ASTRO PSU- FINAL EXAM WITH CORRECT ANSWERS #8
Why do we see the Moon appear to go through phases as seen from Earth?
A. The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from the Earth is
hitting the Moon
B. As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
C. Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its
illuminated side
D. The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time - correct answer C.
Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its
illuminated side
The Zodiac constellations are
A. Directly above the North Pole and South Pole
B. Distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere
C. Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
D. Distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere
E. Directly above the Earth's equator - correct answer C. Aligned with the Earth's orbit
around the Sun
In 13,000 years, July will occur during winter in the northern hemisphere
True of false? - correct answer False
Over a period of a few hours, you see the Moon rising above the horizon. This motion is
mostly due to
A. Moon's spin
B. Moon's orbit around Earth
C. Earth's spin
D. Earth's orbit around Sun - correct answer C. Earth's spin
Which of the following statements about eclipses are true? Select all that apply.
A. A total solar eclipse is visible from half of Earth
B. Lunar eclipses occur during the new Moon
C. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon is in opposition
,D. Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth
E. Only a small portion of the Sun can be covered by a solar eclipse - correct answer D.
Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years
What did Aristotle use to explain the phenomenon that caused planets to appear as if
they were moving backwards (and then forward again) in space?
A. Parallax as one planet passes by another
B. The motion of Earth around the Sun
C. A shooting star
D. Epicycles
E. Precession of Earth's spin axis - correct answer D. Epicycles
If Earth was compressed so that its radius was 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the
same, the force of gravity felt at its surface would be...
A. 2 times weaker
B. 2 times stronger
C. 4 times weaker
D. 4 times stronger
E. 16 times weaker
F. 16 times stronger - correct answer E. 16 times weaker
The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of
the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. Precession of Earth's spin axis
C. Earth's spin
D. Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
E. The elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit - correct answer B. Precession of Earth's spin
axis
Which of the following are true? Select all that apply.
A. If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
B. Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars
C. Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system - correct answer A. If
Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system
,If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?
A. On the horizon and rising
B. On the horizon and setting
C. On the meridian
D. Beneath you
E. Mars can never appear in opposition - correct answer C. On the meridian
Earth experiences seasons because
A. The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
B. The Earth's spin axis is precessing
C. The Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the Earth's distance from the Sun changes
during the year
D. During winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one -
correct answer A. The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? Select all
that apply.
A. The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
B. The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse
C. A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun
D. Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets
E. Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars - correct answer A. The
planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but we don't see it at night
during the summer. This is because of the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
C. Earth's spin
D. Motion of the constellations through space
E. Precession of the Earth's spin axis - correct answer A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
Which of the following did Galileo observe with his telescope? Select all that apply.
A. Craters and mountains on Mercury
, B. Phases of Venus
C. Retrograde motion
D. Rings of Neptune
E. Moons of Jupiter
F. Sunspots - correct answer B. Phases of Venus
E. Moons of Jupiter
F. Sunspots
Which of the following statements are true? Select all that apply.
A. If no force acts on a moving object, it will eventually slow down and come to a stop
B. There is no gravity in space
C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
E. F = m / a - correct answer C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
Objects A and B feel an attractive force due to gravity. A has a smaller mass than B.
Which one experiences a greater acceleration?
A. Object A
B. Object B
C. The same acceleration is experienced by both objects - correct answer A. Object A
Among the following, who was the first to propose the heliocentric model for the solar
system?
A. Copernicus
B. Galileo
C. Aristotle
D. Ptolemy
E. Kepler
F. Tycho Brahe - correct answer A. Copernicus
Which of these is not experiencing weightlessness?
A. A planet orbiting a star
B. An astronaut standing on the Moon
C. A person sky diving
D. An astronaut orbiting Earth - correct answer B. An astronaut standing on the Moon
Why do we see the Moon appear to go through phases as seen from Earth?
A. The Moon reflects "Earthshine", so it depends on how much light from the Earth is
hitting the Moon
B. As the Moon rotates, it presents a different phase to us over the course of its "day".
C. Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its
illuminated side
D. The Earth's shadow blocks out part of the Moon from time to time - correct answer C.
Depending on where the Moon is along its orbit, we see different amounts of its
illuminated side
The Zodiac constellations are
A. Directly above the North Pole and South Pole
B. Distributed fairly evenly over the northern portion of the celestial sphere
C. Aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun
D. Distributed fairly evenly over the entire celestial sphere
E. Directly above the Earth's equator - correct answer C. Aligned with the Earth's orbit
around the Sun
In 13,000 years, July will occur during winter in the northern hemisphere
True of false? - correct answer False
Over a period of a few hours, you see the Moon rising above the horizon. This motion is
mostly due to
A. Moon's spin
B. Moon's orbit around Earth
C. Earth's spin
D. Earth's orbit around Sun - correct answer C. Earth's spin
Which of the following statements about eclipses are true? Select all that apply.
A. A total solar eclipse is visible from half of Earth
B. Lunar eclipses occur during the new Moon
C. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon is in opposition
,D. Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years for a given location on Earth
E. Only a small portion of the Sun can be covered by a solar eclipse - correct answer D.
Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 360 years
What did Aristotle use to explain the phenomenon that caused planets to appear as if
they were moving backwards (and then forward again) in space?
A. Parallax as one planet passes by another
B. The motion of Earth around the Sun
C. A shooting star
D. Epicycles
E. Precession of Earth's spin axis - correct answer D. Epicycles
If Earth was compressed so that its radius was 4 times smaller, but the mass stayed the
same, the force of gravity felt at its surface would be...
A. 2 times weaker
B. 2 times stronger
C. 4 times weaker
D. 4 times stronger
E. 16 times weaker
F. 16 times stronger - correct answer E. 16 times weaker
The season during which we see a constellation at night changes over time because of
the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. Precession of Earth's spin axis
C. Earth's spin
D. Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
E. The elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit - correct answer B. Precession of Earth's spin
axis
Which of the following are true? Select all that apply.
A. If Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
B. Aristotle detected parallax motion of stars
C. Planets exhibit parallax motion, but it is too small to see with the naked eye
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system - correct answer A. If
Earth is moving through space, stars should exhibit parallax motion
D. Aristotle believed in the geocentric model of the solar system
,If the time is midnight and Mars is in opposition, where is Mars in the sky?
A. On the horizon and rising
B. On the horizon and setting
C. On the meridian
D. Beneath you
E. Mars can never appear in opposition - correct answer C. On the meridian
Earth experiences seasons because
A. The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
B. The Earth's spin axis is precessing
C. The Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the Earth's distance from the Sun changes
during the year
D. During winter and summer, one hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the other one -
correct answer A. The Earth's spin axis is tilted relative to the Earth's orbit
Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system is true? Select all
that apply.
A. The planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
B. The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the center of the ellipse
C. A planet moves slowest at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Sun
D. Inferior planets take more time to orbit the Sun than superior planets
E. Planets always travel west to east relative to the stars - correct answer A. The
planets are found close to the Zodiac constellations
In State College, we can see Orion at night during the winter, but we don't see it at night
during the summer. This is because of the
A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
B. Tilt of the Earth's spin axis relative to the Earth's orbit
C. Earth's spin
D. Motion of the constellations through space
E. Precession of the Earth's spin axis - correct answer A. Earth's orbit around the Sun
Which of the following did Galileo observe with his telescope? Select all that apply.
A. Craters and mountains on Mercury
, B. Phases of Venus
C. Retrograde motion
D. Rings of Neptune
E. Moons of Jupiter
F. Sunspots - correct answer B. Phases of Venus
E. Moons of Jupiter
F. Sunspots
Which of the following statements are true? Select all that apply.
A. If no force acts on a moving object, it will eventually slow down and come to a stop
B. There is no gravity in space
C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
E. F = m / a - correct answer C. For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
D. While in space, an astronaut's mass is the same as their mass while on Earth
Objects A and B feel an attractive force due to gravity. A has a smaller mass than B.
Which one experiences a greater acceleration?
A. Object A
B. Object B
C. The same acceleration is experienced by both objects - correct answer A. Object A
Among the following, who was the first to propose the heliocentric model for the solar
system?
A. Copernicus
B. Galileo
C. Aristotle
D. Ptolemy
E. Kepler
F. Tycho Brahe - correct answer A. Copernicus
Which of these is not experiencing weightlessness?
A. A planet orbiting a star
B. An astronaut standing on the Moon
C. A person sky diving
D. An astronaut orbiting Earth - correct answer B. An astronaut standing on the Moon
