Practice Test- Solar System 1. Which of the following planets has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the Earth? A. Neptune B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Venus 2. Which of the following is a result of gravitational forces in the Solar System? A. that Saturn is farther away from the Sun than Earth is B. the difference in surface temperature on each of the planets C. the radiation given off by Jupiter D. the orbit of planets around the Sun in the Solar system 3. Which of the following is true of the Earth as a planet? I. The Earth revolves around the Sun. II. The Earth is the third planet from the Sun. III. The Earth is the smallest planet in our solar system. IV. The Earth is the only planet that is orbited by exactly one moon. A. I, II, and IV only B. II and IV only C. I, II, III, and IV D. I and III only 4. Most of the asteroids in the solar system are found between and.
A. Earth; Mars B. Mercury; Venus C. Mars; Jupiter D. Saturn; Uranus 5. Which planet in our solar system has the shortest year? A. Venus B. Mercury C. Earth D. Mars 6. Which of the following best estimates the number of stars in a galaxy? A. millions B. billions C. hundreds D. thousands 7. Which of the following statements about the motion of planetary satellites is true? A. Some planetary satellites have been known to orbit around other satellites. B. Planetary satellites can orbit their planet in the same direction as the planet's rotation, or in the opposite direction. C. Planetary satellites never orbit their planet in the opposite direction of their planet's rotation. D. Planetary satellites always orbit their planet in the opposite direction of their planet's rotation. 8. A meteor is what is seen when a enters Earth's atmosphere and becomes visibly bright.
A. star B. moon C. man-made satellite D. meteoroid 9. Planet Characteristics Mercury surface temperature range: -184 C to 465 C thick, dense iron core and an extremely thin, low-density atmosphere made mostly of oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, and helium surface is covered with many craters Venus average surface temperature: 449 C iron-rich core and a dense atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen thick clouds trap heat and rain sulfuric acid Earth average surface temperature: 14 C solid, nickle-iron inner core, liquid iron-nickel outer core, and a fairly thin atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen and oxygen surface is shaped by a well-developed plate tectonics system, and three-fourths of the surface is covered with liquid water Mars surface temperature range: -123 C to 36 C solid core made mostly of nickle, iron, and sulfur and a thin atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon surface has plains, volcanoes, valleys, and canyons Jupiter average surface temperature: -153 C small rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium; no solid surface surface has a large red spot which is a storm that has raged for centuries Saturn average surface temperature: -184 C small, rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium; no solid surface circled by several icy rings Uranus surface temperature range: -224 C to -184 C small, rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of hydrogen and helium, with lesser amounts of methane spins on its side Neptune average surface temperature: -223 C small, rocky core surrounded by hydrogen, helium, and methane
very windy; wind speeds can exceed 1,100 km/hr Which of the following statements can be inferred from the information found above? A. The average surface temperature on Mercury is greater than the average surface temperature on Venus. B. The Earth's composition and conditions are different from the other planets' compositions and conditions. C. Liquid water is found on most planetary surfaces. D. All of the planets have solid surfaces. 10. While looking at the night sky, Ginny saw something that looked like a star with a long tail. Ginny's science teacher explained that what she saw was a small body of ice, rock, and dust that orbited the Sun. When the body neared the Sun, the Sun's heat caused the body to give off gases. These gases formed the tail. How should Ginny classify the body she saw? A. an asteroid B. a comet C. a star D. a planet 11. Modern technology has allowed scientists to view many features found on the planet Mars, including volcanoes, channels, valleys, and gullies.
These images are courtesy of NASA. These features are A. proof that life once existed on Mars. B. proof that Mars was formed by the Big Bang. C. evidence that Mars was once one of Earth's moons. D. evidence of geologic activity on Mars. 12. Many events that occur on Earth and in the solar system are related to the fact that most objects in the solar system move in regular and predictable patterns. What causes objects in the solar system to move in these regular and predictable patterns? A. nuclear forces B. electrical forces C. frictional forces D. gravitational forces 13. Which of the following planets is farthest from the Sun? A. Neptune B. Venus C. Mercury D. Mars
14. A celestial body is any natural (i.e., not man-made) object in the sky. Which celestial bodies orbit the Sun? I. asteroids II. comets III. meteoroids IV. planets A. IV only B. II, III, and IV only C. I, II, III, and IV D. I, II, and III only 15. Which of the following is true about the solar system? A. Earth is the only planet that has a moon. B. All of the planets have moons. C. Most of the planets have moons. D. None of the planets have moons. 16. What tool is commonly used to help see more details about the universe? A. periscope B. microscope C. stethoscope D. telescope 17. Which of the following is a discovery that supports the theory that there was once, or may still be, liquid water on planets other than Earth? A. There are large ponds and lakes present on the surface of Mars.
B. Jupiter experiences daily rainfall and has several small rivers. C. There are river-like channels and rocks with an eroded appearance on Mars. D. Life is present on Saturn and Mars, so therefore water must exist on those planets. 18. Where is the Sun located? A. directly in the center of our galaxy B. millions of light years above our galaxy's disk of stars C. on our galaxy's disk of stars, about halfway out from the center D. near the center of the galaxy, below the galactic disk of other stars 19. The atmosphere of is made mostly of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. The atmosphere of is made mostly of hydrogen and helium. A. Mars; Earth B. Earth; Venus C. Jupiter; Earth D. Earth; Neptune 20. Early astronomers noticed many years ago that the stars of the night sky do not stay in the same place.
The stars actually appear to trek through the sky every night, as if they were attached to a giant, hollow sphere spinning around the Earth. In fact, some astronomers, including Aristotle, theorized that the Earth was actually inside of a sphere of stars, like a small ball inside of a larger ball. Today we know that the stars move through the night sky because A. they spin around the Earth. B. the Sun is moving through the galaxy. C. light waves travel slower through air than through space. D. the Earth rotates every day. 21. Which planet in the list below is larger than Earth? A. Mercury B. Saturn C. Venus D. Mars 22. A piece of solar system debris that passes through Earth's atmosphere and
strikes the ground is a/an. A. meteorite B. asteroid C. meteoroid D. meteor 23. Which of the following planets has a shorter year than Earth, as measured in Earth days? A. Saturn B. Jupiter C. Neptune D. Mercury 24. Which of the following is true? A. The Earth exerts a gravitational force on the Moon, but the Moon does not exert a gravitational force on the Earth. B. The Earth and Moon both exert a gravitational force on each other. C. The Earth and Moon do not exert gravitational forces. D. The Moon exerts a gravitational force on the Earth, but the Earth does not exert a gravitational force on the Moon.
25. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center The image shows part of the Aleutian Island Chain, which is part of Alaska. The image was captured by the MODIS satellite. The Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanoes that have built up above sea level. They are actively forming along a tectonic plate boundary due to one plate plunging beneath another. What makes this scenario unique to planet Earth? A. Earth is the only planet on which volcanic features have been observed. B. Earth is the only planet that has been photographed by a satellite or spacecraft. C. Earth is the only planet that has currently active plate tectonics. D. all of these 26. The table below describes the properties of several stars. Star Color Temperature Approximate Radius Betelgeuse red 3,500 K 6.5 x 10 8 km
Sun white-yellow 5,778 K 7.0 x 10 5 km Sirius A blue 9,940 K 1.2 x 10 6 km Pollux orange 4,865 K 5.5 x 10 6 km Which of the stars listed above is most likely considered a dwarf star? A. Sun B. Pollux C. Sirius A D. Betelgeuse 27. Which planet has a storm that has been raging for centuries? A. Mars B. Jupiter C. Mercury D. Earth 28. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the the gravitational force between them and the the planet's orbital speed. A. weaker; slower B. stronger; faster C. stronger; slower D. weaker; faster 29. How many objects in the solar system have been confirmed to currently support life? A. three B. one C. two
D. four 30. The farther a planet is from the Sun, the the gravitational force between them and the the planet's orbital speed. A. stronger; faster B. weaker; slower C. stronger; slower D. weaker; faster 31. Scientists hypothesize that life may have existed once on which of the following planets? A. Jupiter B. Mars C. Mercury D. Venus 32. According to the Law of Universal Gravitation, two objects are attracted to each other. The greater the total mass of the two objects, the stronger the attraction, or gravitational force. The greater the distance between the objects, the weaker the gravitational force. The orbital speed of a planet is a direct result of the gravitational force between that planet and the Sun. The greater the force, the faster the speed. The planet Mercury has a mass that is about 5% of Earth's mass and is the closest planet to the Sun. Jupiter has a mass more than 300 times greater than Earth's mass and is the fifth planet from the Sun. Which of the following explains why Mercury's orbital speed is faster than Jupiter's? A. Mercury is faster because it has more mass than Jupiter and is closer to the Sun than Jupiter is. B. Jupiter is slowed down by its greater mass, while Mercury's lesser mass makes it faster.
C. Although Mercury has less mass than Jupiter, Mercury is faster because it is closer to the Sun than Jupiter is. D. Because it is farther from the Sun than Mercury is, Jupiter is colder and therefore has a slower orbital speed. 33. The Earth is made mostly of. A. rock B. soil C. water D. air 34. Examine the picture below. Except for the Sun, all of the bodies shown in this picture should be classified as. A. planets B. asteroids C. comets D. moons
35. Which of the following arrangements of planets is in order from the longest time to orbit the Sun to the shortest time? A. Neptune, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury B. Neptune, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter C. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune D. Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Neptune 36. Which of the following is the largest body in the Solar System? A. Saturn B. Jupiter C. the Moon D. the Sun 37. The planets known as "terrestrial" planets are which? A. Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune B. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars C. Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter D. Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune 38. How do meteoroids and asteroids compare? A. They are alike except for their composition meteoroids contain more metals than asteroids. B. They are alike except for their size meteoroids are smaller than asteroids. C. Meteoroids are smaller and have a very different composition than asteroids. D. Asteroids are smaller and have a very different composition than meteoroids.
39. Which of the following moons is most likely to contain liquid water and possibly life? A. Io B. Ganymede C. Europa D. Triton 40. The image of a cluster of galaxies known as Abell 2218, shown below, was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Image courtesy of NASA. The lensing effect is a phenomenon in which light is distorted as it travels toward the observer. In the image above, lensing can be seen as thin streaks of light, which have been circled. What causes the light from far away galaxies to bend in this manner? A. collisions with gas clouds B. electromagnetic attractions C. the influence of gravity
D. friction with the air 41. Which of the following statements about planetary satellites is true? A. All planetary satellites are as large as our moon or bigger. B. All planetary satellites are relatively small, typically having a radius of no more than 20 kilometers. C. Planetary satellites vary greatly in size, but none are larger than any of the planets in the solar system. D. Planetary satellites vary greatly in size, from very small, to some that are larger than some planets. 42. In 1801, the Italian astronomer Giusseppe Piazzi discovered a large, rocky body orbiting the Sun. The body was surrounded by other similar rocky bodies that traveled in the same orbit. What did Piazzi most likely discover? A. a moon B. a planet C. a comet D. an asteroid 43. The diagram below is a model of the solar system. It is a scale model that shows the positions of the Sun and planets as well as the relative distances between them. The relative sizes of the bodies are not represented. Examine the model, then answer the question that follows. Which of the following is true about the distances between planets? A. All distances between planets are equal.
B. In general, the distance between planets decreases as the distance from the Sun increases. C. In general, the distance between planets increases as the distance from the Sun increases. D. The distance between any two planets is shorter than the distance between Earth and the Sun. 44. Which of the following best estimates the number of galaxies in the universe? A. thousands B. millions C. hundreds D. billions 45. Which of the following provides evidence that geologic activity occurred in the past on Earth's Moon? A. the presence of solidified lava flows on the Moon B. the revolution of the Moon around the Earth C. the axial tilt of the Moon D. the phases of the Moon 46. Which of the following forces causes comets to regularly return to the inner solar system after being gone for many years? A. magnetism B. friction C. electromagnetic force D. gravity 47. The planetary systems of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are shown below.
These images are courtesy of NASA. What can be concluded by looking at these images? A. Most planets can support life. B. Planets with rings cannot also be orbited by moons. C. Some planets are orbited by moons and rings. D. All planets are the exact same size, shape, and color. 48. Suppose an astronomer discovers a large, spherical-shaped body orbiting the Sun. The body is composed mostly of rock, and there are no other bodies sharing its orbit. What is the best way to categorize this body? A. planet B. moon C. comet D. asteroid 49. Examine the diagram below. It shows the relative positions of the inner planets and their orbits.
Which inner planet would have the longest year? A. Earth B. Mercury C. Mars D. Venus 50. Asteroids are made mostly of stone,, and nickel. A. copper B. iron C. water D. gas Answers 1. D
2. D 3. A 4. C 5. B 6. B 7. B 8. D 9. B 10. B 11. D 12. D 13. A 14. C 15. C 16. D 17. C 18. C 19. D 20. D 21. B 22. A 23. D 24. B 25. C 26. A 27. B 28. B 29. B 30. B 31. B 32. C 33. A 34. A 35. A 36. D 37. B 38. B 39. C 40. C
41. D 42. D 43. C 44. D 45. A 46. D 47. C 48. A 49. C 50. B Explanations 1. The Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system. Mercury, Mars, and Venus are smaller than the Earth. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter are larger than the Earth. Therefore, Venus has a smaller diameter than the Earth. 2. The gravitational force of the Sun pulls inward on the planets, forcing them to stay in orbit around the Sun. If not for the gravitational force of the Sun on the planets, they would quickly move away from it. 3. The Earth revolves around the Sun. is the third planet from the Sun. is the only planet that is orbited by exactly one moon. Also, the Earth appears to be the only body in the solar system that can support life. 4. The majority of the asteroids in the solar system are found in the region known as the asteroid belt, which exists in the space between Mars and Jupiter. 5. Mercury has the shortest year of all the planets in our solar system. Mercury orbits the Sun in 88 Earth days. 6. The universe is made up of billions of galaxies, and there are many billions of stars in each galaxy. The average distance between stars in a galaxy is over 4 light years. 7. Planetary satellites can orbit their planet in the same direction as the planet's rotation, or in the opposite direction. A good place to look for an example of this is Jupiter and its
system of moons. Some of the moons orbit it in a clockwise motion while others orbit it in a counterclockwise motion. 8. Meteoroids are the small pieces of debris that are the result of collisions of asteroids, comets, moons, and even planets within our solar system. They are smaller than asteroids and are kept in orbit around the Sun due to the force of gravity. When a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and becomes visible (i.e., emits a bright streak of light), it is known as a meteor. A meteorite is the part of a meteor that hits the ground and is not destroyed in the impact. 9. Although some of the planets share certain characteristics, each planet is unique from the others. This includes the Earth, which has a composition and conditions that are very different from the other planets. 10. Comets originate from the cold, outer solar system. They have extremely large orbits that may take them decades, or even centuries, to complete. 11. The presence of volcanoes, channels, valleys, and gullies on Mars is evidence that geologic activity once occurred on Mars. Similar evidence can be found on other planets, as well. For example, Venus also has volcanoes, and cliffs can be found on Mercury. 12. Gravitational forces cause most objects in the solar system to maintain regular and predictable patterns of motion. For example, gravity causes moons to orbit around their planets and planets to orbit around the Sun. These motions can also be used to explain events, such as the length of a day, the length of a year, the phases of the Moon, eclipses, and tides. 13. Neptune orbits an average of 2.8 billion miles from the Sun. Earth orbits an average of 93 million miles from the Sun. Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. 14. The Sun is an average-sized star located about halfway out from the center of a discshaped galaxy of stars. These stars can be seen as a bright band across the sky when the night sky is clear. The Sun is the largest body in the solar system, and it is orbited by many celestial bodies, including asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and planets. The force of gravity keeps objects in the solar system in orbital motion around the Sun. 15. Most of the planets have moons. Earth has one moon, Mars has two moons, and each of the outer planets has several moons. Mercury and Venus are the only two planets that do not have moons. 16. A telescope is commonly used to help see more details about the universe. Telescopes
magnify objects that are far away. 17. Finding river-like channels and rocks with an eroded appearance on Mars was one of the first discoveries that led scientists to believe that there had once been liquid water on Mars. Scientists now know that large volumes of water exist as buried ice in Mars' polar regions. Evidence suggests that shallow ground ice is likely buried in many other regions of the planet as well. It is possible that liquid water may be found at greater depths below the ice, although none has yet been detected. 18. Our solar system, including the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, is located on the disk of our galaxy about half to two-thirds of the way out from the galactic center. The Sun is just one of billions of stars in our galaxy, which is known as the Milky Way. 19. The atmosphere of Earth is made mostly of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. The atmosphere of Neptune, like all of the gas giant planets, is made mostly of hydrogen and helium. 20. The stars move through the night sky every night, but only from our point of view here on Earth. For the most part, the stars do not really move. It is the motion of the Earth that makes it appear as if the stars are moving. As the Earth rotates, each star moves through the sky once every day, just like the Sun. 21. The outer planets are all larger than Earth. Of the inner planets, Earth is the largest. 22. A piece of solar system debris that passes through Earth's atmosphere and strikes the ground is a meteorite. Most meteorites are meteoroid-size when they enter the atmosphere, and some of their mass burns up as they speed toward the ground. Larger bodies asteroids and comets do collide with Earth on rare occasions and can devastate the planet. Earth's geologic record preserves evidence that suggests one such collision may have occurred at the end of the Mesozoic era. Many scientists theorize that this impact killed the dinosaurs and many other groups of organisms in a mass extinction. 23. Mercury revolves around the Sun every 87.97 Earth days. This is compared to the 365 days that it takes Earth to orbit the Sun. 24. Since the Moon is in the Earth's gravitational field and vice versa, The Earth and Moon both exert a gravitational force on each other. However, the gravitational force exerted by the Moon is much smaller because the Moon has much less mass than the Earth. 25. This scenario is unique to planet Earth because Earth is the only planet that has currently active plate tectonics. Evidence suggests that the planet Venus may have had processes somewhat similar to plate tectonics in the past, but nothing quite like Earth's unique plate tectonics system has been observed anywhere in the solar system. Regarding the other answer choices, all of the other planets in our solar system have
been photographed by satellites or spacecraft. And all of the terrestrial planets, as well as some moons, have evidence for past or present volcanic activity. 26. The Sun is considered a dwarf star. Despite its large size, the Sun is much smaller than some stars, such as Betelgeuse, Pollux, and Sirius A. 27. Jupiter s Great Red Spot is a giant cyclone. It circles counter-clockwise and has been churning for centuries. 28. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the stronger the gravitational force between them and the faster the planet's orbital speed. Planets that are closer to the Sun are more attracted to the Sun and have faster orbital speeds than planets that are farther from the Sun. Also, a given planet's speed will vary along its orbit as its distance from the Sun varies. 29. One object in the solar system (Earth) has been confirmed to currently support life. Conditions that could support certain kinds of life may exist now or may have existed in the past on a few other objects in the solar system, such as the planet Mars or Jupiter's moon Europa. 30. The farther a planet is from the Sun, the weaker the gravitational force between them and the slower the planet's orbital speed. Planets that are farther from the Sun are less attracted to the Sun and have slower orbital speeds than planets that are closer to the Sun. Also, a given planet's speed will vary along its orbit as its distance from the Sun varies. 31. Mars has features (river valleys) that suggest it may have once had liquid water. Since liquid water is necessary for life, scientists hypothesize that Mars may have once had life. 32. Mercury orbits the Sun much faster than Jupiter does because the gravitational force between Mercury and the Sun is stronger than the gravitational force between Jupiter and the Sun. If the two planets were the same distance from the Sun, Jupiter's greater mass would make its attraction to the Sun stronger than Mercury's. But, because Mercury is so much closer to the Sun than Jupiter is, Mercury's attraction to the Sun is stronger than Jupiter's. Mercury's orbital speed is faster than Jupiter's because Mercury is closer to the Sun than Jupiter is. 33. The Earth is made mostly of rock. Although nearly three-fourths of the Earth's surface is covered with water, most of the Earth's interior is made of rock. 34. The International Astronomical Union defines a planet as a spherical object that orbits a star and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. 35. The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to orbit the Sun. Of these planets, Neptune is the farthest away from the Sun, while Mercury is the closest. Jupiter
is an outer planet, while Venus is an inner planet. 36. The Sun is the largest body in the Solar System. Jupiter is the second-largest body in the Solar System. Approximately 1,000 Jupiters could fit inside the Sun. 37. The inner planets are also known as the terrestrial planets. These four planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 38. Asteroids and meteoroids are alike except for their size meteoroids are smaller than asteroids. In terms of composition, they are both made mostly of rock. 39. Europa is covered by ice but it is very likely that a huge ocean of liquid water exists under the surface ice, possibly heated by volcanic activity much like places deep in our own oceans. 40. Einstein's general theory of relativity describes how matter, space, time, and radiation are influenced by gravity. The theory describes the way in which objects with mass cause space and time to bend around them. The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field, and the more space and time are distorted by it. It is this bending of space and time that makes light appear to change its direction when it passes by very massive objects, such as galaxies. Astronomers call this apparent bending of light gravitational lensing. 41. The size of planetary satellites varies greatly. One of the smallest is Trinculo, which orbits Uranus and has a radius of only 5 kilometers. The largest is Ganymede, which orbits Jupiter and has a radius of 2,631 kilometers, which is actually larger than both Pluto and Mercury. In comparison, our moon has a radius of 1,738 kilometers. 42. Asteroids are small, rocky bodies that orbit the Sun. Asteroids can be any shape, and they range in size from a few meters across to almost 1,000 km across. 43. In general, the distance between planets increases as the distance from the Sun increases. The Sun and all of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are relatively close together. Beyond the orbits of the inner planets, the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are spaced much farther apart. 44. There are billions of galaxies in the universe, and each galaxy is made up of billions of stars. The average distance between galaxies is one million light years. So, to the naked eye, even the galaxies that are closest to the Earth appear to be no more than dim, fuzzy spots. 45. Over time, a significant amount of geological activity, such as plate tectonics, the rock cycle, and erosion, has occurred on the Earth and continues to occur today. There is evidence, however, that some geological activity once occurred on other planets or
moons as well. The presence of solidified lava flows on Earth's Moon, for example, provides evidence that geologic activity in the form of volcanic eruptions occurred in the past on the Moon. 46. Gravity causes comets to regularly return to the inner solar system after being gone for many years. 47. Some planets are orbited by a variety of moons and/or flat rings of rock and ice particles. Saturn, for example, is the second largest planet in the solar system. It is orbited by at least sixty-two moons and nine rings, made mostly of ice particles with some rocky debris and dust. Uranus has at least thirteen rings and at least twenty-seven moons. Neptune has at least three rings and at least thirteen moons. Other planets, like the Earth, do not possess any rings. The Earth does have one moon, however, and Earth is the only planet that can support life. 48. The International Astronomical Union defines a planet as a spherical object that orbits a star. Planets clear the neighborhood around their orbits (i.e., no other bodies share their orbits). 49. A year is defined as the amount of time it takes for a planet to make one complete revolution or orbit around the Sun. Since Mars is farther away from the Sun than the other inner planets, Mars' orbit is larger, and Mars moves more slowly than the others. Therefore, it takes Mars more time to complete one revolution around the Sun than the other inner planets. 50. Although their chemical makeup varies, asteroids are made mostly of stone, iron, and nickel. Copyright 2012 Study Island - All rights reserved.