Cypress College ASTR 116 Homework
Astronomy 116, Homework CHAPTER 4 (A) The Solar System. Due:
Print Last, First Name and date on the small Scantron in INK. Print
your last name in BIG BLOCK letters on the back of the Scantron.
Use a No. 2 pencil to fill out Scantron. Read the chapter.
Look at the videos and simulations in the CD-ROM. Answer all True/False and
Fill in the Blank questions. Then answer the following questions
and turn in your Scantron only. Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following defines density?
- a) weight of an object
- b) mass divided by volume
- c) size divided by weight
- d) mass times weight
- e) composition divided by volume
2. Which of the following objects would never be encountered on the Moon?
- a) Meteoroids.
- b) Meteors.
- c) Meteorites.
3. The nucleus, or main solid body, of a comet has a typical size of ______.
- a) A few meters.
- b) A few kilometers.
- c) A few hundred kilometers.
- d) A few centimeters.
4. The orbits of most asteroids:
- a) Lie beyond the orbit of Mars.
- b) Cross the orbit of Mars.
- c) Cross the orbit of Earth.
- d) Bring them near the Sun; these asteroids are called Sungrazers.
5. Comets are thought to reside mainly in:
- a) The inner solar system.
- b) Distant galaxies.
- c) The Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt.
- d) Solar nebulae.
6. What causes the bright flash of light as a meteor plunges through the
atmosphere?
- a) The meteor glows white hot.
- b) Lightning sparked by the meteor's passage.
- c) Air molecules ionized by the friction of the meteor's passage.
- d) All of the above.
- e) None of the above.
7. Why doesn't Earth itself provide many clues to the origin of the solar
system?
- a) Each planet was formed by an entirely different process.
- b) The planets formed at different times.
- c) Most of the planets formed in a similar process, but Earth,
with its oceans and life, formed differently.
- d) Information about our planet's early stages eroded away long
ago.
8. In light of modern solar system theory, why do the orbits of the planets
all lie in nearly the same plane?
- a) The Sun's gravity forced them into these orbits.
- b) The angular momentum of the solar system was kept to a minimum
this way.
- c) The early solar nebula flattened into a disk.
- d) This happened purely by chance.
9. What happens when a solar nebula contracts?
- a) It flattens out.
- b) It spins faster.
- c) It heats up.
- d) all of the above
- e) none of the above
10. How did Mercury's location in the solar system affect its composition?
- a) Mercury is rich in metals because only metallic grains could
survive the high temperatures so near the Sun.
- b) Mercury is poor in metals because metallic grains could not
survive the high temperatures so near the Sun.
- c) The nearby Sun caused ice in Mercury's interior to melt into
liquid water.
- d) Because Mercury is so near the Sun, its composition is similar
to the Sun; mostly hydrogen and helium.