Lesson 8 Multiple Choice

Question 1

Mercury is presumed to have a large iron core because of its

Answer 1

high overall density

Question 2

What are you unlikely to find in an asteroid?

Answer 2

water ice

Question 3

Particles that make up the ring of Jupiter are

Answer 3

small and dark

Question 4

When does a meteor shower occur?

Answer 4

When Earth passes through the dust and bits of material left in the orbit of a passing comet

Question 5

The origin of carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere is

Answer 5

volcanic outgassing

Question 6

The core of Jupiter is

Answer 6

Heavy elements like iron and nickel

Question 7

The largest planet in our solar system is

Answer 7

Jupiter

Question 8

A particle from outer space that burns up on impact with Earth’s atmosphere is a

Answer 8

meteor

Question 9

Pluto and Charon are tidally locked, which means that

Answer 9

Pluto and Charon keep the same faces toward each other

Question 10

Saturn’s rings lie within the Roche limit which prevents what?

Answer 10

The formation of a large satellite

Question 11

Venus is Earth’s twin because of what?

Answer 11

Their masses and diameters are nearly equal

Question 12

The dominant form of terrain on Venus is (think desert)

Answer 12

rolling plains

Question 13

Volcanic activity has occurred on which planets?

Answer 13

Earth
Venus
Mars

Question 14

Io is more active than other Galilean satellites of Jupiter because of

Answer 14

stronger heating of Io due to tidal friction

Question 15

The atmosphere of ____ is similar to Earth’s in that both are composed mainly of ____?

Answer 15

Titan; nitrogen

Question 16

The molecule that makes up most of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars but only a little of Earth’s atmosphere is what?

Answer 16

carbon dioxide

Question 17

Most of the asteroids revolve around the sun between the orbits of what two planets?

Answer 17

Mars and Jupiter

Question 18

Earth’s crust is broken into plates that slide over the mantle, but on Venus

Answer 18

there is little evidence of plate tectonics shaping the surface

Question 19

Mercury and the moon have similar surface environments but are different in what capacity?

Answer 19

Mercury has a very thin atmosphere; the moon (comparatively) does not

Question 20

What planet/object has the most elliptical orbit?

Answer 20

Pluto

Question 21

What moon has active volcanoes?

Answer 21

Io

Question 22

The nucleus of Halley’s Comet is

Answer 22

irregular and covered with a dark dust

Question 23

What two planets have internal layers of liquid metallic hydrogen?

Answer 23

Jupiter and Saturn

Question 24

If the sun had no magnetic field, which type of cometary tail would not occur?

Answer 24

Gas/ion

Question 25

Pluto is classified as a

Answer 25

dwarf planet

Question 26

Saturn's ring system is bright because its rings are

Answer 26

composed of ice or ice-covered rock

Question 27

The Oort Cloud contains objects that can become comets and is located

Answer 27

far beyond Pluto

Question 28

Jupiter's magnetic field interacts with solar wind much like Earth's field; however, Jupiter's magnetic field is more extensive because

Answer 28

Jupiter's field is produced by metallic hydrogen in its interior

Question 29

The surfaces of some moons of Jupiter and Saturn are heavily cratered because they are (age)

Answer 29

Relatively old

Question 30

Which type of meteorite are you LEAST likely to identify as a visitor from space?

Answer 30

Stony

Question 31

Which planet was discovered to have an atmosphere much more active than was originally believed? (remember the great spot that disappeared due to weather)

Answer 31

Neptune

Question 32

Judging from the appearances of the moon, Earth, and Mercury (plus knowledge of their interiors) we can conclude that

Answer 32

Mercury and the moon have changed little since their formation, but Earth is still evolving

Question 33

Compared to the Earth, what process has NOT shaped the surface of Venus?

Answer 33

water erosion

Question 34

What physical feature currently exists on Mars?

Answer 34

Ice caps

Question 35

Scarps on Mercury were probably caused by what?

Answer 35

Shrinkage of the surface as the interior cooled

Question 36

The nucleus of a comet is composed of what?

Answer 36

ice and dust

Question 37

What Jovian system is tilted almost 90 degrees with respect to the ecliptic?

Answer 37

Uranus

Question 38

What planet has a geologic history most similar to Earth's?

Answer 38

Mars

Question 39

The oldest regions on the surface of Mars are those with

Answer 39

impact craters

Question 40

Venus's surface is hot because

Answer 40

its atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide

Question 41

Uranus's rings appear dark because they are composed of what?

Answer 41

Organic polymers formed by radiation

Question 42

Both Saturn and Jupiter have belts and zones in their upper atmosphere that are evidence of

Answer 42

convection cycles carrying internal heat outward

Question 43

Which planets have surface features that were formed by running water?

Answer 43

Mars and Earth

Question 44

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is special because it has

Answer 44

a substantial atmosphere