Astronomy A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE EIGHTH EDITION CHAPTER The Solar System Clickers © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question Which of the following are terrestrial planets? a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Only Earth Earth, Moon, and Venus Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Pluto Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Ceres Question Which of the following are terrestrial planets? a) b) c) d) e) Only Earth Earth, Moon, and Venus Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Pluto Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, and Ceres Terrestrial planets are “Earth-like.” © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question The major difference(s) between the terrestrial and jovian planets involve(s) a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc mass density surface gravity density and surface gravity mass and density Question The major difference(s) between the terrestrial and jovian planets involve(s) a) b) c) d) e) mass density surface gravity density and surface gravity mass and density Jovian planets are more massive, but less dense, than terrestrial planets © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question Which of the following defines density? a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Mass times surface gravity Mass divided by volume Size divided by weight Mass times surface area Weight divided by size Question Which of the following defines density? a) b) c) d) e) Mass times surface gravity Mass divided by volume Size divided by weight Mass times surface area Weight divided by size Explanation: Density can be thought of as Matter Space Lots of matter in a small space = high density Little matter in a large space = low density © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question The angular diameter of an object a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc increases if the object is farther away decreases if the object is farther away is measured in light-years determines its parallax depends on its location in the sky Question The angular diameter of an object a) b) c) d) e) increases if the object is farther away decreases if the object is farther away is measured in light-years determines its parallax depends on its location in the sky Explanation: Angular diameter depends directly on size and inversely on distance © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question Compared with terrestrial planets, jovian planets share all of the following characteristics EXCEPT a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc low density large size many moons ring systems slower rotation Question Most asteroids are found a) b) c) d) e) beyond the orbit of Neptune between Earth and the Sun between Mars and Jupiter in the orbit of Jupiter, but 60 degrees ahead or behind it orbiting the jovian planets in captured, retrograde orbits The asteroid belt is located between 2.1 and 3.3 AU from the Sun © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question The asteroid belt is evidence of a) b) a planet that once orbited the Sun but later was destroyed ancient material from the formation of the solar system c) d) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc a collision between Jupiter and one of its larger moons comets that were trapped by Jupiter’s gravitational field Question The asteroid belt is evidence of a) b) a planet that once orbited the Sun but later was destroyed ancient material from the formation of the solar system c) d) a collision between Jupiter and one of its larger moons comets that were trapped by Jupiter’s gravitational field Explanation: Asteroids, meteoroids, and comets may have not changed at all since the solar system formed © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question Compared to asteroids, comets show all of these properties EXCEPT a) b) c) d) their densities are higher their orbits tend to be less circular they tend to be made of ice they can look fuzzy, whereas asteroids appear as moving points of light e) their average distances from the Sun are far greater © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question Compared to asteroids, comets show all of these properties EXCEPT a) b) c) d) their densities are higher their orbits tend to be less circular they tend to be made of ice they can look fuzzy, whereas asteroids appear as moving points of light e) their average distances from the Sun are far greater Explanation: Comets have densities much lower than asteroids or planets © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 10 What causes a meteor shower? a) b) c) A comet and an asteroid colliding Earth running into a stray swarm of asteroids Earth running into the debris of an old comet littering its orbit d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Meteorites being ejected from the Moon Debris from a supernova entering Earth’s atmosphere Question 10 What causes a meteor shower? a) b) c) d) e) A comet and an asteroid colliding Earth running into a stray swarm of asteroids Earth running into the debris of an old comet littering its orbit Meteorites being ejected from the Moon Debris from a supernova entering Earth’s atmosphere Explanation: Meteor showers can generate a few shooting stars, to hundreds of thousands, seen in an hour © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 11 Any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain all of these EXCEPT a) b) the orbits of the planets are nearly circular and in the same plane the direction that planets orbit the Sun is opposite to the Sun’s spin c) d) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc the terrestrial planets have higher density and lower mass comets not necessarily orbit in the plane of the solar system Question 11 Any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain all of these EXCEPT a) b) c) d) the orbits of the planets are nearly circular and in the same plane the direction that planets orbit the Sun is opposite to the Sun’s spin the terrestrial planets have higher density and lower mass comets not necessarily orbit in the plane of the solar system Explanation: The planets orbit in the same direction that the Sun spins Most also spin in that direction, and most also have large moons that orbit in that direction © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 12 The condensation sequence theory explains why a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc our planet Earth has water and rain stars are more likely to form large planets orbiting very near terrestrial planets are different from jovian planets the Moon formed near Earth Pluto has such a circular orbit Question 12 The condensation sequence theory explains why a) b) c) d) e) our planet Earth has water and rain stars are more likely to form large planets orbiting very near terrestrial planets are different from jovian planets the Moon formed near Earth Pluto has such a circular orbit Explanation: The condensation sequence theory explains how the temperature of the early solar nebula controls which materials are solid and which are gaseous © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 13 Astronomers have detected most extrasolar planets by observing a) b) c) d) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc the “wobble” of their parent stars using spectroscopy starlight reflected by their surfaces eclipses when the planets block the light of their parent stars the planets’ changing phases as they orbit their stars Question 13 Astronomers have detected most extrasolar planets by observing a) b) c) d) the “wobble” of their parent stars using spectroscopy starlight reflected by their surfaces eclipses when the planets block the light of their parent stars the planets’ changing phases as they orbit their stars Explanation: Measurements of the periodic Doppler shift in the spectra of the star 51 Pegasi indicate it has a planetary companion © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 14 Extrasolar planets the size of Earth have NOT yet been seen with current techniques because a) b) c) d) small planets probably don’t exist the large planets nearby have swept them up Earth-like planets take time to form large planets orbiting near their stars are more easily detected e) small planets can only be seen if they cross in front of their star © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Question 14 Extrasolar planets the size of Earth have NOT yet been seen with current techniques because a) b) c) d) small planets probably don’t exist the large planets nearby have swept them up Earth-like planets take time to form large planets orbiting near their stars are more easily detected e) small planets can only be seen if they cross in front of their star Explanation: Looking for detectable “wobbles” in the spectra of stars finds massive planets with small orbits Other techniques may be needed to see less massive Earth-like planets © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc ... 11 Any theory of the origin of the solar system must explain all of these EXCEPT a) b) the orbits of the planets are nearly circular and in the same plane the direction that planets orbit the. .. terrestrial planets Question Pluto seems to be more similar to a) b) c) d) e) the terrestrial planets the jovian planets asteroids the moons of jovian planets the moons of terrestrial planets Explanation:... Education, Inc Question The angular diameter of an object a) b) c) d) e) © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc increases if the object is farther away decreases if the object is farther away is measured