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The most metal-rich terrestrial planet is |
Mercury |
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Which planet, other than Earth, has visible water ice on it? |
Mars |
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Which of the following observations indicates that conditions on Mars may have been suitable for life in the past? |
There are dried-up riverbeds on Mars |
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Which of the following is NOT an exception to the general patterns of motion in the solar system? |
The rings of Saturn EXCEPTIONS: -the retrograde rotation of Triton around Neptune -the counterclockwise rotation of Venus -the large size of Earth’s Moon -the extreme axis tilt of Uranus |
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Which is the densest planet in the solar system? |
Earth |
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the inner planets? |
They all have substantial atmospheres |
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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 |
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What is aerobraking? |
The technique of using a planetary atmosphere to change the orbit of a spacecraft |
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Which of the following is NOT an advantage of spacecraft flybys over ground-based telescope observations? |
Spacecraft can monitor changes in a planet’s atmosphere over long times |
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Based on the frequency with which we see comets from Earth, astronomers estimate the total number of comets in the solar system to be |
1 trillion |
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How does the Sun’s mass compare with that of the planets? |
It is a thousand times more massive than all the planets combined |
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Which planet has the highest average surface temperature, and why? |
Venus, because of its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere |
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Which planet has a ring system? |
All of the above Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune |
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Which of the following statements is NOT an observed pattern of motion in our solar system? |
Most planets orbit at the same speed OBSERVED PATTERNS: -most planets rotate in the same direction in which they orbit -most planetary orbits le nearly in the same plane -all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction -almost all moons orbit their planet in the same direction as the planet’s rotation |
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Where does nuclear fission occur on the Sun? |
In its core |
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Pluto is different from the outer planets in all of the following ways except which one? |
Its temperature is very cold DIFFERENCES: -its made of mostly ices -its orbit is not very close to being circular -it has few moons -it doesn’t have rings |
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The planet closest in size to Earth is |
Venus |
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Where are most of the known asteroids found? |
Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter |
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How do asteroids differ from comets? |
Asteroids are rocky bodies than the comets Comets are made of icy material |
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Which of the following best describes Pluto in terms of the general characteristics of terrestrial and jovian planets? |
Size and solid surface similar to terrestrial planets; distance similar to jovian planets |
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Astronomers have decided that, rather than being a planet, Pluto is really just a large member of |
The Kuiper belt |
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The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets |
TRUE |
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The terrestrial planets in our solar system are |
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars |
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The jovian planets in our solar system are |
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune |
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When we say that jovian planets contain significant amounts of hydrogen compounds, we mean all the following chemicals EXCEPT |
Carbon Dioxide chemicals included: -water, ammonia, methane |
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What is the Kuiper belt? |
A region of the solar system beginning just beyond the orbit of Neptune that contains many icy comets |
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What is the Oort cloud? |
It is not really a cloud at all, but rather refers to the trillion or so comets thought to orbit the Sun at great distances |
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Which of the following statements about our Sun is NOT true? |
The Sun’s diameter is about 5 times that of Earth TRUE: -the Sun is a star -the Sun contains more than 99% of all the mass in our solar system -the Sun is made mostly of hydrogen and helium |
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The planet in our solar system with the highest average surface temperature is |
Venus |
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Venus has a higher average surface temperature than Mercury. Why? |
Because its surface is heated by an extreme greenhouse effect |
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In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet? |
It is made mostly of rock and ice |
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