Chapter 6 Adaptive Quizes

Question 1

The solar system is believed to have formed from

A. the gas in a disk around a black hole.

B. the debris thrown out by a supernova explosion.

C. a hot nebula of ionized gas.

D. a cool nebula of gas and dust.

Answer 1

D. a cool nebula of gas and dust.

Question 2

Astronomers estimate that the solar nebula from which the solar system formed began as a cloud that was approximately _____ in diameter.

Answer 2

1000 au

Question 3

The Kuiper belt is

Answer 3

Located beyond the orbit of Neptune

Question 4

When a rotating cloud of gas and dust contracts gravitationally, conservation of angular momentum causes its speed of rotation to

Answer 4

increase

Question 5

The nebular hypothesis of the formation of the solar system assumes that the material that became the solar system began as a large spherical cloud of gas and dust, rotating slowly. As the solar system formed, most of this material was transformed into a compact, flattened disk, rotating more rapidly. What is the explanation for this change in shape and rate of rotation?

Answer 5

conservation of angular momentum

Question 6

In the early solar system, the boundary beyond which gases and ices of water, ammonia, carbon dioxide, etc., were able to persist is called the _____ line.

Answer 6

snow

Question 7

One aspect of the solar system that astronomers believe makes it unique from other exoplanet systems discovered so far is that _____.

Answer 7

our early gas giants stabilized their orbits and didn’t spiral in toward the Sun

Question 8

Which of these is NOT a reason that astronomers believe Jupiter and Saturn failed to fall in further toward the early Sun?

Answer 8

A nearby passing star was able to gravitationally pull the two gas giants toward the outer parts of the solar system by countering the gravity of the early protosun

Question 9

The protostar at the center of the forming solar system glowed hot, the gases warmed after gaining kinetic energy falling into the mass of the protostar, NOT from _____ at the core.

Answer 9

nuclear fusion

Question 10

Which of these describes what happens to a comet in a highly elliptical orbit as it passes near the Sun.

Answer 10

The ices that are normally frozen in the nucleus of the comet begin to melt, becoming a gas that is then driven away by the solar wind into a long tail.

Question 11

Under the pull of gravity, if an object has a large enough mass, astronomers expect that it will be _____ in shape.

Answer 11

round

Question 12

Consider a hypothetical new object that astronomers have found in orbit around Saturn. This object has a diameter of 3000 km. How would astronomers categorize this object?

Answer 12

a moon of Saturn

Question 13

Consider a hypothetical new object that astronomers have found in the solar system. This object has an orbit that places it between Mars and Jupiter, and it has an approximate diameter of 1000 km. How would astronomers categorize this object?

Answer 13

a dwarf planet

Question 14

Consider a hypothetical new object that astronomers have found in the solar system. This object is located beyond the orbit of Neptune and has as orbital period of about 250 years with a highly inclined orbit. It has an approximate diameter of 1200 km, and it appears that at least one smaller object is in orbit around it. How would astronomers categorize this object?

Answer 14

a dwarf planet

Question 15

The characteristic that is NOT true of the terrestrial planets is:

Answer 15

a relatively low density compared to the Jovian planets.

Question 16

The characteristic that is NOT shared by all giant planets is

Answer 16

heavily cratered surfaces.

Question 17

The majority of the 175 known planetary moons in the solar system are NOT _____ in shape.

Answer 17

spherical

Question 18

If astronomers were to detect an exoplanet and calculate its average density to be about 5500 kg/m3, what could they conclude about this exoplanet?

Answer 18

This exoplanet is likely a terrestrial planet

Question 19

What aspects of a planet tend to contribute to a large albedo?

Answer 19

cloud cover

Question 20

If astronomers discovered an exoplanet with a mass 300 times that of Earth but orbits its star beyond the snow line, what aspect about the planet could astronomers likely assume about the planet even if they cannot presently detect evidence of it?

Answer 20

This planet could likely have a significant number of satellites in orbit around it.