SMT 314 - Introduction to Cosmology » Fall 2020 » HW 7

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Question #1
Jupiter, Saturn & Neptune radiate more energy than they receive from the Sun. The most likely source of this excess energy is
A.   gravitational contraction or settling
B.   the magnetic fields of these planets
C.   chemical reactions
D.   hydrogen fusion
E.   radioactive decay
Question #2
Saturn's rings are at such a large distance from the planet that it was difficult or impossible for the sparse material to coalesce into a moon.
A.   FALSE
B.   TRUE
Question #3
The distance from a planet within which it is not possible to form a moon through gravitational attraction between particles is called the _________ Limit. In other words, the tidal forces of the planet tear apart any moon that tries to form or orbit within this Limit.
A.   KUIPER
B.   ROCHE
C.   TECTONIC
Question #4
The existence of Uranus was correctly predicted after astronomers noted that Neptune's observed and expected positions in the sky differed.
A.   FALSE
B.   TRUE
Question #5
The low average density of Jupiter and Saturn compared with Earth suggest that
A.   they contain large quantities of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium
B.   they consist mostly of water
C.   volcanic eruptions have ejected all the iron that was originally in their cores.
D.   their gravitational attraction has squeezed material out of their cores
E.   they are hollow
Question #6
There is only one moon in the Solar System that generates its own magnetic field. What is its name?
A.   Titan
B.   Triton
C.   Callisto
D.   Ganymede
E.   Europa
F.   Luna (the Earth's Moon)
Question #7
Tidal forces from Jupiter heat its large moons Io and Europa, leading to extensive volcanism on Io and an icy slush beneath Europa's surface.
A.   TRUE
B.   FALSE
Question #8
Uranus’s rotational axis points toward:
A.   perpendicular to the ecliptic plane
B.   almost parallel to the solar ecliptic
C.   Sun
D.   Polaris
E.   Saturn
Question #9
Which celestial body has a retrograde orbit?
A.   Venus
B.   Io
C.   Triton
D.   Uranus
Question #10
Which one of the following statements about the Jovian planets is false?
A.   They generally have the thickest atmospheres of all the planets in the Solar System
B.   They have many moons, probably due to their large gravitational fields.
C.   Despite their size, they rotate about their axis very rapidly, in fewer than 24 hours.
D.   They are the most massive of all the planets in the Solar System since they are mainly composed of heavy elements like iron.
E.   They are the largest of all planets in the Solar System, with diameters up to nearly 1/10 the diameter of the Sun.
Question #11
Many of Saturn and Jupiter's moons are small, potato-shaped objects that don't orbit within their planet's orbital plane. Mark all of the reasons that astronomers have proposed to explain this:
A.   The moons were not formed at the same time as their planets.
B.   The moons are extra solar objects.
C.   The moons were not formed in the same method as their planets.
D.   The moons were captured asteroids.
E.   All of the above.

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