Earth Science: Astronomy, Book J

Chapter 3: The Solar System

The Solar System

1
Scientists theorize that Jupiter's core is __________.
A)made of water vapor
B)made of hydrogen and helium
C)rocky
D)made of ammonia and methane
2
Why isn't Neptune always the eighth planet from the Sun?
A)because it sometimes passes outside Pluto's orbit to become the ninth planet
B)because it sometimes passes inside Uranus's orbit, becoming the seventh planet from the Sun
C)because sometimes we are unable to see Neptune's orbit in space
D)because all the planet's change positions occasionally
3
Mars and Earth have similar tilts. What other similarity does this cause the two planets to have?
A)seasons
B)temperatures
C)land forms
D)life-forms
4
One of the main differences between the outer and inner planets is __________.
A)the outer planets have rings, and the inner planets don't
B)the outer planets are gas planets
C)the inner planets are all terrestrial
D)the inner planets are much bigger than the outer planets
5
What caused the dense cloud scientists hypothesize created our solar system to increase in temperature as it condensed?
A)increasing density
B)increasing speed
C)increasing friction
D)increasing mass
6
Which of Jupiter's four largest moons is the most volcanically active?
A)Ganymede
B)Europa
C)Callisto
D)Io
7
What causes Mars to appear reddish?
A)its position in the solar system
B)the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
C)the iron oxide surface
D)its distance from the Sun
8
One astronomical unit is approximately equal to __________.
A)the distance from Earth to the Sun
B)75 million km
C)250 million km
D)the distance from Pluto to the sun
9
When atoms combine to form heavier atoms, _________ occurs.
A)fission
B)refraction
C)friction
D)fusion
10
How many known moons orbit Jupiter?
A)7
B)10
C)17
D)16
11
Why do scientists think is the cause of Uranus's titled orbit?
A)It's a result of its distance from the Sun.
B)It collided with another object in space.
C)It was created that way.
D)The temperatures out in space caused the planet to tilt.
12
What happened to the dust and gas that did not contribute to forming the Sun?
A)It created other stars.
B)It was lost forever.
C)It was all burned up by the Sun.
D)It created the planets.
13
Which of Jupiter's four largest moon's oceans do scientists hope to explore in the near future?
A)Io
B)Ganymede
C)Callisto
D)Europa
14
What evidence of water on Mars did the Mars Pathfinder find?
A)features like gullies
B)Samples of Martian crust indicated that iron had been leached out by groundwater.
C)all answers are correct
D)water that is possibly frozen into the crust at Mars's poles
15
How many moons does Pluto have?
A)one
B)none
C)three
D)two
16
Which planet did the Viking probes explore?
A)Venus
B)Jupiter
C)Mercury
D)Mars
17
How can Saturn be the second largest planet, as well as the lowest in density?
A)It is made mostly of water vapor.
B)It is made of a large, rocky core.
C)It is composed mostly of methane and ammonia
D)It is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium
18
Why is Venus hot?
A)because of its position in the solar system
B)because of the volcanoes
C)because of its closeness to the Sun
D)because of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
19
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is __________.
A)a volcano
B)a tremendous storm
C)a mountain range
D)an ocean of liquid hydrogen
20
Why is Venus often called Earth's twin?
A)because of similar temperatures
B)because of its similar topography
C)because life also existed there at one time
D)because of its similar size
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