AST 1002
Test 2, Fall 2005
QQ 1 Atoms have emission and absorption lines in their spectra instead of 
purely continuous spectra because 
AA S 1 (1) their energy levels are restricted to a set of particular values 
by the quantum theory in physics, which applies at the atomic level
(2) only photons with particular wavelengths can escape from inside a given 
atom  
(3) a given photon can only have one wavelength at a time
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 2 As the temperature of a gas is increased, we expect the degree of 
ionization to 
AA S 1 (1) increase
(2) decrease
(3) stay the same 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 3 The kind of energy level that has to do with the atoms in a molecule 
moving towards and then away from each other is termed 
AA S 1 (1) vibrational
(2) rotational
(3) electronic
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 4 If a galaxy is moving away from us, we should expect the wavelengths of 
its absorption line to be 
AA S 1 (1) shifted to a longer wavelength than normal (redshifted) 
(2) shifted to a shorter wavelength than normal (blueshifted)
(3) completely unchanged
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 5 The refracting telescope has a problem bringing light rays of different 
colors to a focus at the same point.  This is called 
AA S 1 (1) chromatic aberration
(2) spherical aberration 
(3) coma
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 6 The ability of a telescope to make images of faint objects visible is
referred to as its 
AA S 1 (1) light-collecting power 
(2) magnifying power
(3) resolving power or resolution
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 7 The instrument mounted on a telescope that is used to measure the apparent 
brightness of an object at a particular wavelength is the 
AA S 1 (1) photometer
(2) spectrograph
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 8 Earth's atmosphere is most transparent in which of the following regions 
of the electromagnetic spectrum?
AA S 1 (1) radio
(2) gamma ray
(3) ultraviolet
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 9 The instrument with the highest resolution for radio waves is 
AA S 1 (1) a radio telescope array with a maximum baseline of 4000 miles  
(2) a radio telescope with a stationary single dish (Arecibo)
(3) a radio telscope array with a maximum baseline of 20 miles 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 10 Which of the following is a terrestrial planet?
AA S 1 (1) Mercury
(2) Neptune 
(3) Pluto
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 11 Which of the following is typical of jovian planets?
AAS 1 (1) large number of moons/satellites
(2) high mean density
(3) slow rotation (long rotation period)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 12 Which of the following statements is not strictly true for the major 
planets?
AA S 1 (1) All planets rotate in the same direction.
(2) All planets revolve in the same direction.
(3) All planets have orbits that are approximately circular with 
eccentricities 0.25 or less.
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 13 Which of the following is located between the orbits of Mars and 
Jupiter?
AA S 1 (1) Asteroid Belt
(2) Kuiper Belt
(3) Oort Cloud
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 14 The binary or close encounter hypothesis was doomed by which of 
the following?
AA S 1 (1) the condensation problem
(2) the angular momentum problem 
(3) the probability of a close encounter, which was so low as to be 
essentially impossible
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 15 In the nebular theory, what happens to the nebula's rotation as it 
is contracting because of conservation of angular momentum?
AA S 1 (1) the nebula spins faster and faster and flattens out
(2) the nebula slows down to compensate for its shrinking size 
(3) the rotation causes the nebula to break apart into several pieces 
that are spinning different ways
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 16 Which of the following is/are classified as refractory?
AA S 1 (1) rock
(2) hydrogen compounds such as water and ammonia
(3) hydrogen and helium
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 17 The temperature gradient in the protoplanetary disk caused 
AA S 1 (1) only refractories to condense inside the "frost line" and 
both refractories and volatiles to condense outside it
(2) only volatiles to condense inside the "frost line" and both 
refractories and volatiles to condense outside it
(3) refractories and volatiles to condense inside the "frost line" and 
only hydrogen and helium to condense outside it
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 18 The term nebular capture refers to 
AA S 1 (1) the jovian planetesimals' being massive enough to pull in 
hydrogen and helium from the protoplanetary disk, helping to make 
a largely gaseous planet
(2) a nebula surrounding a planetesimal helping capture another 
planetesimal by slowing it down 
(3) a planet capturing nebular material and using it to form a ring 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 19 The Moon's maria were formed as a result of 
AA S 1 (1) late bombardment by a few very large objects, about 3 billion 
years ago
(2) early bombardment by a large number of small objects, about 4.5 
billion years ago
(3) very recent bombardment by comets, which left water on the surface 
as seas
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 20 The Moon is presently believed to have formed 
AA S 1 (1) from material blasted into space when Earth was struck by a 
Mars-sized planetesimal (giant impact theory)
(2) somewhere else in the Solar System and been captured by Earth's 
tidal friction (capture theory)
(3) from material thrown off when the Earth rotated much faster than 
at present (fission theory)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 21 The process that explains why the Earth has a dense metal core 
and a less dense rock mantle is 
AA S 1 (1) differentiation 
(2) convection 
(3) conduction
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 22 Venus has virtually no magnetic field.  Which of the following 
elements needed for the dynamo mechanism in order to generate a 
magnetic field is lacking for Venus?
AA S 1 (1) substantial rotation to stir the interior
(2) convection to stir the interior  
(3) an electrically conductive fluid in the interior 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 23 Which of the terrestrial planets does not have any large shield 
volcanoes?
AA S 1 (1) Mercury
(2) Mars 
(3) Venus
(4) Earth 
(5) NVA

QQ 24 Which is the only terrestrial planet to have plate tectonics?
AA S 1 (1) Earth
(2) Venus 
(3) Neptune
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 25 The Great Red Spot is a gigantic anticyclone (high-pressure storm) 
on
AA S 1 (1) Jupiter
(2) Uranus 
(3) Neptune
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 26 Io's volcanic activity (geysers) is fuelled by what internal 
energy source?
AA S 1 (1) tidal friction resulting from its eccentric orbit and resonance 
with two other moons
(2) Jupiter's magnetic field
(3) natural radioactivity
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 27 The impact craters on Ganymede and Callisto stand out as white 
because their surfaces are made of 
AA S 1 (1) ice
(2) sulfur and sulfur compounds
(3) unusually white rock
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 28 The rings of the jovian planets are thought to be 
AA S 1 (1) the remains of small moons that have been broken apart over 
time by collisions
(2) the remains of a single large moon that came inside the Roche limit 
and was torn apart by tidal forces
(3) material left behind when the planets themselves contracted to their 
present sizes
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 29 The Kirkwood gaps in the Asteroid Belt are caused by the influence 
of 
AA S 1 (1) Jupiter
(2) Mars
(3) the Sun
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 30 The terms "primitive" and "processed" when applied to meteorites 
refer to 
AA S 1 (1) whether or not they have experienced considerable heating 
(2) their relative ages, with "primitive" being older and "processed" 
being young
(3) how long they've been lying around on the Earth's surface, with 
"primitive" being relatively recent and "processed" having been 
deposited longer ago
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 31 The large iron crystals known as Widmanstaetten figures indicate 
that the meteorite in which they are found cooled very slowly, which in 
turn implies that that meteorite was originally 
AA S 1 (1) near the center of a fairly large body that was differentiated 
(2) inside a fairly small body that was not differentiated 
(3) slightly below the surface of a fairly large body that was 
differentiated
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 32 The nucleus of a comet consists of 
AA S 1 (1) mainly ices (frozen hydrogen compounds) with dust and rock 
mixed in
(2) rock with a coating of ices (frozen hydrogen compounds) 
(3) a mixture of gas and liquids (hydrgen compounds) 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 33 The straight tail of a comet that points almost exactly away 
from the Sun is pushed back by 
AA S 1 (1) the solar wind of charged particles
(2) solar radiation pressure (photons)
(3) the Sun's magnetic field
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 34 Long-period comets have orbits that are 
AA S 1 (1) random inclination, either direct or retrograde 
(2) similar to the planets', in the same direction and roughly 
in the same plane
(3) either direct or retrograde but pretty much in the same plane 
as the planets'
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 35 Meteor showers are associated with 
AA S 1 (1) debris trailing along behind comets, even if the comet 
has disappeared
(2) debris from asteroid collisions that result in Hirayama families
(3) asteroid impacts on planets such as Mars and on the Moon 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA