid
6. The geology of Venus is predominantly
       - a) Picrite
       - b) Andesite
       + c) Basalt
7. Basalt is what type of rock?
       - a) Sedimentary
       + b) Igneous
       - c) Metamorphic
8. The rocks on Venus are mostly
       - a) associated with plate tectonics
       - b) from the seabed of a now non-existent ocean
       + c) from volcanoes
9. The rocky surface of the planet Venus can be detected when Venus is observed using infrared astronomy.
       - a) TRUE
       + b) FALSE
10. When Venus is viewed in the ultraviolet, its color appears brownish.
       - a) TRUE
       + b) FALSE
11. Moldavite is a mineral that may be associated with what radiation astronomy phenomenon?
       - a) predicting when currently dormant volcanoes will erupt
       + b) meteorite impacts and fireballs
       - c) lightening strikes
       - d) evidence that Venus was once a comet
12. According to Wikipedia, a "mineral" is a naturally occurring solid that
       - a) has useful value
       - b) is heterogeneous
       - c) does not contain carbon
       + d) is by a chemical formula
       - e) contains carbon
13. Which types of radiation astronomy directly observe the rocky-object surface of Venus?
       - a) visual astronomy
       + b) radio astronomy
       - c) ultraviolet astronomy
       - d) X-ray astronomy
       - e) infrared astronomy
14. One reason that Venus's atmosphere has more carbon dioxide than Earth's is that
       - a) Venus is exposed to a stronger solar wind strips away the other gasses
       + b) Venus was too hot for oceans that could absorb the carbon dioxide
       - c) the mass of Venus is slightly higher
       - d) Venus has a lower magnetic field that disassociates carbon dioxide
15. The surface temperature of Venus is about
       + a) 850 Fahrenheit (730 Kelvin or 230 Celsius)
       + b) 450 Fahrenheit (500 Kelvin or 66 Celsius)
       + c) 150 Fahrenheit (340 Kelvin or 66 Celsius)
16. The Venetian atmosphere consists of mostly carbon dioxide and
       - a) hydrogen
       - b) helium
       - c) sulfuric acid
       + d) nitrogen
       - e) oxygen
       - a) rilles
       - b) rift valleys
       - c) slip faults
       - d) subduction zones
       + e) optical illusions
18. Antipodal to the Tharsis bulge is
       + a) What Wikipedia contends IS an impact basin
       - b) What Wikipedia contends IS an active volcano
       - c) What Wikipedia contends MIGHT BE an impact basin
       - d) What Wikipedia contends MIGHT BE an active volcano
       - e) the northern lowlands
       + a) lava flow
       - b) dust storms
       - c) water flow
       - d) plate tectonics
       - e) wind erosion
20. The Martian dichotomy separates
       - a) the crust from the mantle
       - b) Valles Marineris from Olympus Mons
       + c) the highlands from the lowlands
       - d) the Tharsus buldge from Hellas basin
       - e) the rift valley from the volcanoes
21. According to Wikipedia, ______ was formed due to swelling of the Tharsis bulge which caused the crust to collapse
       - a) the southern lowlands
       - b) the northern lowlands
       + c) Valles Marineris
       - d) Hellas basin
       - e) Elysium
       - a) evidence that Mars once had active volcanoes
       - b) evidence that Mars now has active volcanoes
       - c) controversial evidence that Mars once had life
       + d) evidence that Mars once had oceans
       - e) irrefutable evidence that Mars once had life
23. The polar ice caps on Mars are ___
       - a) actually clouds above the surface of Mars
       + b) mostly water
       - c) caused by geysers
       - d) mostly carbon dioxide
       - e) a nearly equal mix of water and carbon dioxide
24. Liquid water cannot exist on Mars due to ___
       - a) high pressure
       + b) low pressure
       - c) high temperature
       - d) the solar wind
       - e) low temperature
       - a) evidence that Mars now has active volcanoes
       - b) evidence that Mars once had active volcanoes
       + c) controversial evidence that Mars once had life
       - d) irrefutable evidence that Mars once had life
       - e) evidence that Mars once had oceans
26. It is important to distinguish between molecules (collectively) in a gas and one individual molecule. This question is about an individual molecule. For a planet with a given mass, size, and density, which has the greater escape velocity?
       - a) all molecules move at the escape velocity
       - b) the lighter molecule has the greater escape velocity
       - c) no molecules have escape velocity
       - d) the heavier molecule has the greater escape velocity
       + e) all molecules have the same escape velocity
27. It is important to distinguish between molecules (collectively) in a gas and one individual molecule. This question is about a typical molecule in the gas. For a planet with a given mass, size, and density, which type of gas is more likely to escape?
       + a) atoms in a hotter gas is more likely to escape
       - b) all types of gas are equally likely to escape
       - c) atoms in a denser gas are more likely to escape
       - d) atoms in a colder gas are more likely to escape
       - e) atoms in a gas with more atomic mass are more likely to escape
28. Which type of gas is likely to have the faster particles?
       + a) a hot gas with low mass atoms
       - b) a cold gas with low mass atoms
       - c) a hot gas with high mass atoms
       - d) all gasses on a given planet have the same speed
       - e) a cold gas with high mass atoms
29. What is it about the isotopes of Argon-36 and Argon-38 that causes their relative abundance to be so unusual on Mars?
       - a) identical abundance
       + b) different speed
       - c) different chemical properties
       - d) identical mass
       - e) different half-life
30. In the formula, ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }v_{\mathrm {escape} }^{2}=G_{\mathrm {Newton} }{\frac {M_{\mathrm {planet} }m_{\mathrm {atom} }}{r_{\mathrm {planet} }}}$, which of the following is FALSE?
       + a) the formula is valid for all launch angles
       - b) the formula is valid only if the particle is launched from the surface of planet of radius r$_{planet}$
       - c) v$_{escape}$ is independent of m$_{atom}$
       - d) the particle is assumed to have been launched vertically
       - e) the formula can be used to estimate how fast an atom must move before exiting the planet
31. What statement is FALSE about ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }\langle v_{\mathrm {atom} }^{2}\rangle _{ave}={\frac {1}{2}}k_{\mathrm {B} }T$?
       + a) Temperature is measured in Centigrades
       - b) Temperature is measured in Kelvins
       - c) This equation does not involve the size or mass of the planet.
       - d) The kinetic energy is directly proportional to temperature.
       - e) The average speed of a low mass particle is higher than the average speed of a high mass particle
32. ${\frac {1}{2}}m_{\mathrm {atom} }\langle v_{\mathrm {atom} }^{2}\rangle _{ave}={\frac {1}{2}}k_{\mathrm {B} }T$, where T is temperature on the Kelvin scale. This formula describes:
       + a) The speed of a typical atom, where m is the mass of the atom.
       - b) The speed of a typical atom, where m is the mass of the planet.
       - c) The speed an atom needs to orbit the planet, where m is the mass of the atom.
       - d) The the speed an atom needs to escape the planet, where m is the mass planet.
       - e) The speed an atom needs to escape the planet, where m is the mass of the atom.
33. How does the density of a Galilean moon depend on its distance from Jupiter?
       - a) the density of the moons is unknown
       - b) the less dense moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
       - c) all the moons have nearly the same density
       + d) the more dense moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
       - e) the most dense moon is neither the closest nor the most distant
34. How does the mass of a Galilean moon depend on its distance from the central body?
       - a) the more massive moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
       - b) the less massive moon is closer to Jupiter (always)
       + c) the most massive moon is neither the closest nor the most distant
       - d) all the moons have nearly the same mass
       - e) the mass of the moons is unknown
35. Does Jupiter's moon Io have craters?
       - a) no, the surface is too new
       - b) yes, about half from impacts and the others from volcanoes
       + c) yes, from volcanoes
       - d) no, the surface is too old
       - e) yes, from impacts
36. The mechanism that heats the cores of the Galilean moons is
       - a) radioactive decay of heavy elements
       - b) radiation from the Sun and from Jupiter
       - c) tides from Jupiter
       - d) radiation from the Sun
       + e) tides from the other moons and Jupiter
37. Immediately after publication of Newton's laws of physics (Principia), it was possible to "calculate" the mass of Jupiter. What important caveat applied to this calculation?
       - a) The different moons yielded vastly different values for the mass of Jupiter.
       - b) The different moons yielded slightly different values for the mass of Jupiter.
       - c) tides from the other moons and Jupiter.
       + d) Only the mass of Jupiter relative to that of the Sun could be determined.
       - e) They needed to wait over a decade for Jupiter to make approximately one revolution around the Sun.
38. Ganymede, Europa, and Io have ratios in __________ that are 1:2:4.
       + a) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
       - b) density
       - c) Argon isotope abundance
       - d) orbital period
       - e) rotational period
39. Which of Jupiter's moons has an anhydrous core?
       - a) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
       - b) Ganymede
       - c) Ganymede
       + d) Io
       - e) Europa
40. The 1982 Voyager flyby of Miranda (a moon of Uranus) established that _____
       - a) Miranda has geysers.
       - b) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
       + c) inspired a theory a previous incarnation was destroyed by a collision
       - d) Miranda has the largest active volcano in the solar system
       - e) Miranda probably has an iron core
41. It has been suggested that Miranda's "racetrack"
       - a) is associated with tidal heating
       - b) is a series of rifts created by an upwelling of warm ice
       - c) is an impact crater
       - d) is antipodal to an impact crater
       + e) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
42. According to Wikipedia, the largest lakes on Titan are probably fed by
       - a) geysers
       - b) liquid water rain
       - c) methane rain
       + d) underground aquifers
       - e) rivers from the highlands
       - a) a volcano
       - b) aurora borealis (northern lights)
       - c) solar wind particles striking the atmosphere
       - d) lightening
       + e) a lake
44. One "year" on Saturn's largest moon Titan lasts
       - a) 3 hours
       - b) 300 days
       - c) 3 years
       + d) 30 years
       - e) 30 hours
       - a) summer windstorms and winter doldrums
       + b) Titan and Earth
       - c) winter windstorms and summer doldrums
       - d) wet and dry seasons
       - e) northern and southern hemispheres
46. The liquid water ocean of Saturn's largest moon Titan,
       - a) is less than one meter in depth
       - b) is known to contain life
       + c) explains how the elevation of a smooth planet seems to rise and fall
       - d) Two other answers are correct
       - e) is postulated to cover 15-30% of its surface
       - a) a solar eclipse
       - b) the shadow of a moon
       - c) a magnetic storm
       - d) an electric storm
       + e) Two other answers are correct (making this the only true answer).
48. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
       - a) The Great Red Spot is a storm that has raged for over 300 years
       - b) Jupiter emits more energy than it receives from the Sun
       - c) Jupiter has a system of rings
       - d) Jupiter has four large moons and many smaller ones
       + e) Jupiter is the largest known planet
49. What is the mechanism that heats the interior of Jupiter?
       - a) radioactivity
       + b) rain
       - c) tides
       - d) magnetism
       - e) electricity
50. Why is Jupiter an oblate spheroid?
       + a) rotation about axis
       - b) revolution around Sun
       - c) tides from the Jupiter's moons
       - d) tides from other gas planets
       - e) tides from the Sun
51. What statement best describes the Wikipedia's explanation of the helium (He) content of Jupiter's upper atmosphere (relative to the hydrogen (H) content)?
       + a) Jupiter's atmosphere has only 80% as much helium because the He fell to the core.
       - b) Jupiter's atmosphere has only 80% as much helium because the He escaped into space.
       - c) Jupiter's atmosphere has 80% more He because Jupiter's hydrogen escaped into space.
       - d) Jupiter's atmosphere has 80% more He because Jupiter's hydrogen fell to the core.
       - e) Jupiter and the Sun have nearly the same ratio of He to H.
52. Where is the Sun-Jupiter barycenter?
       + a) Just above the Sun's surface
       - b) The question remains unresolved
       - c) At the center of Jupiter
       - d) At the center of the Sun
       - e) Just above Jupiter's surface
53. The barycenter of two otherwise isolated celestial bodies is?
       - a) a place where two bodies exert equal and opposite gravitational forces
       + b) the focal point of two elliptical orbital paths
       - c) both of these are true
54. Knowing the barycenter of two stars is useful because it tells us the total mass
       - a) TRUE
       + b) FALSE
55. Knowing the barycenter of two stars is useful because it tells us the ratio of the two masses
       + a) TRUE
       - b) FALSE
56. Although there is some doubt as to who discovered Jupiter's great red spot, it is generally credited to
       - a) Galileo in 1605
       + b) Cassini in 1665
       - c) Messier in 1771
       - d) Tycho in
       - e) Newton in 1668
57. The bands in the atmosphere of Jupiter are associated with a patter of alternating wind velocities that are
       - a) easterly and westerly
       - b) updrafts and downdrafts
       + c) both of these
58. As one descends down to Jupiter's core, the temperature
       - a) decreases
       + b) increases
       - c) stays about the same
59. Which of the following is NOT used to measure the mass of a planet
       - a) the motion of a neighboring planet
       - b) all of these have been used
       + c) the rotation of the planet about its axis
       - d) the motion of an artificial satellite
       - e) the motion of a moon
60. What is unusual about calculations of the mass of Pluto made in the early part of the 20th century?
       + a) The estimates were high. Pluto was less massive than they calculated
       - b) It was the first time a planet's period of orbit around the sun was used to calculate the planet's mass
       - c) The estimates were correct to within less than 10%
       - d) It was the first time a moon was used to calculate the mass of a planet
       - e) The estimates were too low. Pluto was actually more massive than they thought.
61. Why was the discovery of Pluto peculiar?
       + a) It was discovered by a calculation based on flawed assumptions
       - b) It was the first time a planet's period of orbit around the sun was used to calculate the planet's mass
       - c) It was seen by Galileo, who thought it was a star
       - d) It was seen by Halley, who was looking for comets
       - e) It was discovered during a survey looking for stars
62. Which of the following is NOT used to measure the mass of a planet
       + a) all of these have been used
       - b) the motion of an artificial satellite
       - c) the motion of a neighboring planet
       - d) the motion of a moon
63. Which statement describes the relation between Pluto and Neptune
       - a) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit an the two bodies will eventually collide
       - b) Pluto's orbit lies outside Neptune's orbit
       + c) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit but they don't collide because of an orbital resonance between the two
       - d) Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit but they avoid each other because Pluto's mass is too small

   ##### Attribution (for quiz questions) under CC-by-SA license

    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Planetary_science_questions&oldid=1298071
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Venus/Quiz&oldid=1388298 http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Quizbank/Contributed_questions&oldid=1388791
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Mars/questions&oldid=1327222
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Why_planets_lose_their_atmospheres/questions&oldid=1204943
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Galilean_moons_of_Jupiter/questions&oldid=1293955
    https//en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Miranda_and_Titan/questions&oldid=1293943
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Jupiter/questions&oldid=1388646
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Pluto_and_planetary_mass_quiz&oldid=1388652

   ##### Study guide

    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Planetary_science&oldid=1204930
    Venus w:Atmosphere of Venus w:Venus
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Mars&oldid=1327223
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Why_planets_lose_their_atmospheres&oldid=1388258
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Galilean_moons_of_Jupiter&oldid=1326527
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Miranda_and_Titan&oldid=1204929
    http://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomy_college_course/Jupiter&oldid=1204919 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jupiter&oldid=664015766 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atmosphere_of_Jupiter&oldid=664309417
    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pluto&oldid=664428172