Our Solar System
Practice Test
1.
Pluto and Charon are __________.
a.
extremely different in mass
b.
in different equatorial planes
c.
satellites of gas giant planets
d.
in synchronous rotation
2.
What is the Sun-centered model of our solar system called?
a.
eccentric
b.
geocentric
c.
epicycle
d.
heliocentric
3.
What particle(s) make up the nucleus of an atom?
a.
neutrons and electrons
b.
electrons only
c.
protons and neutrons
d.
protons only
4.
Graphs and charts of data can be used for __________.
a.
testing the independent variable
b.
formation of a hypothesis
c.
deciding on a control
d.
data analysis
5.
Use the table to determine the largest terrestrial planet.
Planet
Orbital Radius, a (AU)
Planetary Radius, r (km)
Planetary Mass, m (10
24
kg)
Mercury
0.387
2439.7
0.3302
Venus
0.723
6051.8
4.8685
Earth
1.0
6378.1
5.9736
Mars
1.524
3397
0.64185
Jupiter
5.204
71 492
1898.6
Saturn
9.582
60 268
568.46
Uranus
19.201
25 559
86.832
Neptune
30.047
24 764
102.43
Pluto
39.236
1195
0.0125
a.
Mars
b.
Mercury
c.
Venus
d.
Earth
6.
Mercury's extremely slow spin causes only __________ days to pass in __________ of Mercury's years.
a.
one, two hundred
b.
three, two
c.
one hundred, one
d.
twenty-four, one
7.
What is the smallest particle of an element?
a.
a neutron
b.
an isotope
c.
an atom
d.
a proton
8.
What type of telescope uses mirrors to bring visible light to a focus?
a.
reflecting
b.
interferometry
c.
refracting
d.
Very Large Array
9.
When the Moon is aligned with and between the Sun and Earth, the Moon is at the __________ stage.
a.
full moon
b.
waning gibbous
c.
new moon
d.
waxing crescent
10.
What is the composition of Saturn's atmosphere?
a.
helium and oxygen
b.
hydrogen, helium, and ammonia ice
c.
hydrogen and helium
d.
sulfuric acid and hydrogen
11.
What are the three labeled parts of the comet shown in the figure?
a.
ice core, cloud, fan
b.
coma, nucleus, tail
c.
corona, nucleus, end
d.
head, cone, tail
12.
What mineral are the lunar breccias primarily made of?
a.
orthoclase feldspar
b.
quartz
c.
gypsum
d.
plagioclase feldspar
13.
Which image of the moon in the figure shows a gibbous?
a.
16
b.
18
c.
15
d.
17
14.
The __________ of a planet is its apparent backwards movement as seen from Earth's sky.
a.
epicycle
b.
eccentricity
c.
retrograde motion
d.
perihelion
15.
What is a hypothesis?
a.
A hypothesis is the answer to a scientific question.
b.
A hypothesis is the same as identifying the problem in the scientific method.
c.
A hypothesis is the first step of the scientific method.
d.
A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of an observation.
16.
Where are most asteroids located?
a.
between Mars and Jupiter
b.
orbiting all planets
c.
between Earth and Venus
d.
outside of Pluto's orbit
17.
What theory of formation is most widely accepted for Earth's moon?
a.
the simultaneous formation
b.
the capture theory
c.
the plate tectonic theory
d.
the impact theory
18.
What determines the light-collecting power of a microscope?
a.
the area of the opening
b.
the shape of the opening
c.
the number of mirrors
d.
the configuration of the lenses
19.
What is the best method to show a change in volume over time?
a.
graph
b.
theory
c.
law
d.
model
20.
How would the values in the "Percent Carbon Dioxide" column in Figure 2 be presented in scientific notation?
Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Percent
Oxygen
Percent
Carbon
Dioxide
Percent
Nitrogen
Growth
Rate
(mm/day)
Percent
Oxygen
Percent
Carbon
Dioxide
Percent
Nitrogen
Growth
Rate
(mm/day)
1
0.03
98.97
10
21
1
78
15
10
0.03
89.97
11
21
10
69
25
20
0.03
79.97
10
21
20
59
35
30
0.03
69.97
12
21
30
49
43
40
0.03
59.97
11
21
40
39
44
50
0.03
49.97
10
21
50
29
44
a.
30 x 10
-3
b.
0.03 x 10
3
c.
3 x 10
-2
d.
3 x 10
2
