Exam 2 Astro

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The age of the solar system can be established by radioactive dating of ...
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The age of the solar system can be established by radioactive dating of ...
the oldest meteorites.
Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition?
Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside.
Why isn't Earth's atmosphere mostly hydrogen?
Light gases such as hydrogen move faster than heavier gases and escape from Earth's gravitational field.
What is the difference between "weather" and "climate"?
Weather is the short-term variations in atmospheric conditions; climate is the long-term variations in atmospheric conditions
Which of the following processes tells us about the geological age of a world's surface?
impact cratering
Which of the following is NOT an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?
Most planets orbit at the same speed.
What do asteroids and comets have in common?
Most are unchanged since their formation in the solar system.
Heat escapes from a planet's surface into space by thermal radiation. Planets radiate almost entirely in the wavelength range of the ...
infrared
How does tidal heating work?
An object orbiting around something else in an elliptical orbit will experience varying strength of tidal force as it gets closer and farther in its orbit. This causes the orbiting object to change shape and heat the interior.
Suppose we found a planet which is a little bigger than Earth, orbiting around a star like the Sun in an orbit like Mars. Which of the following properties might we find with this planet?
Active volcanoes, polar ice caps, active tectonics, and an atmosphere produced by outgassing
All of the following statements are true. Which statement represents a fact that leads us to expect Earth is warming up as a result of human activity?Human activity is increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.Why are the inner planets made of denser materials than the outer planets?In the inner part of the nebula only metals and rocks were able to condense because of the high temperatures, whereas hydrogen compounds were only able to condense in the cooler outer regions.Convection occurs in the troposphere (the layer closest to the ground), but not in the stratosphere (where ozone is) because ...lower altitudes of the troposphere are warmer than higher altitudes, unlike in the stratosphere.What material condensed to form objects in the outer solar system, outside the frost line?hydrogen compounds, rocks, and metalsWhat is a good way for scientists to assess whether or not the nebular theory for the formation of our solar system is a proper scientific theory?We can predict general characteristics of other solar systems.The strength of the Coriolis effect depends on ...a planet's size and rotation rate.Why won't Pluto collide with Neptune?The two objects have an orbital resonance that prevents them from colliding.What is the primary reason why a Pluto flyby mission would be cheaper than a Pluto orbiter?The fuel needed for an orbiter to slow down when it reaches Pluto adds a lot of weight to the spacecraft.Why would the weather become more severe as the greenhouse effect increased?Warming would increase the evaporation of the oceans, leading to more water in the atmosphere and more frequent and severe storms.What is the most important reason why an icy moon is more likely to be geologically active than a rocky moon of the same size?Ice has a lower melting point then rockEarth's atmosphere contains only small amount of carbon dioxide because ...carbon dioxide dissolves in water, and most of it is now contained in the oceans and carbonate rocks.What is the basic idea behind the greenhouse effect?Greenhouse gases slow down the escape of infrared light into space, causing energy to stay in the atmosphere longerWhich of the following is NOT a characteristic of the outer planets?They have few if any moonsWhy is Jupiter denser than Saturn?The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn.Which property is the single most important factor regarding geological activity for terrestrial worlds?sizeWhy aren't small asteroids spherical in shape?The strength of gravity on small asteroids is less than the strength of the rock.Which planet has the biggest difference between its average "no greenhouse" temperature and its average actual temperature?VenusWhich of the following statements about the rings of the four jovian planets is NOT true?All probably look much like they did when the solar system first formed.As the solar system was forming, why did the rotation of the disk increase as the nebula was collapsing?angular momentum was conserved.According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?Most of the exceptions are the result of giant impacts.Why is the sky blue?Blue light scatters easier than other colorsWhy do scientists believe that an impact occurred on Earth around 65 million years ago? All of the following statements are true. Select the one statement which doesn't inform us about the possibility of an impact.Dinosaur fossils are found below the sediment layer corresponding to 65 million years ago, and are absent above this layerOn Earth, and over geological timescales, what happens if the amount of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere?Atmospheric temperature increases, causing more ocean evaporation, causing more rain bringing carbon dioxide into the oceans to get absorbed by the seafloorFor which planet(s) have we found evidence of liquid water existing on the surface in the past?Venus Earth and MarsWhich of the following worlds would we expect to have the thickest lithosphere?MercuryWhat is the reason why astronomers were initially surprised to find jovian moons to be geologically active?They are relatively smallWhy is Earth the only (known) planet to have molecular oxygen in its atmosphere?LifeWhich two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet?distance from sun and atmosphereWhich one of the following is NOT one of the four major features of the solar system?The solar system contains eight planets plus dwarf planets.The terrestrial planet cores contain mostly metal because ...metals sank to the center during a time when the interiors were molten throughout.