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Astronomy Final [Ch 8-14]

Terms in this set (117)

According to our present theory of solar system formation, how did Earth end up with enough water to make oceans?
The water was brought to the forming Earth by planetesimals that accreted beyond the orbit of Mars
What is the primary basis upon which we divide the ingredients of the solar nebula into four categories (hydrogen/helium; hydrogen compound; rock; metal)?
The temperatures at which various materials will condense from gaseous form to solid form
The region of our solar system between Mercury and Mars has very few asteroids, while the region between Mars and Jupiter has many asteroids. Based on what you have learned, what is the most likely explanation for the lack of asteroids between Mercury and Mars?
There were very few planetary leftovers in this region, because most of the solid material was accreted by the terrestrial planets as the planets formed.
Many meteorites appear to have formed very early in the solar system's history. How do these meteorites support our theory about how the terrestrial planets formed?
The meteorites appearance and composition is just what we'd expect if metal and rock condensed and accreted as our theory suggests.
According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following objects now reside quite far from the place where they formed originally?
Oort cloud comets
Why are terrestrial planets denser than jovian planets?
Only dense materials could condense in the inner solar nebula.
According to our modern science, which of the following best explains why the vast majority of the mass of our solar system consists of hydrogen and helium gas?
Hydrogen and helium are the most common elements throughout the universe, because they were the only elements present when the universe was young.
Which of the following is not a line of evidence supporting the hypothesis that our Moon formed as a result of a giant impact?
The Pacific Ocean appears to be a large crater - probably the one made by the giant impact.
What is the primary reason that astronomers suspect that some jovian moons were captured into their current orbits?
Some moons have orbits that are "backwards" (compared to their planet's rotation) or highly inclined to their planet's equator.
According to present understanding, which of the following statements about the solar wind is not true?
It is even stronger today than it was when the Sun was young.
According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following best explains why the solar nebula ended up with a disk shape as it collapsed?
It flattened as a natural consequence of collisions between particles in the nebula.
According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?
The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal.
According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the central regions of the solar nebula got hotter as the nebula shrank in size?
The law of conservation of energy
Which of the following best explains why we can rule out the idea that planets are usually formed by near-collisions between stars?
Stellar near-collisions are far too rare to explain all the planets now known to orbit nearby stars.
According to our theory of solar system formation, which law best explains why the solar nebula spun faster as it shrank in size?
The law of conservation of angular momentum
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