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He discovered that Jupiter has moons. a) Galileo |
Galileo |
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The names of the seven days of the week are based on the |
seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations |
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Historians trace the origins of a 24-hour day to a) the Aztecs. |
the ancient Egyptians. |
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The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. a) Galileo |
copernicus |
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He developed a system for predicting planetary positions that remained in use for some 1,500 years. a) copernicus |
ptolemy |
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The ancient goal of astrology was to a) make a more accurate model of the universe. |
predict human events |
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What is meant by Occam’s Razor? a) a poorly designed experiment that fails to show the difference between two competing b) a well-designed experiment that clearly shows the differences between two competing c) the idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with d) the fine line between science and pseudoscience e) the shaving implement of a medieval scholar |
the idea that scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agree equally well with observations |
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Which ancient culture had the greatest known success in predicting eclipses? a) Greeks |
Mayans |
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People of central Africa predicted the weather by? a) observing the path of the planets across the sky. b) observing the orientation of the crescent Moon relative to the horizon. c) observing the location of the Moon relative to the Sun in the sky. d) recording the seasonal changes in average temperature. e) observing the length of the lunar cycle. |
observing the orientation of the crescent Moon relative to the horizon. |
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Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler’s laws? a) More distant planets move at slower speeds. b) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. c) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. d) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. e) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. |
The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers. |
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Which of the following statements about scientific models is true? a) A model tries to represent all aspects of nature. b) A model tries to represent only one aspect of nature. c) A model can be used to explain and predict real phenomena. d) All models that explain nature well are correct. e) All current models are correct. |
A model can be used to explain and predict real phenomena. |
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In order to tell time at night, the ancient Egyptians of 3000 B.C. used a) Moon clocks, which measured time based on the Moon’s position relative to the stars. b) sundials, with light provided by the Moon. c) star clocks, which measured time based on the positions of stars at particular times of night and particular times of year. d) water clocks, measuring the flow of water through an opening. e) hourglasses, measuring the flow of sand through an opening. |
star clocks, which measured time based on the positions of stars at particular times of night and particular times of year. |
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He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses a) Copernicus |
Kepler |
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He was the first to prove that comets lie beyond Earth’s atmosphere. a) Copernicus |
Tycho Brahe |
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Kepler’s second law, which states that as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas a) a planet’s period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. b) planets have circular orbits. c) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. d) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. e) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. |
a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. |
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When we see Venus in its full phase, what phase would Earth be in as seen by a hypothetical a) new |
full |
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Compared with the standard hour of 60 minutes used today, the hour of ancient Egypt a) differed in length depending on the pharaoh in power at the time. b) was longer than 60 minutes in the summer and shorter than 60 minutes in the winter. c) was shorter than the hour used today. d) divided the entire day into 12 equal parts. |
was longer than 60 minutes in the summer and shorter than 60 minutes in the winter. |
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All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly from Kepler’s third law? a) Venus is larger than Mercury. b) Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. c) Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Mercury. d) Venus is more massive than Mercury. |
Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury. |
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The Muslim fast of Ramadan occurs a) on the summer solstice. b) on the spring equinox. c) during a thirteenth month of the Metonic cycle. d) during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. e) at the end of the Metonic cycle. |
during the ninth month of a 12-month lunar cycle. |
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Kepler’s third law, p2 = a3, means that a) a planet’s period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. b) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. c) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. d) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. e) All of the above are correct. |
All of the above are correct. |
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The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world? a) the Mediterranean and the Middle East b) Southern Asia c) North America d) Central and South America |
the Mediterranean and the Middle East |
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What do the structures of Stonehenge, the Templo Mayor, and the Sun Dagger all have in common? a) They all can be used as lunar calendars. b) They were all built on the orders of ancient Mediterranean kings. c) They were all used by ancient peoples for astronomical observations. d) They were all places used for religious sacrifice. |
They were all used by ancient peoples for astronomical observations. |
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How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? a) It placed the Sun at the center so that the planets’ apparent retrograde motion was seen as b) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth. c) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around the Sun. d) It varied the motion of the celestial sphere so that it sometimes moved backward. e) It held that sometimes the planets moved backward along their circular orbits. |
It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth. |
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The astrology practiced by those who cast predictive horoscopes can be tested by a) comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance. b) asking astrologers if it works. c) asking astronomers if it works. d) counting how many times the predictions come true. e) polling people to find out what percentage believe their horoscopes to be accurate. |
comparing how often the predictions come true to what would be expected by pure chance. |
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How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.? a) by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes b) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse c) We don’t know how he did it since all his writings were destroyed. d) by sending fleets of ships around Earth e) by measuring the size of Earth’s shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse |
by comparing the maximum altitude of the Sun in two cities at different latitudes |
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