Progress
Examination: March 2002 Number of Pages: 8
Course:
ASTR 1F00 Number of Students: 481
Date
of Examination:
Time
of Examination:
Instructions: No aids are permitted with this
examination. Use or possession of
unauthorized materials will automatically result in a grade of zero. All questions are to be answered on the
Scantron Sheet. Do not fold,
staple or otherwise mutilate the Scantron Sheet. Use an
HB or 2B pencil. Be sure to enter student number in the box at the
top of the Scantron Sheet.
Total marks: 50 (1 mark per
question)
1. During the formation of the
solar system:
a)
The outer portion spun faster and was cooler than the inner portion.
b) The inner portion spun faster and was hotter
than the outer portion.
c)
The outer portion spun slower and was hotter than the inner portion.
d)
The inner portion spun slower and was cooler than the outer portion.
2. The
atmospheric probe of Galileo, designed to study Jupiter:
a)
Confirmed earlier data of an atmosphere with 3 distinct layers.
b)
Confirmed earlier data of an atmosphere with no distinct layers.
c) Did not find the 3 layer atmosphere thought
to exist.
d)
Did not send back any data.
e) Failed to deploy in the first place.
3. A comparison of the density of craters on
two bodies can tell us:
a) Which body is larger
b) Which body resides in a part of the solar
system with more debris
c) Which body has an
older surface
d) Which body has a harder surface
e) Nothing!
4. The
satellites of Uranus are named after:
a)
Roman mythological characters.
b)
Early astronomers.
c) Shakespearean characters.
d)
Discoverers of the satellites.
e)
5. The
Sun accounts for approximately ______ % of the mass of the Solar System.
a)
10%
b)
25%
c)
50%
d)
75%
e) 100%
6. The
Asteroid Belt is located:
a)
Between the Sun and the orbit of Mercury.
b)
Between the orbits of Venus and Mars.
c) Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
d)
Between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
e)
Beyond the orbit of
7. The
Kuiper Belt is located:
a)
Between the sun and the orbit of Mercury.
b)
Between the orbits of Venus and Mars.
c) Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
d)
Between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
e) Beyond the orbit of
8. The
Oort Cloud is located:
a)
Between the sun and the orbit of Mercury.
b)
Between the orbits of Venus and Mars.
c) Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
d)
Between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
e) Beyond the orbit of
9. The
least dense planet is:
a)
Jupiter
b) Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
e)
Pluto
10. Meteors
are believed to originate from:
a)
Condensations in the solar wind.
b) Stray asteroidal fragments entering our
atmosphere.
c)
The Earth encountering dust orbiting along the path of a comet.
d)
Ice and frozen gas that fall into the Solar System from other galaxies.
e)
Both (b) and (c).
11. Which
of the following statements about comets is incorrect?
a) Their orbits are confined to the orbital
plane of the planets.
b)
They have dust and gas tails.
c)
Matter is evaporated from them as they pass close to the Sun.
d)
They are appropriately described as dirty snow balls.
e)
They are located in a region that extends to 50,000 AU from the Sun.
12. Which
statement is correct regarding Pluto’s discovery:
a) Ancient humans have known its existence.
b) Galileo discovered it.
c) It was discovered about 150 yrs ago.
d) Mathematical calculations predicted its
location.
e)
It was purely accidental.
13. Comet
tails always point toward the Sun because:
a)
The Sun's gravity draws the material inward.
b)
The solar wind sucks them in.
c)
The gases are trapped in the Sun's magnetic field.
d)
None of the above is the correct explanation.
e) The statement is rubbish; comet tails point
away from the Sun.
14. Which of the following is true of Jovian planets?
a)
They have low average densities compared to terrestrial planets.
b) Their orbits are closer to the Sun than the
asteroids' orbits.
c) They have craters in old surfaces.
d) They have small diameters compared to
terrestrial planets.
e) They have fewer satellites than do terrestrial planets.
15. Which is the largest planet?
a)
Jupiter
b) Uranus
c) Venus
d) Mars
e) Saturn
16. Which
of these satellites may have been blown apart early in its history?
a)
Io
b)
Europa
c)
Mimas
d) Miranda
e)
Triton
17. Which
of the following satellites is thought to have a liquid interior ocean?
a)
Io
b) Europa
c)
Mimas
d)
Miranda
e)
Triton
18. The
planet below whose axis of rotation is tilted by about 90 degrees is:
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c) Uranus
d)
e)
Venus
19. The
magnetic field on Saturn is thought to be generated by:
a) a layer of slushy ice in its interior
b) a layer of metallic
hydrogen in its interior
c)
a layer of molten iron in its interior
d) a layer of ionized gas in its atmosphere
e)
its passage around the sun
20. The
magnetic field on Uranus is thought to be generated by:
a) a layer of slushy ice in its interior
b) a layer of metallic hydrogen in its interior
c)
a layer of molten iron in its interior
d) a layer of ionized gas in its atmosphere
e) its passage around the sun
21. Which of these planets has a magnetic axis at high
angle to its rotational axis?
a) Mercury
b) Mars
c) Jupiter
d)
Uranus
e) Pluto
22. Comet
Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacted on:
a) Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
e)
Pluto
23. The
rings of Saturn are probably made of:
a)
Hot gas bound to the planet by gravity and inside Roche's limit.
b)
Chunks of rock many miles in diameter captured from the asteroid belt.
c)
An immense solid disk of ice partially melted at Cassini's division by
heat generated by Saturn.
d) Numerous small icy pieces, yards to inches in
diameter, each moving in its own orbit.
e)
None of the above.
24. Most
of the material in Jupiter is:
a)
Silicates
b)
Iron
c)
Water
d)
Helium
e) None of the above.
25. The primary chemical constituent of the atmospheres of
the Jovian planets is apparently which of the following?
a) Oxygen
b) Nitrogen
c)
Hydrogen
d) Helium
26. The
most massive Jovian planet is:
a) Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Pluto
e)
Applicable to more than one planet listed.
27. Which of the following satellites has a relatively
dense atmosphere?
a)
Titan
b) Ganymede
c) Callisto
d) Triton
e) Io
28. ___________ has a set of rings.
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
Pluto
e) Applicable to more than one planet listed.
29. The
great dark spot is located on:
a)
Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
e) Pluto
30. Io
is kept active by:
a)
Accretionary heating.
b) Tidal heating.
c)
Radiogenic heat.
d)
Solar energy.
e)
Core formation.
31. The
great red spot is located on:
a) Jupiter
b)
Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
e) Pluto
32. The
great red spot has been observed for approximately:
a)
3 months
b)
3 yrs
c)
30 yrs
d) 300 yrs
e)
3000 yrs
33. The large number of craters seen on most solid
surfaces shows:
a)
they experienced an intense meteoritic bombardment near the end of their
formation
b) they underwent intense volcanic eruptions as
they cooled
c) plate tectonics completely wiped out their
original surface leaving only holes
d) planets experienced intense lightning storms
earlier in their history
e) none of the above
34. The
rings seen around the Jovian planets lie:
a)
Inside the planet's upper atmosphere.
b) Inside the planet's Roche Limit.
c)
Near the planet's second orbit focus.
d)
At the place where the planet's and Sun's gravity cancel out exactly.
e)
None of the above.
35. Comets can best be described as:
a)
gaseous bodies with a rocky core
b) low density icy bodies
c)
rocky bodies
d)
can be rocky or icy bodies
e)
none of the above
36. The
odd tilt to Uranus' rotation axis may have been caused by:
a)
The asteroid Gaspra passing so close to Uranus that its gravity pulled
it over.
b) A collision with a large planetesimal during
its formation.
c)
The Sun's gravity pulling it over.
d)
Jupiter's gravity.
e)
The event that tossed Pluto out of its system of moons.
37. The first planet to be discovered by mathematical
prediction was:
a)
Saturn
b)
Jupiter
c)
d)
Uranus
e)
Pluto
38. The
age of the solar system is approximately:
a)
45 million yrs
b)
450 million yrs
c) 4.5 billion yrs
d)
45 billion yrs.
e)
450 billion yrs
39.
The formation of the planets is thought to have
taken about:
a) 500,000 yrs
b) 5 million yrs
c)
50 million yrs
d) 500 million yrs
e) 5 billion yrs
40. Other than at Hydrogen and Helium the cosmic abundance
curve has a significant peak at:
a)
Lithium
b)
Potassium
c) Iron
d)
Lead
e)
Uranium
41. The
meteorite type that tell us most about the early part of the solar system is
the:
a)
Iron meteorite.
b) Carbonaceous chondrite.
c)
Achondrites.
d)
Stony-iron meteorite.
e)
Palasite.
42. The planet furthest from the
sun that was known to ancient humans was:
a) Saturn
b)
Jupiter
c)
d)
Uranus
e)
Pluto
43.
As
messages to aliens, Voyager 1 contained a plaque with:
a) mathematical definitions
b)
a variety of images
c)
animal sounds
d)
greetings
e) all of the above
44. What is meant by the solar nebula?
a)
A cloud of gas around the outer edges of
the Solar System.
b)
Another name for the Sun's outer
atmosphere.
c)
Another name for our galaxy, the Milky
Way.
d) The disk of gas from which the Sun and planets
formed.
e)
Gas ejected from the Sun which fills the
inner Solar System.
45. Which
satellite is in a retrograde orbit around its planet?
a)
Miranda
b)
Io
c)
Europa
d) Triton
e)
Callisto
46. Uranus
is blue because:
a) Ammonia has frozen out of its atmosphere
b)
Methane has frozen out of its atmosphere
c)
Water vapor is a major component of its atmosphere
d)
Uranus’ atmosphere has a higher density than that of the other gas
planets
e) Uranus’ atmosphere has a lower density than
that of the other gas planets
47. Voyager
2 is:
a) in orbit around
b)
beyond the orbit of Pluto
c) on its way to the Jovian Planets
d) thought to have crashed into Nereid
e) lost
48. Which
of these does not have recent volcanic activity?
a)
Venus
b)
Earth
c) Mars
d)
Io
e)
Triton
49. The most oblate planet (Pole to Pole distance is less
than equator distance) is:
a) Jupiter
b) Saturn
c)
Uranus
d)
e)
Pluto
50. If
Jupiter had twice the mass that it currently does:
a)
It would be significantly larger than it is today
b) It would be about the same size as it is
today
c) It would be significantly smaller than it is
today
d) It would be a star