Fix Astronomy Chapter 4

1. Fix Astronomy Chapter 4

2. Question 1 An astronomical unit (AU) is the A. distance between the Earth and the Sun. B. distance between the Earth and the Moon. C. distance between the Earth and the nearest star (other than our own). D. distance light travels in one year. E. distance between the Earth and the nearest galaxy (other than our own).

3. Question 2 A scientific ________________ can be tested and makes specific predictions of what will happen. A. tradition B. belief C. observation D. pseudoscience E. theory

4. Question 3 Galileo is often considered to be the first truly "modern" scientist. A. True B. False

5. Question 4 Galileo was "pardoned" in 1992/1993 by Pope John Paul II for his work 360 years earlier. A. True B. False

6. Question 5 The controversial book of this famous person, published in the 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun. A. Kepler B. Tycho C. Ptolemy D. Galileo E. Copernicus

7. Question 6 He discovered that the orbits of the planets are ellipses. A. Kepler B. Tycho C. Ptolemy D. Galileo E. Copernicus

8. Question 7 He was first to prove that comets lie beyond the Earth's atmosphere. A. Kepler B. Tycho C. Ptolemy D. Galileo E. Copernicus

9. Question 8 A new planet was recently discovered in a distant solar system. By careful measurements, this planet is found to be 4 AU (semi-major axis) from its one-solar-mass sun. Using Kepler's Third Law, what is the period for this new planet? A. 2.3 years B. 4 years C. 8 years D. 22.6 years E. 16 years

10. Question 9 He discovered that Venus has phases, similar to our Moon. A. Kepler B. Tycho C. Ptolemy D. Galileo E. Copernicus

11. Question 10 Planets Alpha and Beta orbit a star identical to our Sun at distances of 5 AU and 10 AU, respectively. The orbital period for A. Alpha is greater than Beta. B. Alpha is less than Beta. C. both are identical. D. either is impossible to determine. E. both are zero.

12. Question 11 Suppose the distance between the two foci of an ellipse is much smaller than the semimajor axis of the ellipse. What can be said about the ellipse? A. A planet orbiting on that ellipse would have a short orbital period. B. The eccentricity of the ellipse is nearly zero. C. The ellipse is long and skinny. D. The foci are located far from the semimajor axis.

13. Question 12 Suppose a planet has an elliptical orbit. The speed of the planet is 20 km/s when it is at its average distance from the Sun. Which of the following is most likely to be the planet's speed when it is farthest from the Sun? A. 15 km/s B. 20 km/s C. 25 km/s D. 30 km/s

14. Question 13 Suppose planet X has a circular orbit. As viewed from the Earth, the maximum angle between planet X and the Sun is 65 degrees. What is the orbital distance of planet X? A. 0.9 AU B. 1.4 AU C. 1.8 AU D. 2.5 AU

15. Question 14 A planet whose distance from the Sun is 3 A.U. would have an orbital period of how many Earth-years? • 81 • 3 • √27 • 9 • √3

16. Question 15 What contribution to astronomy was made by Tycho Brahe? • Meticulous and accurate records of the stars, planets, comets and a supernova • His telescope revealed the moons of Jupiter before Galileo noted them. • The Earth is not the center of the Universe. • Retrograde motion must be explained by epicycles larger than those of Ptolemy. • The planets' orbits around the Sun are ellipses, not circles.

17. Question 16 Tycho Brahe's contribution to Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion were • his detailed and accurate observations of the planet's position. • the correct explanation of lunar phases. • his observations of Jupiter's moons. • a mathematical explanation of epicycles. • a precise lunar calendar.

18. Question 17 Which of these was NOT seen telescopically by Galileo? • Craters and mare on the Moon • sunspots • Four moons around Jupiter • Venus' phase cycle • stellar parallax

19. 1. A 2. E 3. A 4. A 5. E 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. B 11. B 12. A 13. A