Astro 110 - The Solar System » Fall 2019 » Quiz

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Question #1
Newton concluded that some force had to act on the moon because
A.   a force is needed to pull the moon away from straight-line motion.
B.   a force is needed to keep the moon from coming to a stop.
C.   All of these.
D.   a force is needed to pull the moon outward.
E.   the moon moved at a constant velocity.
Question #2
Which of the following would cause the force on the Moon by the Earth to increase by the largest amount?
A.   move the moon two times closer to Earth.
B.   None of the changes listed could cause the force to increase.
C.   double the mass of Earth.
D.   double the mass of the Moon.
E.   All of the changes listed would cause the same increase in the force.
Question #3
If the distance between the Earth and Sun were cut in half, the gravitational force between these two objects would:
A.   decrease by 2
B.   decrease by 4
C.   increase by 4
D.   increase by 2
Question #4
What force holds planets in their orbits?
A.   Gravity
B.   Electromagnetic
C.   Air resistance
D.   Friction
Question #5
Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space shuttle feel weightless in space because:
A.   the added gravitational pull of the Moon balances the Earth’s gravitational pull
B.   they are in constant free fall around the Earth
C.   they are farther away from the Earth
D.   they eat less food while in orbit
Question #6
Newton’s first law states that objects in motion:
A.   experience a nonzero acceleration
B.   stay in motion
C.   eventually come to rest
D.   experience an unbalanced force
Question #7
Gravity holds planets in orbit.
A.   FALSE
B.   TRUE
Question #8
Who wrote the equation for the law of gravitation?
A.   Copernicus
B.   Brahe
C.   Galileo
D.   Kepler
E.   Newton
Question #9
What was the most important contribution of Newton to the development of astronomy?
A.   Newton was the first to observe the sky through a telescope.
B.   Newton showed that the astronomical phenomena can be explained using only basic physics and mathematics.
C.   Newton invented the telescope.
D.   Newton showed that planetary orbits are ellipses, with each planet moving fastest when closest to the Sun.

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