Vincent

The "Rare Earth" hypothesis of Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee is the idea that Select one:

A. rocky planets like the Earth are uncommon in the galaxy.

B. life is unlikely to develop on other planets because of the improbability of the events needed to form the first living cell.

C. the evolution of advanced life and civilizations is unlikely to occur elsewhere, because it depends on a number of special features of our planet that have provided a stable and safe environment.

D. evolution is dominated by chance, and so is likely to unfold quite differently on another planet, and unlikely to result in human-like intelligence.

To measure the radial velocity of a star using a telescope we would use which of the following instruments?

Select one:

A. an imaging CCD camera to measure its changing position

B. a spectrograph to measure its Doppler shift

C. a photometer

D. a heliometer

When the Sun completes it evolution its core will be composed mostly of Select one:

A. hydrogen and helium

B. helium

C. carbon

D. iron

The four giant (or Jovian) planets in our solar system all share the following properties [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more:

A. A system of many satellites

B. An atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide

C. Much lower densities than the terrestrial planets

D. Rapid rotation with periods of less than a day

An object which contains the entire mass of a star like the Sun compressed into an object about the size of the Earth is called

Select one:

A. a brown dwarf

B. a neutron star

C. a white dwarf

D. a black hole

Evidence for the "Big Bang" theory of the universe come from

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

Select one or more:

A. the detection of dark matter in clusters of galaxies.

B. the observation that the recession velocity of galaxies increases with distance.

C. the presence of the Cosmic Microwave Background.

D. the abundances of light elements such as helium, deuterium and lithium.

The last supernova to be observed in our galaxy

Select one:

A. was seen by Chinese observers in 1054.

B. was observed by Johannes Kepler in 1604.

C. was the supernova SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

D. was detected only by the infrared observatory Spitzer because it is obscured by dust in the Milky Way.

Final Exam

(5/10/2007)

Instructions

A. Answer ALL questions on the optical scan page provided, using a #2 pencil.

B. Make sure to include your NAME and STUDENT ID. The computer identifies you by your student ID; do not forget to include it.

C. Do NOT mark your date of birth. Instead, use the first column of the day of the date of birth, to mark the VERSION NUMBER(0 or 1) as indicated above. This is VERY IMPORTANT, since different versions have different answers.

D. The exam is CLOSED BOOK. You should not use any books or notes.

E. Time: 2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES.

1. Which planet lies between the planets Saturn and Neptune?

A) Uranus

B) Pluto

C) Mars

D) Jupiter

2. A scientific model is considered valid if it is consistent with

A) a single observation by an individual scientist

B) the opinions of experts in the field

C) repeated observations made by an individual scientist

D) independent observations made by different scientists

3. One of the fundamental principles of stellar evolution is that the more massive a star is

A) the more heavy elements it contains

B) the more planets it has around it

C) the faster it evolves

D) the slower it evolves

4. The Cambrian Explosion began approximately

A) 2.1 billion years ago

B) 545 million years ago

C) 360 million years ago

D) 65 million years ago

5. Seafloor spreading on the Earth is the process by which

A) volcanic material flows from the deep interior to produce volcanic islands

B) dense material sank while lighter material rose to the surface during the early geological history

C) molten lava oozes out between two tectonic plates that are slowly moving apart

D) oceanic crust sinks below continental crust at a tectonic plate boundary

6. Which kind of robotic space mission enables us to determine the chemical composition of a solar system body in a laboratory?

A) sample return

B) flyby

C) lander/probe

D) orbiter

7. If we compress the entire history of the Earth into one year, life on Earth appeared

A) in early February

B) at the beginning of January

C) in late December

D) in late September

8. Which forms of life on Earth show the greatest diversity?

A) insects

B) human beings

C) plants

D) microbes

9. Which of the following signals from an advanced civilization would be easiest to detect?

A) high intensity, narrow bandwidth

B) low intensity, wide bandwidth

C) high intensity, wide bandwidth

D) low intensity, narrow bandwidth

10. What do we mean by the half-life of a radioactive isotope?

A) it is the amount of time a person can be exposed to radiation without getting sick

B) it is the time for half the number of radioactive nuclei to become stable nuclei

C) it is the amount of time for half of the nuclei to become radioactive

D) it is the time for half the number of radioactive nuclei to decay

11. In the nuclear fusion of four hydrogen nuclei to form a helium nucleus, the resultant helium nucleus

A) is more massive than the four hydrogen nuclei, the missing mass being converted into energy

B) is radioactive, generating energy by ejected electrons from beta decay

C) is less massive than the four hydrogen nuclei, the missing mass being converted into energy

D) has exactly the same mass as the four hydrogen nuclei, the energy being generated by the helium nucleus rearranging itself by emitting a gamma ray

12. Energy utilization in living organisms is

A) one of the most basic requirements of life, without which organisms could not maintain order, grow, and reproduce

B) only important for organisms like plants which receive their energy directly from the Sun

C) neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for life

D) not important for organisms that have adapted to survive extremely low temperatures (psychrophiles)

13. Significant amounts of liquid water last existed on the surface of Mars during the

A) Noachian Era

B) Amazonian Era

C) Hadean Era

D) Hesperian Era

14. If you were to come back to Earth in 150 million years time, what would a map of the planet look like compared to today?

A) so completely different that none of our current continents would be recognizable

B) only slightly different because plate motion is extremely slow

C) exactly the same because plate tectonics is no longer occurring

D) quite different because plate tectonics would have caused a shift in the position of the continents

15. If we allow for moisture loss due to a moist greenhouse effect, the inner boundary of the Sun’s habitable zone would be

A) just inside the orbit of the Earth

B) roughly halfway between the orbits of Venus and Mercury

C) roughly halfway between the orbits of the Earth and Venus

D) just outside the orbit of the planet Mercury

16. Why do we think that RNA was probably the first self-replicating molecule?

A) it is able to replicate at high temperatures found near deep-sea ocean vents

B) it is much simpler than DNA

C) in laboratory studies researchers have shown that it is able to catalyze its own replication

D) it is able to replicate using carbohydrates rather than proteins

17. Mercury and the Moon are probably the least-habitable bodies in the solar system because they

A) are unlikely to have liquids anywhere

B) have never had carbon compounds on their surfaces

C) do not have atmospheres containing oxygen

D) do not receive any sunlight

18. The light-year is defined to be the

A) time it takes light to travel from the Sun to the Earth

B) time it takes for light to travel from the nearest star to the Earth

C) distance light travels in one year

D) average distance between the Earth and the nearest star

19. If our solar system hadn’t formed with a Jupiter-sized planet,

A) the Sun would have been more massive, with a lifetime too short for life to evolve

B) the Earth would have never formed

C) the rate of impacts on the Earth may have been much higher, possibly preventing the appearance of life

D) the rate of impacts on the Earth may have been much lower, enabling the appearance of life much earlier

20. The complete set of genetic information that makes up an organism is known as a

A) genome

B) codon

C) chromosome

D) gene

21. When heat and pressure are applied to an igneous rock it turns into

A) another sedimentary rock

B) an igneous rock

C) a meteorite

D) a metamorphic rock

22. During its descent into Titan’s atmosphere, the Huygens probe found

A) large oceans of liquid methane covering the entire surface

B) small pools of liquids directly beneath its descent path

C) a completely smooth, frozen surface with no sign that any liquids had ever been present

D) no sign of flowing or pooled liquids currently on the surface although channels carved in the past by fluids were seen

23. Aerobic organisms first started building up oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere around

A) 4.6 billion years ago

B) 3.5 billion years ago

C) 4.0 billion years ago

D) 2.4 billion years ago

24. Which kind of interstellar spacecraft collects its fuel during its passage?

A) interstellar ark

B) matter-antimatter rocket

C) solar sail

D) interstellar ramjet

25. How does the speed (in a vacuum) of a high-frequency electromagnetic wave compare with a low-frequency electromagnetic wave?

A) the lower-frequency wave has the higher speed because speed is inversely related to frequency

B) the two waves have the same speed because the speed of light is constant

C) the lower-frequency wave has the higher speed because it has the longest wavelength

D) the higher-frequency wave has the higher speed

26. The basic molecular building blocks of proteins are

A) nucleotides

B) fatty acids

C) amino acids

D) monosaccharides

27. According to optimistic estimates, the end of habitability of Earth will come about

A) a few hundred thousand years from now

B) a billion years from now

C) 3 to 4 billion years from now

D) 100 million years from now

28. A habitable world is defined to be one that

A) is identical to the Earth

B) is in orbit about a solar-type star

C) has an atmosphere

D) has conditions suitable for life

29. The most likely method of interstellar communication is similar to which type of communication on Earth?

A) sign language

B) telepathy

C) Morse code

D) the spoken word

30. Most of the carbon dioxide on the Earth

A) is dissolved in the oceans, forming carbonate rocks

B) has frozen out in the polar regions

C) has escaped into space

D) is still present in the atmosphere

31. The fact that the strength of gravity decreases with distance means the force of gravity exerted by one object on another (e.g., the Earth and Moon) is greater on the near side than the far side. This effect is commonly referred to as a

A) tidal force

B) differential force

C) distortive force

D) tractive force

32. Which type of rock is the easiest to date radiometrically?

A) sedimentary

B) all three types of rock are equally easy to date

C) metamorphic

D) igneous

33. Kepler’s First Law of planetary motion states that

A) an imaginary line joining the Sun and planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times

B) the further a planet is from the Sun, the faster it moves in its orbit

C) the orbits of planets are ellipses

D) the further a planet is from the Sun, the slower it moves in its orbit

34. Compared to the Earth, Mars has experienced wild swings in its axis tilt over relatively short time periods. This is because of its

A) proximity to Jupiter and its lack of a large moon

B) greater distance from the Sun

C) slower rotation rate

D) small size

35. What is the most compelling piece of evidence that suggests that the dinosaurs were made extinct by the impact of an asteroid 65 million years ago?

A) a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is littered with dinosaur fossils

B) dinosaur fossils are found in rock layers older than 65 million years but not younger than 65 million years

C) a layer of sediment laid down at that time which is rich in the element Iridium (Ir), an element common in asteroids but less common on the Earth

D) the crater from this impact can still be seen in the deserts of Arizona

36. If a star has an extrasolar planet, the symmetry of its radial velocity curve is related to the planet’s

A) orbital shape

B) mass

C) radius

D) orbital period

37. Between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter we find

A) the Oort cloud

B) Orion’s belt

C) the Kuiper belt

D) the asteroid belt

38. The Luyten 726-8 binary system is approximately 9 light-years away. If we send a spacecraft to visit this system traveling at 90% of the speed of light, how long will a one- way trip take as measured from the Earth?

A) it’s impossible to tell unless we know the spacecraft’s method of propulsion

B) more than 10 years

C) 10 years

D) less than 10 years

39. Bacteria are examples of

A) unicellular prokaryotes

B) unicellular eukaryotes

C) multicellular eukaryotes

D) multicellular prokaryotes

40. One observation that suggests that the Earth has a dense central core is that

A) the Earth has plate tectonics

B) surface rocks have the same density as the overall density of the planet

C) surface rocks have a lower density than overall density of the planet

D) surface rocks have a higher density than the overall density of the planet

41. Intelligence may be subject to convergent evolution because it

A) is inevitable

B) is a fundamental characteristic of life

C) has survival value

D) is required for survival

42. The Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are examples of which kind of spacecraft?

A) flybys

B) sample return

C) landers

D) orbiters

43. The greenhouse effect is the

A) generation of heat in the outer layer of the Earth’s atmosphere due to absorption of short wavelength radiation

B) generation of heat in the ozone layer due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation

C) release of heat by volcanism along tectonic plate boundaries

D) trapping of infrared radiation from the Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water

44. A sample of an ancient sedimentary rock contains slightly less of the isotope carbon13 than normal. One possible explanation for this is that

A) it was a meteorite that fell from the sky

B) some kind of radioactive decay occurred in it in the past

C) it used to be at the bottom of an ancient ocean

D) some kind of biological activity occurred in it in the past

45. Most likely, oxygen was first released into the atmosphere by

A) the decomposition of dead organisms

B) plants

C) cyanobacteria

D) oxidation reactions

46. In the scientific method, what immediately follows a prediction?

A) a hypothesis

B) an observation

C) a question

D) a test

47. During winter, the northern polar cap of Mars is made of

A) a layer of carbon dioxide ice

B) a layer of water ice

C) carbon dioxide ice overlaying water ice

D) water ice overlaying carbon dioxide ice

48. As life on Earth evolved, its DNA

A) changed gradually into RNA

B) stayed the same

C) became gradually less complex

D) became gradually more complex

49. Most of the extrasolar planets detected to date are found

A) at about the same distance as the Earth is from the Sun

B) very close to the parent stars

C) at about the same distance as the planet Jupiter is from the Sun

D) very far from their parent stars

50. A fossil is found in a layer of strata above one layer dated at 2 million years. From this we can deduce the age of the fossil to be

A) we can tell nothing about the fossil’s age from this data

B) younger than 2 million years

C) between 2 and 3 million years old

D) older than 3 million years

51. Around 4 billion years ago Venus could have been more Earth-like with liquid water on its surface because

A) Venus has a protective magnetic field

B) its atmosphere was thinner

C) Venus was farther from the Sun

D) the Sun was dimmer so Venus would have received less radiation

52. Any change in the base sequence of an organism’s DNA is referred to as a

A) malformation

B) transmutation

C) distortion

D) mutation

53. A probe placed in orbit about Europa would be able to confirm the presence of a subsurface ocean using a

A) spectrometer to detect the spectral signature of liquid water at and beneath the surface

B) camera to observe the formation and breakup of icebergs on the surface

C) projectile to break the thin icy crust to reveal the water below

D) laser altimeter to detect the regular bulging of the thin icy crust on top of the ocean due to tidal forces

54. Which of the following are possible causes for mass extinctions on Earth?

A) gamma ray bursts and supernova explosions

B) episodes of widespread volcanism

C) magnetic field reversals

D) all of these can be responsible for mass extinctions

55. For most of human history it was believed that Earth was at the center of the universe. This idea is referred to as

A) geocentric

B) eccentric

C) heliocentric

D) egocentric

56. In the outer regions of the solar nebula where temperatures were low,

A) only rock and iron could condense

B) only hydrogen compounds could condense as ices

C) hydrogen and helium gases were able to condense

D) in addition to rock and iron, hydrogen compounds also condensed as ices

57. Which of the following statements is an overall summary of the findings from the Viking biology experiments?

A) the martial soil showed no signs of chemical or biological activity

B) the Martian soil showed clear signs of biological activity

C) the Martian soil is chemically reactive but shows no signs of biological activity

D) the Martian soil contained organic molecules but showed no signs of biological activity

58. Why can’t the carbon dioxide cycle easily correct for the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide introduced into our atmosphere by industrialization?

A) it operates far too slowly to correct for any short-term changes

B) pollution has stopped the carbon dioxide cycle from operating

C) the carbon dioxide cycle only influences carbon dioxide produced by natural sources

D) it operates far too quickly to correct for any short-term changes

59. The basic biological structures of life on Earth are called

A) cells

B) bacteria

C) molecules

D) atoms

60. Brown dwarfs are

A) stars in the process of forming

B) very cool, main-sequence stars of spectral type M

C) the burnt out cores of dead stars

D) objects with insufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion in their cores

61. You are traveling in a space ship at half the speed of light (0.5c) directly toward an oncoming photon traveling at the speed of light (c). At what speed would you see the photon coming toward you?

A) c

B) 0.25c

C) 1.5c

D) 0.5c

62. What was one reason that RNA was eventually replaced by DNA as the molecule of choice for storing genetic information?

A) the bases that make up DNA became much more common

B) DNA is far more stable than RNA

C) DNA can catalyze its own replication

D) the double helix of DNA is better able to correct errors in replication

63. Rocks are found on the surface of another planet which appear to have been formed from the solidification of molten lava. Given this, they are most likely to be classified as

A) meteoritic

B) metamorphic

C) sedimentary

D) igneous

64. In the mid-1970s, the Viking 1 orbiter discovered a feature in the Cydonia region of Mars which resembled a human face. What is the currently accepted scientific explanation for this feature?

A) it is a small volcano on the surface of the planet that simply looked like a face using the low-resolution cameras installed on Viking

B) it is a natural hill-like feature that simply looked like a face using the lowresolution cameras installed on Viking

C) the feature was added by NASA scientists to the Viking image as a joke

D) it is a monolith left by an ancient Martian civilization

65. An optical SETI signal would most likely consist of

A) using mirrors to reflect light from the surface of a planet

B) using a giant disk to block out the light from the parent star

C) rapid, short bursts of intense laser light

D) a continuous beam of laser light

66. A chemoautotroph gets its energy from

A) chemical reactions and its carbon from its environment

B) the Sun and its carbon from other organisms

C) chemical reactions and its carbon from other organisms

D) the Sun and its carbon from its environment

67. What is the most intriguing piece of evidence that suggests that the Martian meteorite

ALH84001 may have once contained life?

A) molecules of DNA were found inside

B) oxygen gas was found trapped inside the meteorite

C) amino acids were found inside

D) highly magnified images of carbonate grains found inside reveal rod-shaped structures that look much like terrestrial nanobacteria

68. Some Jovian moons may have liquid water

A) beneath their surfaces

B) at their centers

C) on their surfaces

D) in their atmospheres

69. According to current astronomical data, approximately how old is the universe?

A) 65 million years

B) 6000 years

C) 4.6 billion years

D) 14 billion years

70. As global warming raises the moisture content in our atmosphere, storms will

A) become less numerous and less severe

B) disappear all together

C) become less numerous but more severe

D) become more numerous and severe

71. Endospores are

A) fossilized organisms found inside meteorites

B) organisms that embed themselves inside other cells

C) dormant or resting cells formed by certain organisms that are able to survive extreme conditions

D) organisms which that live beneath Earth’s crust

72. Which of the following methods has been the LEAST successful in detecting extrasolar planets around other star systems?

A) regular changes in the positions of the parent stars with respect to more distant stars as they move across the sky

B) detection of Doppler shifts in the spectra of the parent stars

C) detection of brightness changes in a star as a planet passes in front of it

D) detection of reflected starlight

73. In chemistry, oxidation occurs when a substance

A) loses electrons

B) rearranges its electrons internally

C) accepts electrons

D) breaks into its constituent atoms

74. Life on Earth can use a variety of different carbon and energy sources. However, the one thing that no organism on Earth can survive without is

A) water in any form: solid, liquid, or gas

B) oxygen

C) a liquid solvent of any kind

D) liquid water

75. The discovery of four moons in orbit about Jupiter by Galileo suggested that

A) the Earth moved about Jupiter

B) the Earth moved about the Sun

C) Jupiter moved about the Sun

D) bodies could stay in orbit about a moving Jupiter

76. When electromagnetic radiation is created it is said to be

A) reflected

B) emitted

C) refracted

D) absorbed

77. Which is the most common type of spacecraft propulsion used today?

A) solar sails

B) nuclear rockets

C) ion engines

D) chemical rockets

78. In which eon of Earth’s history did the early bombardment occur?

A) Hadean

B) Archaen

C) Phanerozoic

D) Proterozoic

79. The process by which molecules escape from a solid directly into the gas phase is called

A) gasification

B) evaporation

C) condensation

D) sublimation

80. Even though ethane (C2H6) has a liquid temperature range almost as wide as water, it is not as good a biological solvent as water because it is a liquid at

A) much higher temperatures which would result in the breakdown of fragile biological molecules

B) very high pressures that are unlikely to be found elsewhere

C) very low pressures that are unlikely to be found elsewhere

D) much lower temperatures which would result in extremely slow metabolic reactions

81. The dark maria on the moon are

A) layers of dark meteoritic debris from impacts

B) layers of darker rock just beneath the surface which have been uncovered by impacts

C) huge impact basins filled in by lava flows

D) oceans of liquid water covering the surface

82. Why might we think that silicon would be an obvious alternative to carbon as a building block for biological molecules?

A) it forms the basis of some life forms on Earth

B) it has a similar abundance on Earth to carbon

C) it forms complex molecules like carbon

D) it has a similar electronic structure to carbon, forming a maximum of four bonds and, hence, should have a similar chemistry

83. The number of impact craters on the slopes of Tharsis volcanoes suggests that they have been inactive

A) since Mars formed 4.6 billion years ago

B) for at least a billion years

C) for at least tens of millions of years

D) only for the last few hundred years

84. Most of the carbon dioxide on Venus

A) is trapped beneath the surface of the planet in gaseous form

B) has escaped into space

C) is present in its atmosphere

D) is locked up in carbonate rocks in its crust

85. A radioactive isotope with an atomic number of 92 undergoes alpha decay. What is the atomic number of the daughter nucleus?

A) 93

B) 90

C) 91

D) 94

86. According to our current theory of planet formation, can a Jupiter-like planet form from a rotating disk of dust and gas close to its parent star?

A) no, because the gases would be attracted to rocky terrestrial planets, forming atmospheres

B) yes, because we see Jupiter-like planets with small orbits around other stars

C) no, because it would be too hot for gases to condense

D) no, because there is no gas, only rock in the inner part of the disk

87. The earliest Homo sapiens appeared about

A) 25 million years ago

B) 6 to 8 million years ago

C) 100,000 years ago

D) 545 million years ago

88. What is the main factor that drives Darwinian evolution?

A) the competition for finite resources

B) the need to have sex

C) the ability of an organism to harness the energy of the Sun

D) the size of an organism

89. The Ptolemaic model has planets moving in

A) elliptical orbits about the Sun

B) a simple circle about the Earth

C) a simple circle about the Sun

D) small circles, the centers of which move in a larger circle about the Earth

90. White dwarfs

A) are dead stars

B) are in the process of forming

C) are mature stars that are fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores

D) have exhausted their nuclear fuel and are in the process of dying

91. Which of the four Galilean moons is LEAST likely to harbor life beneath its surface?

A) Europa

B) Io

C) Callisto

D) Ganymede

92. Isotopes have the same number of

A) protons and neutrons

B) protons but a different number of electrons

C) neutrons but a different number of protons

D) protons but a different number of neutrons

93. O-type stars

A) have lifetimes long enough for advanced life to evolve

B) have lifetimes long enough for planets to form and for life to appear, but not long enough for advanced life

C) do not contain enough heavy elements to form planets

D) have lifetimes too short for planet formation

94. What are the relative ages of the heavily cratered Southern highlands and the smooth Northern plains of Mars?

A) the highlands and the plains are the same age

B) it is impossible to tell unless we know the specific geological processes that occurred in each hemisphere

C) the plains are older than the highlands

D) the highlands are older than the plains - 15 -

95. After World War II, the U.S. Government spent two decades investigating UFOs because they

A) were themselves developing new types of aircraft and used the official investigation as a cover-up

B) thought that they might be new types of aircraft being developed by the Soviet Union

C) knew that UFOs were alien craft and used the official investigation as a cover-up

D) were afraid that an alien civilization was in the process of invading the Earth

96. Isotopic analysis of meteorites suggests the Earth and the rest of the solar system formed

A) 3.85 billion years ago

B) 4.57 billion years ago

C) 4.4 billion years ago

D) 4.0 billion years ago

97. Encephalization Quotient (EQ) values can be estimated for extinct species because

A) there is a linear relationship between the EQ and time, thus allowing extrapolation

B) extinct species always have the same EQ value

C) we can estimate their body masses from their fossilized remains and their brain masses from the sizes of their fossilized cranial cavities

D) we can always find similar species in existence today to make measurements of

98. To date, meteorites have been identified originating from which planets and moons?

A) Mars only

B) All terrestrial planets

C) The Moon and Mars

D) The Moon only

99. The FEW extrasolar planets that have been detected DIRECTLY to date are

A) very large and at great distances from their parent star

B) small and at great distances from their parent star

C) small and close to their parent star

D) very large and close to their parent star

100. If we imagine that 1 in 10 million stars would eventually give rise to a civilization on an orbiting planet and assuming that there are 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, how often should a civilization randomly appear over a 5 billion year period?

A) once every 50 million years

B) once every 50,000 years

C) once every 500,000 years

D) once every 5 million years

Assignment 5

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. What is the single most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30 years than all of history before then.

a. astronomers today are a lot smarter than astronomers were earlier b. the Hubble Space Telescope c we have been able to send spacecraft to visit many planets and satellites d. radio telescope arrays allow astronomers to make out details on the planets that they have never been able to see before e. the planets (moving in their slow orbits around the Sun) happen to be closer to the Earth in the last 30 years than at any previous time in human history

2. Usually, the most distant planet from the Sun in the solar system is: a. Mercury b. Pluto c Venus d. Neptune e. none of the above a Earth b. Neptune c. Pluto d. Saturn e. you can't fool me, spacecraft have now visited all the planets a. the Sun b. Saturn c the asteroid belt d. Comet Halley e. Neptune

3. Which planet in the solar system has not been examined up close by spacecraft?

4. In the far future, a visiting tourist from another planetary system asks to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take him/her/it?

5. All the planets (without exception) a. have solid surfaces b. have thick atmospheres c have satellites orbiting around them d. revolve (orbit) around the Sun in the same direction e. rotate on their axes in the same direction that they revolve around the Sun a jovians have more mass than the terrestrials b. jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials c. jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials d. jovians have rings while terrestrials do not e. jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials a. Mars b. Earth c Jupiter d. Venus e. Mercury a Mercury b. Jupiter c Saturn d. Neptune e. Uranus

6. Which of the following is NOT a correct way that jovian (giant) planets differ from the terrestrial planets in the solar system?

7. Which of the following is NOT a terrestrial planet?

8. You are the captain of an interplanetary tour ship and a wealthy tourist from Texas asks you to take him to see only the "largest darn planets" in the solar system. Which of the following would you NOT include in your tour?

9. All except one of the planets orbit in the same plane (and are thus easier to reach by spacecraft). The exception (which typically is located above or below this plane) is: a Mercury b. Venus c Earth d. Pluto e. you can't fool me, ALL the planets orbit in the same plane in our solar system a. they all have one or more moons b. they all have liquid water on their surfaces c they all rotate in 24 hours or less d. they all have thick atmospheres e. they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them a. Mars b. Venus c. Earth d. Jupiter e you can't fool me, all the planets have satellites

10. Which of the following characteristics do all four terrestrial planets have in common?

11. Of the following planets, which one does NOT have satellites (moons)?

12. The small rocky and metallic bodies (most of which orbit between Jupiter and Mars) are called: a. comets b. satellites c Titius­Bode objects d. asteroids e. silicates

13. During the process of differentiation, a. satellites separate from the parent planets and go into their own orbits b. the faster planets move further out from the Sun c heavier materials sink to the centers of molten planets d. the atmosphere of a planet changes from oxidized to reduced e. the surface of a planet changes to resemble Bayonne, New Jersey

14. The small bodies in the solar system composed mainly of ices (frozen gases) that usually orbit far from the Sun are called: a. snowroids b. comets c asteroids d. satellites e jovians

15. A planets whose composition resembles that of our Sun is: a. Earth b. Mercury c. Jupiter d. Pluto e you can't fool me, the planets are all made of materials quite different from those in the Sun a. the Earth's polar regions b. the moons of Neptune c. the moons of Mars (which are captured asteroids) d. the frozen surface of Halley's Comet when it is closest to the Earth in its orbit e the deep atmosphere of Jupiter a. Venus b. Mars c. Jupiter d. Neptune e you can't fool me; there is no other planet on which we could survive unprotected a. Jupiter b. Mercury c Neptune d. Venus e. none of the above

16. A future interplanetary tourist whose parents kept him too warm as a baby asks for your help to find a "really cold place" in the solar system. Which of the following would be the best place to take him?

17. On which of the planets (other than Earth) could a human being step out of a spacecraft and survive without any protective gear (special suit, oxygen tanks, etc)?

18. On which planet (besides the Earth) do we still see a high level of geological activity on the surface today?

19. The rate at which a collection of the same radioactive atoms will decay depends on: a. the amount of radio radiation falling on the material b. the amount of light falling on the material c the temperature of the material d. the size of the planet or moon on which the material is located e. only on internal processes within the atoms; nothing external matters a just a little after 1 hr b. just a little after 2 hrs c just a little after 4 hours d. just a little after 16 hours e. can't be determined from the information given a. about 6,000 years b. about 2 million years c about 100 million years d. about 4.5 billion years e. you can't fool me, we have no way of measuring ages as old as the Earth's

20. In a bad late­night science fiction film, a villain is using a large collection of radioactive atoms as energy for a weapon to threaten the good guys. The atoms have a half­life of 1 hour. The villain has 4 kilograms of the radioactive material now, and he needs a minimum of 1 kg. for his weapon to work. After how much time will the weapon no longer be a threat?

21. Radioactive dating techniques have revealed that our Earth and Moon are approximately how old?

22. Our best evidence and theoretical calculations indicate that the solar system began with a giant spinning system of gas and dust called: a. the Titius­Bode cloud b. the solar nebula c a planetesimal d. the asteroid belt e. the beltway

23. The material that would eventually make all the major bodies in our solar system first gathered together as smaller pieces which astronomers call: a. planetesimals b. nebuloids c satellites d. differentiated objects e. jovians

24. One piece of evidence that can help astronomers sort out how the planets in our solar system formed is a. discovering other galaxies of stars beyond the Milky Way b. counting the number of moons around each planet in our own solar system c finding circumstellar disks of material around nearby stars d. counting the craters on the surface of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune e. measuring variations in the amount of snowfall in northern Canada during this century

25. The inner planets are made mostly of rock and metal because: a. lighter materials cannot orbit the Sun; they would fall in immediately b. the Sun is made mostly of rock and metal and the inner planets are closest to the Sun c it was so hot where the inner planets formed that the lighter materials evaporated d. Jupiter's large gravity immediately attracted all the lighter materials, and so there were few light atoms left by the time the inner planets were ready to form e. this is an unsolved problem in astronomy

26. Every extrasolar planet detected to date has been found indirectly, by observing the planet’s gravitational pull on the star it orbits. The planet is indirectly detected using a. Kepler’s third law. b. conservation of angular momentum c the Doppler effect d. Newton’s first law of motion. e. Newton’s third law of motion.

27. An important way that scientists have been able to study the interior of the Earth is by: a. studying the exterior, which is made of exactly the same material b. digging deep trenches at the bottom of the ocean, which is a lot closer to the planet's center c using spacecraft that can detect radio waves coming from the center d. measuring how seismic waves are transmitted through the Earth e. there is no way we can study's the Earth's deep interior at the present time a. oceanic crust b. continental crust c. mantle d. core e Bayonne, New Jersey

28. Which part of the Earth has the greatest density?

29. The region around the Earth where charged particles are trapped and spiral around is called: a the magnetosphere b. the atmosphere c. the ozone layer d. the mantle e the spirosphere

30. According to the theory of plate tectonics, a. the continents are moving but the ocean floor is not, leading to great friction b. the rubbing of the waters of the Earth across its crust is speeding up its rotation c the liquid metal inside the Earth is developing plates of solid metallic material, which contribute to the Earth's magnetic field d. earthquakes are caused by huge waves that come up from inside the molten core of the Earth e slow motions within the mantle of the Earth slowly move large sections of the crust around

31. A spot where magma rises to the surface can be seen as a a volcano b. fault c. subduction zone d. continental plate e swamp

32. The most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is a oxygen b. ozone c water vapor d. argon e. nitrogen a solid material hitting the Earth from space heats it up b. carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect c the rubbing of the continental plates warms up the Earth's surface d. the heat given off by living things makes our planet warmer e. we have no explanation for this higher temperature and that has scientists worried a. roughly the same size b. similar atmosphere c same gravity on the surface d. takes the same time to rotate on its axis e. none of the above

33. The average temperature on planet Earth is higher than you would expect just from the heating of sunlight alone. What is the explanation for this?

34. In what way is the Moon similar to the Earth?

35. The first human being to step out onto the surface of another world was: a. Luke Skywalker b. Jack Schmitt c. James Van Allen d. Neil Armstrong e Yuri Gagarin

36. Which theory of the Moon's origin is the one that current thinking among astronomers (and the evidence) favor: a the fission theory b. the sister theory c. the capture theory d. the giant impact theory e. the green cheese theory

37. These days the theory of the Earth's Moon's origin that best fits with the facts we have about the Moon is: a. the Moon came out of the Earth b. the Moon was formed in the same area and at the same time as the Earth c the Moon was formed elsewhere and was later captured by the Earth d. a large chunk hit the Earth and produced a filament of material that condensed to make the Moon e. the Moon was the gift of the Green Cheese Producers on Mars

38. The most likely models of the planet Mercury indicate that more than half the planet may be composed of: a. water b. metals c ammonia and methane ice d. very light and porous rocks e. mercury

39. The same gas makes up most of the atmosphere of Mars and Venus. This gas is: a. water vapor b. nitrogen c ozone d. ammonia gas e carbon dioxide a its size (diameter) b. its overall density c. the surface gravity (how much we would weigh there) d. the thickness and pressure of its atmosphere e you can't fool me; Venus resembles Earth in all of the above ways

40. Which of the following is NOT a way that Venus resembles the Earth?

41. The process by which Venus became so much hotter than the Earth is called: a radioactivity b. ozone depletion c. the runaway greenhouse effect d. tectonic displacement e. the twisted sister effect a. there is a grand canyon system about 2,500 mi long on its surface (all made by running water) b. the volcanoes show evidence of huge waterfalls coming from their highest points and running down c. images from orbiting spacecraft reveal ancient channels that resemble dried­up river beds on Earth d. giant basins (like Hellas) are filled with frozen water that was once probably a sea e you can't fool me, there is no evidence at all that Mars ever had any water

42. What makes many astronomers believe that Mars once had rivers and running water?

43. The largest planet in the solar system (by mass) is a Earth b. Mars c. Venus d. Jupiter e Neptune

44. A planet that orbits "on its side" (i.e. has its rotation axis perpendicular to the plane of its orbit) is: a Uranus b. Neptune c Earth d. Jupiter e. Saturn

45. The element that can act like a metal when it is under tremendous pressure and is probably responsible for Jupiter's magnetism is: a gold b. helium c hydrogen d. water e. vanallenium

46. The Red Spot of Jupiter is: a. variable in size b. a high pressure storm system in the atmosphere c made of a reddish colored material (but we don't know what gives it the reddish color) d. long­lived (observed since the 1600's) e. all of the above a. carbon dioxide b. oxygen c argon d. methane e. helium a. Jupiter b. Saturn c Uranus d. Neptune e. you can't fool me, all the jovian planets are accompanied by satellites

47. The bluish color that makes the atmosphere of Neptune so beautiful to the human eye is caused by the interaction of sunlight with what gas?

48. Which of the jovian planets does NOT have any satellites?

49. The rings of the outer planets consist of a. sheets of ice that stretch in round planes millions of miles wide around each planet b. billions of small particles (of various sizes) that all orbit the equator of each planet c many large moons, about the size of Jupiter's moon Io, all crowded together d. only subatomic charged particles, all kept in line by each planet's magnetic field e. millions of alien spacecraft, some of which occasionally make it to the Earth and pick up humans for medical experiments

50. Comets get significantly brighter in our skies as they approach the Sun because a. they reflect more sunlight as they get closer to the source of light b. they get bigger as the ice evaporates c they get closer to the Earth than when they were outside the orbit of Mars d. they move faster and faster e more than one of the above

Assignment 5 Answer Section

MULTIPLE CHOICE 1.

Question 1

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Which of the following properties help us to distinguish stars in the halo of our galaxy from stars in the disk?

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Select one or more:

A. Halo stars are generally much more luminous than disk stars.

B. Halo stars have higher velocities relative to the Sun than disk stars.

C. Halo stars generally have less heavy elements (i.e. they have lower metallicity).

D. Halo stars generally have bluer colours than disk stars. Feedback

B and C are the correct answers. Halo stars have high velocities and low metallicities. A and D are incorrect. Halo stars do not have higher luminosities and are generally redder rather than bluer.

Question 2

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A refracting telescope is

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Select one or more:

A. the type of telescope used by Galileo to discover Jupiter's satellites

B. the type of telescope normally used for professional astronomy today

C. a telescope using a transparent lens to collect light

D. the type of telescope used by Edwin Hubble for his studies of galaxies

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Answers A and C are correct. Professional astronomers today use mostly reflecting telescopes, and the 100-inch mount Wilson telescope used by Hubble was also a reflecting telescope.

Question 3

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In which two spectral regions are ground based observations MOST useful?

Select one:

A. Microwave and ultraviolet.

B. Optical and X-ray.

C. Radio and optical.

D. Ultraviolet and infrared.

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C is the correct answer. Radio and optical wavelengths are most suitable for ground-based observing, because only these wavelengths, and some infrared wavelengths, get through the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 4

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Most of the extrasolar planetary systems discovered to date are

Select one:

A. very similar to our own solar system with inner rocky terrestrial planets and outer gas giant planets

B. similar to our solar system in having inner rocky terrestrial planets but different in having no gas giant planets

C. identical to our own with the same number and types of planets as our own solar system

D. quite different than our own solar system, many with jovian planets found close to their parent stars

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D is the correct answer. Most planetary systems are very different from ours, and many have giant planets close to their star.

Question 5

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In the tree of life

Select one:

A. animals are members of the domain Eukarya, while plants are members of the domain Archaea

B. animals are members of the domain Archaea, while plants are members of the domain Eukarya

C. both plants and animals are members of the domain Archaea

D. both plants and animals are members of the domain Eukarya

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Answer D is correct. Plants and animals and all complex multicellular life are eukaryotes, and all belong in the domain Eukarya.

Question 6

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Which of the following statements describe properties which are unique to Earth and are NOT shared by any other solar system planets or moons.

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Select one or more:

A. It has liquid water oceans on the surface

B. It has active volcanoes

C. It is orbited by the largest moon in the solar system

D. It has a magnetic field stronger than that of any other planet in the solar system

Feedback

The only correct answer is A. While some of Jupiter's moons may have liquid water oceans these are not at the surface. B is not correct because Io has active volcanoes. C is not correct because several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are bigger than our Moon (though the Earth's moon is largest relative to the size of the planet). D is not correct because Jupiter has a stronger magnetic field than Earth.

Question 7

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The interior of the Sun has been studied by

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Select one or more:

A. using X-ray observations from spacecraft such as SOHO that can see deep into the core of the Sun.

B. observing solar oscillations that allow us to study how waves travel through the solar interior.

C. using radar that reflects from different layers within the Sun.

D. observing the neutrinos that originate in the core of the Sun using detectors such as the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

Feedback

B and D are the correct answers. Solar neutrinos and solar oscillations are both techniques used to study the interior of the Sun.

Answer A is incorrect. X-ray observations see hot regions high in the atmosphere and don't see into the interior. Radar observations are also inappropriate for studies of the interior.

Question 8

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If we were to send a radio signal to an advanced civilization in 2012 which is located in the Zeta Reticuli star system approximately 39 light-years away and the signal was immediately replied to, when would the reply arrive back at Earth?

Select one:

A. 2090

B. 2018

C. 2051

D. 2047

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The correct answer is 2090. The signal takes 39 years to reach Zeta Reticui, and a further 39 years to return to Earth, a round trip time of 78 years.

Question 9

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The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is more powerful than the 100inch Mount Wilson Telescope (the telescope Edwin Hubble actually used for his studies of galaxies) because

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Select one or more:

A. The HST has a larger aperture and so collects more light.

B. The HST is in space and so is not subject to the problems of "seeing" due to turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.

C. The HST uses modern digital detectors that are much more sensitive than the photographic plates available in Hubble's day.

D. The HST can observe at X-ray wavelengths that cannot be seen by a telescope on the ground.

Feedback

The correct answers are B and C. The HST actually has a mirror slightly smaller than the 2.5 metre mirror of the Mount Wilson telescope. Although it is situated in space the HST is not designed for X-ray astronomy and has no instruments that detect X-rays.

Question 10

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Cellular respiration in living eukaryotic cells takes place in structures called

Select one:

A. chloroplasts

B. nuclei

C. mitochondria

D. archaea

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Answer C is correct. Cellular respiration takes place in mitochondria.

Question 11

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Recent observations have reported the presence of small amounts of Methane in the Martian atmosphere. What have been suggested as possible sources of the methane?