Use these questions to test your understanding of the material for the fourth exam. If you get them wrong, you will be linked back to the relevant part of the notes.
Be sure you study them thoroughly (don't just get a quick fix for your mistake) so your overall understanding is improved.
1. Pluto's atmosphere
a. does not exist b. freezes on Pluto's surface when it is far from the sun
c. is made of oxygen d. is like that of Venus e. escaped long ago
2. A key ingredient in discovering Pluto was
a. fly-by mission b. comparison of photographs taken at different times
c. use of modern electronic detectors d. Kepler's Third Law e. using a computer
3. We have determined the surface compositions of asteroids by
a. finding pieces of them on the ground b. studying spectra of sunlight reflected from them
c. monitoring their motions d. seeing what happens when they collide e. both a. and b.
4. Comets originate
a. from cloud surrounding the Solar System b. from the asteroid belt
c. from Jupiter d. from the sun e. from icy moons
5. Pluto is likely one of the largest members of
a. the Oort cloud b. the asteroid belt c.the meteor belt d. the Kuiper belt e. the comet zone
6. A meteor shower results when
a. the earth passes through the asteroid belt b. the earth passes through the Kuiper belt
c. the earth passes through the remnants of a comet d. the sun erupts e. two asteroids collide
7. Comets are comprised mainly of
a. ice b. rocks c. gas d. hydrogen e. materials like earth's crust
8. If all the asteroids in the asteroid belt were assembled into a planet, it would be
a. 1 Earth mass. b. less than 1/1,000 of Earth's mass c. 10 Earth masses d. 50% of Earth's mass
9. No full-sized planet formed between Mars and Jupiter because
b. the material available had the wrong mix of elements to make a planet
c. forming planets is pretty chancy and it just didn't happen
d. Jupiter's gravity kept stirring things up so no large object was safe from big collisions
e. it would have contradicted Bode's Law
10 The relative lack of craters on the surface of the earth is because
b. most of the meteors heading for the earth hit the moon instead
d. the strong gravity of the earth attracts the debris back into the hole made by the meteor
e. the meteors have nearly all hit in the ocean
11. The current arrangement of continents and oceans on the earth’s surface
a. has been present since the earth formed b. is the result of meteor collisions
c. is the result of the formation of the moon d. is the result of motion of plates
12. The earth's atmosphere has
a. changed only due to the action of humans b. remained the same since the earth formed
c. changed due to meteors d. changed due to the moon
e. changed due to volcanoes, rainwater induced chemical reactions, and photosynthesis
13. Aurorae are seen around the Earth and Jupiter because
a. both have strong magnetic fields b. both have oxygen atmospheres
c. both have volcanoes d. both have strong gravitational fields
e. both can attract particles from the sun
14. A planet that is differentiated
a. was put together from different bodies with distinct compositions
b. formed from a dense, metallic object to which rocky debris got added later
c. developed a surface of low density rocks deposited through volcano eruptions
d. will have plate tectonics as a result
e. must have been sufficiently molten that the denser materials sank to the center
15. The magnetic field of the earth
a. has remained constant since the planet formed
b. fluctuates in strength and reverses direction about every 20,000 years
c. has been steadily decreasing as the core of the earth cools
d. is produced by convection in the hot mantle of the planet
e. proves that there is a solid core to our planet
16. The most useful means to explore the crust and mantle of the earth is
a. studying earthquakes and seismic waves
b. drilling deep holes down into the earth
c. going down in very deep mines and making measurements
d. studying the motions of the continents
e. comparing the properties of the earth with those of other planets
17. The convection of hot rocks in the mantle of the earth occurs because
a. water deep within the earth boils and forces rocks upward
b. the mantle is stirred by the magnetic field as the earth spins
d. the motions of the continents stir up the rock underneath
e. the effects of tidal forces from the moon
18. We know the interior of the earth is liquid because
a. on a quiet night, you can feel it slosh
b. the way the earth wobbles on its axis shows it is not all solid
c. deep gold mines reach the liquid layer
d. earthquake waves that can't go through liquids are blocked by the interior of the earth
e. it is larger through the equator than through the poles
19. If there were no plate motions and continent building,
a. the earth would look pretty much like it does now
b. everything would be under water
c. only the polar caps would stick out of the water
d. the continents would still be there, but the mountains would be much lower
20. The average temperature at the earth has been constant for the 4 billion years over which life has developed because
a. the output of the sun has been extremely constant over this period
b. the distance between earth and sun has changed in a way that canceled the changes in the sun
d. addition of oxygen to the atmosphere by plants has stabilized the temperature
e. the earth is in the habitable zone of the sun
21. The ice ages in the last few hundred thousand years seem to have been triggered by
a. changes in the output of the sun
b. the earth passed through a molecular cloud that absorbed sunlight that normally reaches earth
c. huge volcanic eruptions increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
d. small perturbations in the orbit and polar inclination caused changes in the climate
e. plate motions moved all the continents to the poles
22. To determine when ice ages have occurred in the past, we
a. analyze the isotopes of oxygen in shellfish fossils
b. tunnel deep into the antarctic ice to see how thick it was in the past
c. study tree rings to see when growing conditions were unfavorable
d. study fossils to see when land animals had large amounts of insulating fat
e. survey morains from ancient glaciers
23. Looking back over hundreds of millions of years, the earth
a. is warmer than average, due to human-induced global warming.
b. is at about an average temperature
d. is in a particularly unsteady state in terms of climate
e. has shown a steady warming trend as the output of the sun has increased
24. Planets in the "habitable zone" will
b. may form life if they are large enough to retain atmospheres
c. may form life if they retain atmospheres and have just the right amount of liquid water
25. Habitable zones are the regions
a. defined by the latitudes on a planet that stay warm during an ice age
b. around a star where water on the surface of a planet is likely to be liquid
c. where the stellar magnetic fields deflect comets and asteroids so they bombard the planets less
d. where the planet orientations cause seasons
e. where only planets about the mass of the earth can form.
26. Life is unlikely to form on planets orbiting stars much more massive than the sun because
a. they burn their nuclear fuels and evolve off the main sequence too quickly
b. their strong gravity causes tidal locking of planets orbiting them
c. their high outputs make any planets around them too hot for life
d. cosmic rays and other radiation emitted by these stars are too intense for life
e. actually, we think life forms preferentially around such stars
27. Long periods when the climate was warmer than average were probably caused by
a. the mantle getting hotter and heating up the continents
b. the orbit of the earth getting smaller, so we were closer to the sun
c. the output of the sun going way up
d. the day being much longer because the earth was spinning more slowly on its axis
e. greenhouse warming due to carbon dioxide released by many volcanoes
28. The weather is difficult to predict because
a. we do not yet gather enough information for weather forecasters
c. weather systems are continually shifted by mountain ranges
e. we do not spend enough money on the weather bureau
29. The metallic hydrogen in Jupiter's interior contributes to
a. its rapid rotation b. its extreme temperature c. its extreme weather patterns
d. its strong magnetic field e. its colorful atmosphere
30. The thermal emission from several giant planets
a. is larger than would be predicted from the amount of sunlight absorbed by the planets
b. is smaller than would be predicted from the amount of sunlight absorbed by the planets
c. indicates that the blackbody law is in error
d. indicates that these planets are comprised largely of ice
e. is only indicative of their distances from the sun
31. The high level of motions and activity in Jupiter's atmosphere results from
a. Stirring by comets and asteroids drawn into the planet
b. Convection driven in part by the interior heat of the planet
c. Chemical reactions that change the atmospheric pressure
d. Gravitational effects from the inner Jovian moons
e. effects of the planet's strong magnetic field
32. The low level of oxygen in Jupiter's atmosphere suggests that:
a. oxygen was not abundant in the early, outer solar system
b. the oxygen is all locked up in clouds
c. oxygen escaped into space from Jupiter because of its low atomic weight
d. Jupiter formed around a core that contains a large fraction of its oxygen
e. Jupiter did not form life forms that released large amounts of oxygen
33. The poles and equator on Jupiter do not rotate at the same rate, implying that
b. Jupiter's visible surface is made of liquid or gas
c. Jupiter has strong plate tectonics
d. Jupiter's composition is like the earth's
e. Jupiter's surface is covered with rivers
34. Some planets were able to retain their hydrogen and helium as they formed because
e. they were closer to the sun
35. Convergent evolution means
a. All animals tend to evolve toward a single, highest form
b. Facing similar challenges, different types of animal tend to evolve toward similar solutions
c. Plants and animals are evolving toward a new type of organism
d. Conditions converged in the Cambrian era for development of a new variety of animals
e. Non-convergent forms of life are doomed to die out
36. Brain sizes
b. have tended to get smaller with time
c. have tended to get larger with time
d. have fluctuated a lot with time
e. take a big step toward smaller brains after a typical mass extinction
37. Sophisticated, thinking brains and complex nervous and sensory systems developed
a. to allow location of easily-digested foods
c. in the era of dinosaurs for the first time
d. a number of times, but earlier instances were eliminated in mass extinctions
e. in a broad variety of animal types
38. Development of civilization on Earth has waited until sophisticated, thinking brains evolved and
a. visitors from outer space passed on the basic secrets of civilized life
c. major predators such as saber-toothed tigers became extinct
e. the climate entered a mild period that made it easier to grow food
39. The number of civilizations we might be able to receive radio signals from
a. is very hard to estimate - we can only try and see what happens
b. is very large, and we should do so very soon
c. is obviously so small that we should give up trying
d. depends critically on our determining the number of stars in our galaxy
40. The probability of a "fair" coin coming up heads is 1/2. What is the probability of it coming up heads three times in a row?
a. 1/2 b. 1/4 c. 1/6 d. 1/8 e. 1/12
41. Animals with relatively large brains
a. are always capable of sophisticated thinking
b. might just be extra-good at sensing and hunting their prey
c. are at a disadvantage because of the demands the brain puts on their systems
d. generally are sea animals because of the difficulty of bearing the weight of the brain on land
e. have existed for hundreds of millions of years
42. Infant humans
a. use most of their body energy to support large and growing brains
b. are so uncoordinated because their brains are still tiny
c. have brain sizes typical of those of other mammals of similar size
d. cannot walk because their brains are too heavy
e. have brains of the primitive snatch and eat kind, like alligators
43. The biggest uncertainty in how many civilizations there are right now in other planetary systems around us is probably
a. the likelihood that even primitive life could get started on a habitable planet
b. the number of planetary systems around other stars
c. how long a civilization lasts before it dies out or destroys itself
d. whether large brains would develop once another planet had complex animals on it
e. how many stars there are that are suitable for planet systems with life
44. Science
a. can explain nearly everything
b. gives an alternative explanation for everything included in religions
c. has some major events that it cannot explain, like what happened before the Big Bang
d. will inevitably conflict with religion
e. can't explain everything just yet, but will be able to do so very soon
45. Multiple forms of complex animal life first appeared
a. after the K/T extinction. b. more than 3 billion years after the first life on Earth.
c. fairly quickly after the first life on Earth. d. as soon as nucleated cells developed.
e. once there was substantial oxygen in the atmosphere for them to breathe.
46. Sex was an important development toward advanced life because:
a. it makes the world go 'round.
b. it made animals want to reproduce more.
c. it greatly increased the genetic variety in living organisms
d. actually, it was not that big a deal.
e. we are not sure of its importance.
47. Nucleated, complex cells appear to have formed
a. by a mutation that created them directly from simple, un-nucleated cells
b. by cells developing ways to live together to their mutual advantage
d. within a few hundred million years of the end of the intense bombardment of the early earth.
e. once sex had been established.
48. Many Cambrian creatures are related to
a. arthropods, the group that includes spiders, insects, crabs, lobsters
b. vertebrates, the group that includes fish, amphibians
c. they had little relation to surviving life forms
d. fungi, the group that includes mushrooms, tree ears
49. The rapid development of a broad variety of animals in the Cambrian period occurred
a. because of the development of complex cells
b. the creatures are so unique, they must have come from another planet
c. for reasons we are not entirely sure of, although we have a number of ideas
d. because of the sudden availability of atmospheric oxygen
e. because continents had developed.
50. A new development with the Cambrian creatures overall was
b. ability to operate on dry land
c. predators that fed on other animals
d. warm blood and high metabolism
51. Judging by how long it took to happen, the most difficult step toward complex life was
a. development of bacteria that could reproduce and make food from water and carbon dioxide
b. development of nucleated cells
d. development of predators and defensive mechanisms
e. leaving the oceans for operation on land
52. Many relatively advanced Cambrian creatures are related to
a. arthropods, the group that includes spiders, insects, crabs, lobsters
b. vertebrates, the group that includes fish, amphibians
c. they had little relation to surviving life forms
d. fungi, the group that includes mushrooms, tree ears
53. Life could not form in the first few hundred million years of the formation of the earth
a. because the oceans were not yet salty enough.
b. because organic material had not yet arrived from outer space.
c. life probably formed but the traces have been obliterated by geological processes.
d. because the rapid bombardment of the earth by large bodies made it very hostile to life
e. because not enough carbon had been carried onto the earth by comets.
54. The most critical aspects of life are
a. sexual reproduction and being able to move
b. to harness energy and to reproduce
c. to grow cells and carry out photosynthesis
e. to breathe oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide
55. The very first forms of life we have found
a. have long since gone extinct
c. have survived apparently unchanged as the ultimate "living fossils"
d. are so primitive they do not have cells
e. are similar to life found on Mars
56. Stanley Miller's experiment is famous because
b. he was able to make RNA in the laboratory, showing how life reproduced
c. a huge portion of the carbon in his chemicals - 15% - appeared as life-like sludge in his beaker
e. he worked for a Nobel prize winning scientist.
57. Errors, or mutations, in the reproduction of early life
a. were virtually non-existent, because the life forms were so simple
b. were the underlying force for the development of improved life forms
c. were the big problem in getting life started at all
d. were a problem with RNA replication but did not occur any more when DNA developed
e. occurred at a very high rate because of the high rate of radioactivity of the sun.
58. DNA replication carries the information for new organisms because
b. DNA splits off a section of itself that grows into a copy like a lizard regenerating a lost tail
c. the phosphates and sugars of the DNA copy each other to carry the information
d. the DNA sends out RNA to the ribosomes with instructions on how to make new DNA
e. the helical structure of DNA allows it to move through the cell quickly, making copies.
59. Mars is a high priority target for space exploration because
a. we think there are intelligent Martians hiding from us there
b. we want to build space colonies on it.
d. the face on Mars suggests there is a dead civilization we might discover
e. its huge mountains and canyons would be highly scenic.
60. Mars is an attractive place to look for early life forms because
a. bacteria might have escaped from the early earth and colonized Mars
c. its red color might be from a primitive lichen
d. we can see its surface better than for any other planet
e. our spaceships have found materials under its surface the probably came from early life
61. Greenhouse gases ____________
a. absorb visible light and transmit infrared light b. absorb ultraviolet light and transmit visible light
c. absorb infrared light and transmit visible light d. absorb X-rays and transmit infrared light
62. What would the temperature of a planet be if it reflected nearly all the sunlight?
a. it would be very, very cold
b. it could be cold or warm, depending on its distance from the Sun
c. it could be cold or warm, depending on the amount of greenhouse gases
63. Mars' surface temperature would be higher if _______
a. it reflected more sunlight b. it were farther from the Sun
c. its atmosphere contained more greenhouse gases d. it rotated more quickly
64. The only body other than Earth to show signs of running water on its surface is
a. Venus b. Mars c. Mercury d. the Moon e. all inner planets have water on their surfaces
65. Volcanoes on Mars
a. don't exist b. are much larger than on Earth c. are much smaller than on Earth
d. don't have lava e. are made of ice
66. The concerns about global warming on the earth arise because
a. increases in the output of the sun as it evolves will make the earth warmer than it is now.
b. there is a natural fluctuation in the temperature of the earth, and we seem to be in an upswing.
c. changes in the orbit of the earth are bringing it closer to the sun.
e. there is just an irrational panic reaction among certain people.
67. Our understanding of the temperature on the earth a long time ago is based on
b. measuring the relative amounts of oxygen isotopes in ancient seashells
c. measuring tree ring widths in fossil, petrified trees
d. studying the types of plants that grew in different places
e. computer calculations that take the present temperature and weather patterns and work backwards
68. The canals on Mars are
a. long and thin geological features
b. the product of ancient intelligent life, used for irrigation
c. an illusion caused by observers trying too hard to see features on the planet
e. places where the surface has cracked into long fault lines
69. A disaster in which a large asteroid or comet strikes the earth is
b. unlikely because the moon can shield us from such events.
e. nothing to worry about because we can break it up with missiles and bombs
70. "Chaos" means ___________ to a scientist
a. the behavior of a system where very small changes can have very large consequences
b. the behavior of a NatSci102 class 30 seconds before the end of the lecture period
c. that he/she does not understand a system, but a more clever scientist might
d. the state of the dinosaur population right after the K/T impactor hit
e. the spray of fragments when an asteroid slams into a planet
71. The means by which the K/T impactor probably killed most of the dinosaurs is
a. fragments hit them on the head and fractured their skulls.
b. it disrupted the mantle of the earth and led to huge volcano eruptions.
c. they suffocated from noxious fumes emitted by the impactor.
d. carbon dioxide was released that caused a huge greenhouse effect.
72. After the K/T disaster,
a. the first mammals appeared.
b. small reptiles had survived, and they evolved into the first mammals.
c. primitive mammals like opossums became abundant relatively quickly.
e. large, complex mammals took over the earth quickly.
73. Mass extinctions
a. appear to all arise from collisions of asteroids or comets with the earth.
b. occur roughly every hundred million years, probably from a variety of causes.
c. have only occurred once or twice in the history of the earth.
d. are responsible for the emergence of new species of animals every million years or so.
e. have been decreasing rapidly in frequency over the last billion years.
74. Evidence that an asteroid or comet killed the dinosaurs in the K/T extinction includes:
b. a thin layer of iridium-rich material in rock around the earth
d. the dinosaur death rate was highest on the Yucatan Peninsula
e. there is evidence of a huge blast wave from petrified trees that all fell in the same direction.
75. High iridium content indicates an object came from space because:
a. there is very little iridium in the earth
b. iridium is manufactured in the high pressure and temperature of a collision
c. iridium is made only in supernova explosions
d. iridium is a heavy material and therefore most of that in the earth has sunk to the center
e. the iridium on the surface of the earth is locked up in strong rocks.
76. Evidence that large asteroids hit the earth from time to time includes
b. evidence for huge tidal waves
c. the record of craters on other solar system bodies
d. petrified trees all aligned away from the impact sites
e. theoretical calculations of the frequency such impacts are expected
77. Craters are caused by
a. objects crashing into a planet's surface
c. bubbles rising from a planet's interior
78. What is the main reason Mercury is hotter than the Moon?
a. Mercury has a slower rotation rate b. Mercury is closer to the Sun
c. Mercury absorbs sunlight better than the Moon d. Mercury has more greenhouse gases than the Moon
79. The approximate age of the Solar System is
a. 4500 years b. 4.5 billion years c. 4.5 million years d. 10,000 years
80. A rock sample is analyzed and found to have only 25% as much of a radioactive element as it would have been predicted to contain originally. The half-life of the radioactive element is 8x108 years. How old is this rock?
a. 8x108 years b. 1.6x109 years c. 2x108 years d. 3.2x109 years
e. cannot be computed from the information given
81. The lack of an atmosphere on the moon implies that
a. it never had one b. it escaped because of the moon's weak gravity
c. it froze on the surface d. it got ejected during crater formation
e. the moon could never have been part of the earth
82. An object with no atmosphere or erosion processes is found in the Solar System with fewer craters on its surface than the lunar highlands. This object
a. has had a new layer deposited on its surface since it formed
83. Mercury's surface looks a lot like
a. the surface of Jupiter b. the surface of Mars c. the surface of the moon d. the surface of the earth
e. like no surface in the Solar System
84. Observations of the Moon show that the lunar maria have only 3% as many craters as the lunar highlands. It can be reasoned that
a. lunar lava flowed across the surface BEFORE most of the Moon's larger craters were created
b. the lunar maria must be about 4.6 billion years old
c. comets have collided with the Moon more often than with Earth
d. lunar lava flowed across the surface AFTER most of the Moon's larger craters were created.
85. The composition of the moon is
e. similar to the earth's crust
86. Saturn is most similar to
a. Earth b. Mars c. Jupiter d. Mercury e. Venus
87. Uranus is very similar to
a. Venus b. Jupiter c. Neptune d. Pluto e. all of the above
88. Moons that come too close to a planet
a. will disintegrate b. will heat up c. will have magnetic fields
d. will gain mass e. will sweep up some of the planet's atmosphere
89. Rings around planets
a. are leftover from the planet's formation b. are comprised of gas
c. are due to strong magnetic fields d. are common around terrestrial planets
e. are common around giant planets
90. Prior to the Cassini mission, we had not made a good map of the surface features on Titan because
a. it has a relatively opaque atmosphere b. its surface is liquid
c. it is so far away d. it is so icy e. we can't see it from Earth
91. The densest of Jupiter's large moons are found
a. far from Jupiter b. close to Jupiter c. in retrograde orbits d. in highly elliptical orbits
e. distributed throughout the Jovian moon system
92. This moon of Jupiter has a relatively smooth icy surface suggesting an underlying ocean.
a. Ganymede b. Amalthea c. Europa d. Io e. Callisto
93. Volcanoes may occur on a moon because of
a. tidal heating b. sunlight reflecting off a giant planet c. collisional heating by meteors
d. icy compositions e. all of the above
94. The rings of Saturn are made of
a. a solid platter of material that orbits like a wagon wheel
b. small particles largely of ice
d. magnetic needles that align to reflect the sunlight efficiently
95. Now that Huygens has landed on Titan, we see that its surface
a. is home to a special breed of cats
b. is entirely covered with liquid
c. has drainage channels that look a bit like arroyos
e. is so covered with mist we still have not seen it
96. Gaps and sharp edges in Saturn's rings are caused by
a. gravitational effects of the planet's moons
b. places where large ring particles orbit and clear out the small ones
c. the rings just formed that way and have not had time to change
d. changes in the composition of the ring particles
e. we haven't been able to figure out the cause