University of New South Wales PHYS 1160  Final Test Bank. All Exams in 222 Pages

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University of New South Wales PHYS 1160  Final Test Bank Assignment 5 Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. What... is the single most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30 years than all of history before then. a. astronomers today are a lot smarter than astronomers were earlier b. the Hubble Space Telescope c. we have been able to send spacecraft to visit many planets and satellites d. radio telescope arrays allow astronomers to make out details on the planets that they have never been able to see before e. the planets (moving in their slow orbits around the Sun) happen to be closer to the Earth in the last 30 years than at any previous time in human history ____ 2. Usually, the most distant planet from the Sun in the solar system is: a. Mercury b. Pluto c. Venus d. Neptune e. none of the above ____ 3. Which planet in the solar system has not been examined up close by spacecraft? a. Earth b. Neptune c. Pluto d. Saturn e. you can't fool me, spacecraft have now visited all the planets ____ 4. In the far future, a visiting tourist from another planetary system asks to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take him/her/it? a. the Sun b. Saturn c. the asteroid belt d. Comet Halley e. Neptune ____ 5. All the planets (without exception) a. have solid surfaces b. have thick atmospheres c. have satellites orbiting around them d. revolve (orbit) around the Sun in the same direction e. rotate on their axes in the same direction that they revolve around the Sun ____ 6. Which of the following is NOT a correct way that jovian (giant) planets differ from the terrestrial planets in the solar system? a. jovians have more mass than the terrestrials b. jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials c. jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials d. jovians have rings while terrestrials do not e. jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials ____ 7. Which of the following is NOT a terrestrial planet? a. Mars b. Earth c. Jupiter d. Venus e. Mercury ____ 8. You are the captain of an interplanetary tour ship and a wealthy tourist from Texas asks you to take him to see only the "largest darn planets" in the solar system. Which of the following would you NOT include in your tour? a. Mercury b. Jupiter c. Saturn d. Neptune e. Uranus ____ 9. All except one of the planets orbit in the same plane (and are thus easier to reach by spacecraft). The exception (which typically is located above or below this plane) is: a. Mercury b. Venus c. Earth d. Pluto e. you can't fool me, ALL the planets orbit in the same plane in our solar system ____ 10. Which of the following characteristics do all four terrestrial planets have in common? a. they all have one or more moons b. they all have liquid water on their surfaces c. they all rotate in 24 hours or less d. they all have thick atmospheres e. they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them ____ 11. Of the following planets, which one does NOT have satellites (moons)? a. Mars b. Venus c. Earth d. Jupiter e. you can't fool me, all the planets have satellites ____ 12. The small rocky and metallic bodies (most of which orbit between Jupiter and Mars) are called: a. comets b. satellites c. Titius­Bode objects d. asteroids e. silicates ____ 13. During the process of differentiation, a. satellites separate from the parent planets and go into their own orbits b. the faster planets move further out from the Sun c. heavier materials sink to the centers of molten planets d. the atmosphere of a planet changes from oxidized to reduced e. the surface of a planet changes to resemble Bayonne, New Jersey ____ 14. The small bodies in the solar system composed mainly of ices (frozen gases) that usually orbit far from the Sun are called: a. snowroids b. comets c. asteroids d. satellites e. jovians ____ 15. A planets whose composition resembles that of our Sun is: a. Earth b. Mercury c. Jupiter d. Pluto e. you can't fool me, the planets are all made of materials quite different from those in the Sun ____ 16. A future interplanetary tourist whose parents kept him too warm as a baby asks for your help to find a "really cold place" in the solar system. Which of the following would be the best place to take him? a. the Earth's polar regions b. the moons of Neptune c. the moons of Mars (which are captured asteroids) d. the frozen surface of Halley's Comet when it is closest to the Earth in its orbit e. the deep atmosphere of Jupiter ____ 17. On which of the planets (other than Earth) could a human being step out of a spacecraft and survive without any protective gear (special suit, oxygen tanks, etc)? a. Venus b. Mars c. Jupiter d. Neptune e. you can't fool me; there is no other planet on which we could survive unprotected ____ 18. On which planet (besides the Earth) do we still see a high level of geological activity on the surface today? a. Jupiter b. Mercury c. Neptune d. Venus e. none of the above ____ 19. The rate at which a collection of the same radioactive atoms will decay depends on: a. the amount of radio radiation falling on the material b. the amount of light falling on the material c. the temperature of the material d. the size of the planet or moon on which the material is located e. only on internal processes within the atoms; nothing external matters ____ 20. In a bad late­night science fiction film, a villain is using a large collection of radioactive atoms as energy for a weapon to threaten the good guys. The atoms have a half­life of 1 hour. The villain has 4 kilograms of the radioactive material now, and he needs a minimum of 1 kg. for his weapon to work. After how much time will the weapon no longer be a threat? a. just a little after 1 hr b. just a little after 2 hrs c. just a little after 4 hours d. just a little after 16 hours e. can't be determined from the information given ____ 21. Radioactive dating techniques have revealed that our Earth and Moon are approximately how old? a. about 6,000 years b. about 2 million years c. about 100 million years d. about 4.5 billion years e. you can't fool me, we have no way of measuring ages as old as the Earth's ____ 22. Our best evidence and theoretical calculations indicate that the solar system began with a giant spinning system of gas and dust called: a. the Titius­Bode cloud b. the solar nebula c. a planetesimal d. the asteroid belt e. the beltway ____ 23. The material that would eventually make all the major bodies in our solar system first gathered together as smaller pieces which astronomers call: a. planetesimals b. nebuloids c. satellites d. differentiated objects e. jovians ____ 24. One piece of evidence that can help astronomers sort out how the planets in our solar system formed is a. discovering other galaxies of stars beyond the Milky Way b. counting the number of moons around each planet in our own solar system c. finding circumstellar disks of material around nearby stars d. counting the craters on the surface of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune e. measuring variations in the amount of snowfall in northern Canada during this century ____ 25. The inner planets are made mostly of rock and metal because: a. lighter materials cannot orbit the Sun; they would fall in immediately b. the Sun is made mostly of rock and metal and the inner planets are closest to the Sun c. it was so hot where the inner planets formed that the lighter materials evaporated d. Jupiter's large gravity immediately attracted all the lighter materials, and so there were few light atoms left by the time the inner planets were ready to form e. this is an unsolved problem in astronomy ____ 26. Every extrasolar planet detected to date has been found indirectly, by observing the planet’s gravitational pull on the star it orbits. The planet is indirectly detected using a. Kepler’s third law. b. conservation of angular momentum. c. the Doppler effect. d. Newton’s first law of motion. e. Newton’s third law of motion. ____ 27. An important way that scientists have been able to study the interior of the Earth is by: a. studying the exterior, which is made of exactly the same material b. digging deep trenches at the bottom of the ocean, which is a lot closer to the planet's center c. using spacecraft that can detect radio waves coming from the center d. measuring how seismic waves are transmitted through the Earth e. there is no way we can study's the Earth's deep interior at the present time ____ 28. Which part of the Earth has the greatest density? a. oceanic crust b. continental crust c. mantle d. core e. Bayonne, New Jersey ____ 29. The region around the Earth where charged particles are trapped and spiral around is called: a. the magnetosphere b. the atmosphere c. the ozone layer d. the mantle e. the spirosphere ____ 30. According to the theory of plate tectonics, a. the continents are moving but the ocean floor is not, leading to great friction b. the rubbing of the waters of the Earth across its crust is speeding up its rotation c. the liquid metal inside the Earth is developing plates of solid metallic material, which contribute to the Earth's magnetic field d. earthquakes are caused by huge waves that come up from inside the molten core of the Earth e. slow motions within the mantle of the Earth slowly move large sections of the crust around ____ 31. A spot where magma rises to the surface can be seen as a a. volcano b. fault c. subduction zone d. continental plate e. swamp ____ 32. The most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is a. oxygen b. ozone c. water vapor d. argon e. nitrogen ____ 33. The average temperature on planet Earth is higher than you would expect just from the heating of sunlight alone. What is the explanation for this? a. solid material hitting the Earth from space heats it up b. carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect c. the rubbing of the continental plates warms up the Earth's surface d. the heat given off by living things makes our planet warmer e. we have no explanation for this higher temperature and that has scientists worried ____ 34. In what way is the Moon similar to the Earth? a. roughly the same size b. similar atmosphere c. same gravity on the surface d. takes the same time to rotate on its axis e. none of the above ____ 35. The first human being to step out onto the surface of another world was: a. Luke Skywalker b. Jack Schmitt c. James Van Allen d. Neil Armstrong e. Yuri Gagarin ____ 36. Which theory of the Moon's origin is the one that current thinking among astronomers (and the evidence) favor: a. the fission theory b. the sister theory c. the capture theory d. the giant impact theory e. the green cheese theory ____ 37. These days the theory of the Earth's Moon's origin that best fits with the facts we have about the Moon is: a. the Moon came out of the Earth b. the Moon was formed in the same area and at the same time as the Earth c. the Moon was formed elsewhere and was later captured by the Earth d. a large chunk hit the Earth and produced a filament of material that condensed to make the Moon e. the Moon was the gift of the Green Cheese Producers on Mars ____ 38. The most likely models of the planet Mercury indicate that more than half the planet may be composed of: a. water b. metals c. ammonia and methane ice d. very light and porous rocks e. mercury ____ 39. The same gas makes up most of the atmosphere of Mars and Venus. This gas is: a. water vapor b. nitrogen c. ozone d. ammonia gas e. carbon dioxide ____ 40. Which of the following is NOT a way that Venus resembles the Earth? a. its size (diameter) b. its overall density c. the surface gravity (how much we would weigh there) d. the thickness and pressure of its atmosphere e. you can't fool me; Venus resembles Earth in all of the above ways ____ 41. The process by which Venus became so much hotter than the Earth is called: a. radioactivity b. ozone depletion c. the runaway greenhouse effect d. tectonic displacement e. the twisted sister effect ____ 42. What makes many astronomers believe that Mars once had rivers and running water? a. there is a grand canyon system about 2,500 mi long on its surface (all made by running water) b. the volcanoes show evidence of huge waterfalls coming from their highest points and running down c. images from orbiting spacecraft reveal ancient channels that resemble dried­up river beds on Earth d. giant basins (like Hellas) are filled with frozen water that was once probably a sea e. you can't fool me, there is no evidence at all that Mars ever had any water ____ 43. The largest planet in the solar system (by mass) is a. Earth b. Mars c. Venus d. Jupiter e. Neptune ____ 44. A planet that orbits "on its side" (i.e. has its rotation axis perpendicular to the plane of its orbit) is: a. Uranus b. Neptune c. Earth d. Jupiter e. Saturn ____ 45. The element that can act like a metal when it is under tremendous pressure and is probably responsible for Jupiter's magnetism is: a. gold b. helium c. hydrogen d. water e. vanallenium ____ 46. The Red Spot of Jupiter is: a. variable in size b. a high pressure storm system in the atmosphere c. made of a reddish colored material (but we don't know what gives it the reddish color) d. long­lived (observed since the 1600's) e. all of the above ____ 47. The bluish color that makes the atmosphere of Neptune so beautiful to the human eye is caused by the interaction of sunlight with what gas? a. carbon dioxide b. oxygen c. argon d. methane e. helium ____ 48. Which of the jovian planets does NOT have any satellites? a. Jupiter b. Saturn c. Uranus d. Neptune e. you can't fool me, all the jovian planets are accompanied by satellites ____ 49. The rings of the outer planets consist of a. sheets of ice that stretch in round planes millions of miles wide around each planet b. billions of small particles (of various sizes) that all orbit the equator of each planet c. many large moons, about the size of Jupiter's moon Io, all crowded together d. only subatomic charged particles, all kept in line by each planet's magnetic field e. millions of alien spacecraft, some of which occasionally make it to the Earth and pick up humans for medical experiments ____ 50. Comets get significantly brighter in our skies as they approach the Sun because a. they reflect more sunlight as they get closer to the source of light b. they get bigger as the ice evaporates c. they get closer to the Earth than when they were outside the orbit of Mars d. they move faster and faster e. more than one of the above Question 1 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Which of the following properties help us to distinguish stars in the halo of our galaxy from stars in the disk? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Halo stars are generally much more luminous than disk stars. B. Halo stars have higher velocities relative to the Sun than disk stars. C. Halo stars generally have less heavy elements (i.e. they have lower metallicity). D. Halo stars generally have bluer colours than disk stars. Feedback B and C are the correct answers. Halo stars have high velocities and low metallicities. A and D are incorrect. Halo stars do not have higher luminosities and are generally redder rather than bluer. Question 2 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text A refracting telescope is [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. the type of telescope used by Galileo to discover Jupiter's satellites B. the type of telescope normally used for professional astronomy today C. a telescope using a transparent lens to collect light D. the type of telescope used by Edwin Hubble for his studies of galaxies Feedback Answers A and C are correct. Professional astronomers today use mostly reflecting telescopes, and the 100-inch mount Wilson telescope used by Hubble was also a reflecting telescope. Question 3 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text In which two spectral regions are ground based observations MOST useful? Select one: A. Microwave and ultraviolet. B. Optical and X-ray. C. Radio and optical. D. Ultraviolet and infrared. Feedback C is the correct answer. Radio and optical wavelengths are most suitable for ground-based observing, because only these wavelengths, and some infrared wavelengths, get through the Earth's atmosphere. Question 4 Incorrect Mark 0.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Most of the extrasolar planetary systems discovered to date are Select one: A. very similar to our own solar system with inner rocky terrestrial planets and outer gas giant planets B. similar to our solar system in having inner rocky terrestrial planets but different in having no gas giant planets C. identical to our own with the same number and types of planets as our own solar system D. quite different than our own solar system, many with jovian planets found close to their parent stars Feedback D is the correct answer. Most planetary systems are very different from ours, and many have giant planets close to their star. Question 5 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text In the tree of life Select one: A. animals are members of the domain Eukarya, while plants are members of the domain Archaea B. animals are members of the domain Archaea, while plants are members of the domain Eukarya C. both plants and animals are members of the domain Archaea D. both plants and animals are members of the domain Eukarya Feedback Answer D is correct. Plants and animals and all complex multicellular life are eukaryotes, and all belong in the domain Eukarya. Question 6 Incorrect Mark 0.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Which of the following statements describe properties which are unique to Earth and are NOT shared by any other solar system planets or moons. [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. It has liquid water oceans on the surface B. It has active volcanoes C. It is orbited by the largest moon in the solar system D. It has a magnetic field stronger than that of any other planet in the solar system Feedback The only correct answer is A. While some of Jupiter's moons may have liquid water oceans these are not at the surface. B is not correct because Io has active volcanoes. C is not correct because several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are bigger than our Moon (though the Earth's moon is largest relative to the size of the planet). D is not correct because Jupiter has a stronger magnetic field than Earth. Question 7 Incorrect Mark 0.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The interior of the Sun has been studied by [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. using X-ray observations from spacecraft such as SOHO that can see deep into the core of the Sun. B. observing solar oscillations that allow us to study how waves travel through the solar interior. C. using radar that reflects from different layers within the Sun. D. observing the neutrinos that originate in the core of the Sun using detectors such as the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Feedback B and D are the correct answers. Solar neutrinos and solar oscillations are both techniques used to study the interior of the Sun. Answer A is incorrect. X-ray observations see hot regions high in the atmosphere and don't see into the interior. Radar observations are also inappropriate for studies of the interior. Question 8 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text If we were to send a radio signal to an advanced civilization in 2012 which is located in the Zeta Reticuli star system approximately 39 light-years away and the signal was immediately replied to, when would the reply arrive back at Earth? Select one: A. 2090 B. 2018 C. 2051 D. 2047 Feedback The correct answer is 2090. The signal takes 39 years to reach Zeta Reticui, and a further 39 years to return to Earth, a round trip time of 78 years. Question 9 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is more powerful than the 100- inch Mount Wilson Telescope (the telescope Edwin Hubble actually used for his studies of galaxies) because [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The HST has a larger aperture and so collects more light. B. The HST is in space and so is not subject to the problems of "seeing" due to turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. C. The HST uses modern digital detectors that are much more sensitive than the photographic plates available in Hubble's day. D. The HST can observe at X-ray wavelengths that cannot be seen by a telescope on the ground. Feedback The correct answers are B and C. The HST actually has a mirror slightly smaller than the 2.5 metre mirror of the Mount Wilson telescope. Although it is situated in space the HST is not designed for X-ray astronomy and has no instruments that detect X-rays. Question 10 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Cellular respiration in living eukaryotic cells takes place in structures called Select one: A. chloroplasts B. nuclei C. mitochondria D. archaea Feedback Answer C is correct. Cellular respiration takes place in mitochondria. Question 11 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Recent observations have reported the presence of small amounts of Methane in the Martian atmosphere. What have been suggested as possible sources of the methane? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The methane is what remains of the primordial Martian atmosphere. Its greenhouse heating could have helped to keep early Mars warm and account for the evidence for liquid water on early Mars. B. The methane is produced by methanogenic microorganisms living under the Martian surface. C. The methane is produced under the surface of Mars by volcanic heating causing chemical processes such as serpentenization. D. The methane is produced by chemical reactions between carbon dioxide and water in the Martian atmosphere. Feedback The correct answers are B and C. Methane could be produced by methanogenic organisms, or by volcanic processes such as serpentization. Answer A is incorrect, since any primordial methane could not have survived, as methane in the atmosphere is rapidly destroyed. Answer D is incorrect since chemistry in the atmosphere actually operates to break down methane rather than create it. Question 12 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The model of the solar system proposed by Nicholas Copernicus Select one: A. is the model that is now generally accepted. B. is correct in placing the Sun at the centre of the solar system, but is incorrect in using circular (rather than elliptical) motions. C. was superseded by the Ptolemaic model. D. was shown to be incorrect by Galileo's observations of the phases of Venus. Feedback B is the correct answer. Answer C is incorrect because the Copernican model came after the Ptolemaic model. Answer D is incorrect because Galileo's observations supported the Copernican model as opposed to the Ptolemaic one. Question 13 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The earliest fossil evidence of life on Earth consists of stromatolites and microfossils with an age of about Select one: A. 65 million years B. 1.5 billion years C. 3.5 billion years D. 4.5 billion years Feedback The correct answer is C. These fossils are found in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Question 14 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Which two properties of stars would you need to measure in order to plot them on a Hertzprung-Russell diagram? Select one: A. The spectral types of the stars and their colours. B. The spectral types of the stars and their masses. C. The magnitudes of the stars and their distances. D. The spectral types of the stars and their absolute magnitudes. Feedback Answer D is correct. The HR diagram is a plot of lumniosity or absolute magnitude against spectral type (or colour or temperature). Question 15 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Electromagnetic radiation of wavelength 2 micrometres is referred to as Select one: A. visible light B. ultraviolet light C. X-rays D. infrared radiation Feedback D is the correct answer. 2 micrometres lies within the wavelength range of infrared light, which extends from about 0.7 to 300 micrometres. Question 16 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Dark energy is needed to explain Select one: A. the rotation curves of galaxies. B. the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. C. the existence of black holes. D. the abundances of the chemical elements. Feedback B is the correct answer. Dark energy provides the "repulsive" force that causes expansion to accelerate. Galaxy rotation curves (answer A) are evidence for dark matter, not dark energy. Question 17 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The "Rare Earth" hypothesis of Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee is the idea that Select one: A. rocky planets like the Earth are uncommon in the galaxy. B. life is unlikely to develop on other planets because of the improbability of the events needed to form the first living cell. C. the evolution of advanced life and civilizations is unlikely to occur elsewhere, because it depends on a number of special features of our planet that have provided a stable and safe environment. D. evolution is dominated by chance, and so is likely to unfold quite differently on another planet, and unlikely to result in human-like intelligence. Feedback Answer C is correct. Ward and Brownlee believe that suitable planets are reasonably common, and are likely to develop microbial life, but that evolution of advanced intelligent life is likely to be rare. Answer D describes the view advocated by Stephen J. Gould, not that of Ward and Brownlee. Question 18 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The most likely theory for the formation of the Moon is Select one: A. that it was formed by the gravitational capture of a large asteroid B. that it formed simultaneously with Earth's formation C. that it was created from a collision scooping out the Pacific Ocean D. that it was formed from the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized object Feedback The correct answer is D. The density and composition of the Moon are too dissimilar for them to have formed together, but their mantles are similar enough to make it unlikely that the moon is a captured asteroid. The impact theory explains the large angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system, and the lower density of the Moon. The formation of the Moon has nothing to do with the formation of the Pacific Ocean, which is the result of recent plate tectonic processes. Question 19 Correct Mark 5.00 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text Molecular clouds are composed of a mixture of materials including [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. ionized hydrogen (HII) B. molecular hydrogen (H2) C. dust grains D. carbon monoxide (CO) Feedback B, C and D are all correct answers. Molecular clouds contain molecules including H2 and CO and dust. Answer A is not correct, since ionized hydrogen would only be found in hot gas which would be too hot to be a molecular cloud. Question 20 Partially correct Mark 3.33 out of 5.00 Flag question Question text The four giant (or Jovian) planets in our solar system all share the following properties [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. A system of many satellites B. An atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide C. Much lower densities than the terrestrial planets D. Rapid rotation with periods of less than a day Feedback Answers A, C and D are correct. Giant planet atmospheres are mostly hydrogen and helium with small amount of methane and ammonia. They do not contain significant amounts of carbon dioxide. GARY 1 We believe there is a black hole at the centre of our galaxy because Select one: A. the region appears dark in optical images. B. we detect bursts of gravitational radiation that appear to be due to stars being swallowed up by the black hole. C. we have been able to track the orbits of stars near the centre that show they are orbiting a very massive central object. D. theoretical models of galaxy formation require the presence of a central black hole for a galaxy to form 2 In which two spectral regions are ground based observations MOST useful? Select one: A. Microwave and ultraviolet. B. Optical and X-ray. C. Radio and optical. D. Ultraviolet and infrared. 3 The ancient water erosion features on the surface of Mars suggest that the planet must have had a much Select one: A. warmer, thinner atmosphere in the past B. cooler, thicker atmosphere in the past C. cooler, thinner atmosphere in the past D. warmer, thicker atmosphere in the past 4. Many large telescopes have been built on the 4200m summit of Mauna Kea in the Hawaiian Islands because [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The high altitude means the telescopes are closer to the objects being studied and can thus see more detail. B. The high altitude site provides excellent "seeing" allowing sharper images to be obtained. C. The site is very dry, minimizing absorption of radiation by water vapour in the atmosphere. D. The high altitude site is above the cloud layers and so the observatory is unaffected by clouds. 5. Most of the extrasolar planetary systems discovered to date are Select one: A. very similar to our own solar system with inner rocky terrestrial planets and outer gas giant planets B. similar to our solar system in having inner rocky terrestrial planets but different in having no gas giant planets C. identical to our own with the same number and types of planets as our own solar system D. quite different than our own solar system, many with jovian planets found close to their parent stars 6. A gas giant planet orbiting its star with a period of a few days is referred to as a Select one: A. Super Earth B. Transiting Extrasolar Planet C. Hot Jupiter D. Brown dwarf 7. Sunspots are [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. associated with strong magnetic fields. B. regions of the Sun that are hotter than the general photosphere temperature of about 5800 degrees. C. found to vary over a cycle of about 11 years with many more sunspots being observed at the maximum of the cycle. D. seen in active regions of the Sun that appear very bright in ultraviolet images from the SOHO spacecraft. 8. Direct detection of Earth-like planets around other stars should be possible using [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. extreme adaptive optics systems on large ground-based telescopes such as the Keck telescopes B. future space infrared interferometer missions such as Darwin C. the NASA Kepler mission D. future giant ground-based telescopes such as ESO's proposed 100m Overwhelmingly Large Telescope (OWL) 9. The Doppler method of exoplanet detection is most sensitive to Select one: A. massive planets in long period orbits B. large planets in short period orbits C. massive planets in short period orbits D. low mass planets in short period orbits 10. Stars in the halo of the Galaxy are generally [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. older than stars in the disk B. bluer than stars in the disk C. have higher velocities relative to the Sun than stars in the disk D. contain more heavy elements than stars in the disk 11. Enzymes are made up from a chain of chemical building blocks called Select one: A. nucleotides B. amino acids C. lipids D. bases 12. The mass of a star can be measured most easily Select one: A. if the star is a member of a cluster. B. if the star is relatively close to the Earth. C. if the star is particularly luminous. D. if the star is part of a binary system with a well determined orbit. 13. The basic molecular building blocks of DNA and RNA are Select one: A. nucleotides B. adenosine triphosphate molecules C. amino acids D. monosaccharides 14. Biologists have found that life on Earth can Select one: A. survive over a wide range of environmental conditions B. only survive on the surface of the Earth C. survive over a very narrow range of environmental conditions D. survive only in the presence of sunlight 15. Dark energy is needed to explain Select one: A. the rotation curves of galaxies. B. the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. C. the existence of black holes. D. the abundances of the chemical elements. 16. Galileo used his telescope to discover the following? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The four largest satellites of Jupiter B. The phases of Venus C. That the Milky Way is made up of many stars D. The elliptical orbits of the planets 17. The very high surface temperature of Venus is primarily caused by Select one: A. The fact that Venus is much closer to the Sun than the Earth and so receives much more solar energy. B. The internal heat from the core of Venus which is trapped by the thick cloud cover. C. The greenhouse effect due to carbon dioxide in the thick atmosphere. D. The greenhouse effect of methane which is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. 18. Recent observations have reported the presence of small amounts of Methane in the Martia n atmosphere. What have been suggested as possible sources of the methane? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The methane is what remains of the primordial Martian atmosphere. Its greenhouse heating could have helped to keep early Mars warm and account for the evidence for liquid water on early Mars. B. The methane is produced by methanogenic microorganisms living under the Martian surface. C. The methane is produced under the surface of Mars by volcanic heating causing chemical processes such as serpentenization. D. The methane is produced by chemical reactions between carbon dioxide and water in the Martian atmosphere 19. When stellar parallax is measured, a SMALL parallax means that the star is: Select one: A. relatively far away. B. relatively close by. C. not very bright. D. small in radius. 20. If the Earth's orbit was represented in a scale model by a circle 10 metres in diameter, how far away would the nearest star (Alpha Centauri) be on the same scale? Select one: A. About 12 km B. About 160 km C. About 1400 km D. About 7000 km 150million km =5 meter 4.2 light years= 40,280,000 million km Johnny 1. The NASA Galileo mission to Jupiter [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. was the first spacecraft to orbit one of the giant planets. B. discovered the volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io. C. deployed a probe that entered Jupiter's atmosphere. D. is continuing to explore the Jupiter system more than 10 years after its arrival at Jupiter. 2. Observations of the transits of extrasolar planets have been used to [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Determine the radius of the planets. B. Study the composition of the atmospheres. C. Determine the masses of the planets. D. Detect the presence of liquid water on the planets. 3. The interior of the Sun has been studied by [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. using X-ray observations from spacecraft such as SOHO that can see deep into the core of the Sun. B. observing solar oscillations that allow us to study how waves travel through the solar interior. C. using radar that reflects from different layers within the Sun. D. observing the neutrinos that originate in the core of the Sun using detectors such as the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. 4. An object similar to a star but with too low a mass (less than about 0.08 solar masses) for nuclear reactions to occur in its core is called Select one: A. a white dwarf B. a brown dwarf C. a red dwarf D. a hot Jupiter 5. Direct detection of Earth-like planets around other stars should be possible using [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. extreme adaptive optics systems on large ground-based telescopes such as the Keck telescopes B. future space infrared interferometer missions such as Darwin C. the NASA Kepler mission D. future giant ground-based telescopes such as ESO's proposed 100m Overwhelmingly Large Telescope (OWL) 6. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is more powerful than the 100-inch Mount Wilson Telescope (the telescope Edwin Hubble actually used for his studies of galaxies) because [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The HST has a larger aperture and so collects more light. B. The HST is in space and so is not subject to the problems of "seeing" due to turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. C. The HST uses modern digital detectors that are much more sensitive than the photographic plates available in Hubble's day. D. The HST can observe at X-ray wavelengths that cannot be seen by a telescope on the ground. 7. Molecular clouds are composed of a mixture of materials including [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. ionized hydrogen (HII) B. molecular hydrogen (H2) C. dust grains D. carbon monoxide (CO) 8. The most likely theory for the formation of the Moon is Select one: A. that it was formed by the gravitational capture of a large asteroid B. that it formed simultaneously with Earth's formation C. that it was created from a collision scooping out the Pacific Ocean D. that it was formed from the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized object 9. Which of the following solar system objects have not yet had a spacecraft land on their surface [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Titan B. Venus C. Mercury D. Europa 10. The Orion Nebula is situated within a: Select one: A. supernova remnant. B. globular cluster C. giant molecular cloud. D. planetary nebula. 11. If the Earth's orbit was represented in a scale model by a circle 10 metres in diameter, what would the Sun's diameter be on the same scale? Select one: A. About 10 cm B. About 5 cm C. About 1 cm D. About 5 mm 12. We believe there is a black hole at the centre of our galaxy because Select one: A. the region appears dark in optical images. B. we detect bursts of gravitational radiation that appear to be due to stars being swallowed up by the black hole. C. we have been able to track the orbits of stars near the centre that show they are orbiting a very massive central object. D. theoretical models of galaxy formation require the presence of a central black hole for a galaxy to form 13. Enzymes are made up from a chain of chemical building blocks called Select one: A. nucleotides B. amino acids C. lipids D. bases 14. The main chemical building blocks of life, the elements carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen were formed Select one: A. inside interstellar gas clouds during star formation B. in the center of the Earth and then ejected onto the surface via volcanism C. in the nuclear burning cores of stars and then ejected into space when they died D. in the Big Bang that created the universe 15. What features in the spectrum of an extrasolar terrestrial planet might provide evidence for life on the planet? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Absorption due to oxygen (produced by photosynthesis). B. Absorption due to carbon dioxide (a product of respiration). C. The "red edge" at 700nm (due to vegetation) D. Absorption due to methane (produced by methanogenic microbes). 16. Gas clouds in a galaxy are found mostly in the Select one: A. disk. B. bulge. C. halo. D. globular clusters. 17. Which of the following statements is an overall summary of the findings from the biology experiments on the Viking Mars missions? Select one: A. the Martian soil contained structures that might be microfossils of bacteria-like organisms. B. the Martian soil showed clear signs of biological activity due to living microorgansisms. C. the Martian soil is chemically reactive but shows no signs of biological activity. D. the Martian soil contained organic molecules but showed no signs of biological activity. 18. Many large telescopes have been built on the 4200m summit of Mauna Kea in the Hawaiian Islands because [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. The high altitude means the telescopes are closer to the objects being studied and can thus see more detail. B. The high altitude site provides excellent "seeing" allowing sharper images to be obtained. C. The site is very dry, minimizing absorption of radiation by water vapour in the atmosphere. D. The high altitude site is above the cloud layers and so the observatory is unaffected by clouds. 19. Electromagnetic radiation of wavelength 2 micrometres is referred to as Select one: A. visible light B. ultraviolet light C. X-rays D. infrared radiation 20. Cellular respiration in living eukaryotic cells takes place in structures called Select one: A. chloroplasts B. nuclei C. mitochondria D. archaea Gloria 1. In the tree of life Select one: A. animals are members of the domain Eukarya, while plants are members of the domain Archaea B. animals are members of the domain Archaea, while plants are members of the domain Eukarya C. both plants and animals are members of the domain Archaea D. both plants and animals are members of the domain Eukarya 2. A star with a mass 10 times that of the Sun Select one: A. has a somewhat longer lifetime than the Sun because it has more nuclear fuel to burn. B. has about the same lifetime as the Sun because although it has more nuclear fuel it burns it faster. C. has a much longer lifetime than the Sun, because it has more nuclear fuel and burns it more slowly. D. has a much shorter lifetime than the Sun because it has a very high luminosity and burns its fuel much more rapidly. 3. The planet Mercury Select one: A. has the highest surface temperature of all the solar system planets. B. is the second smallest planet in the solar system (only Pluto is smaller). C. has an unusually low density compared with the other terrestrial planets. D. has the most eccentric orbit of all the planets in the solar system. 4. Which of the following properties help us to distinguish stars in the halo of our galaxy from stars in the disk? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Halo stars are generally much more luminous than disk stars. B. Halo stars have higher velocities relative to the Sun than disk stars. C. Halo stars generally have less heavy elements (i.e. they have lower metallicity). D. Halo stars generally have bluer colours than disk stars. 5. The Orion Nebula is situated within a: Select one: A. supernova remnant. B. globular cluster C. giant molecular cloud. D. planetary nebula. 6. Saturn's moon Titan is unusual because Select one: A. it probably has an ocean of liquid water under its icy surface. B. it has active volcanoes. C. it is the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere. D. the Cassini spacecraft has detected geysers of ice at its south pole. 7. Which type of object is most useful in measuring distances within the Local Group? Select one: A. Supernovae. B. White Dwarfs. C. Cepheid variables. D. H-II Regions. 8. NASA Galileo 9. Quasars are thought to be powered by Select one: A. rapidly rotating magnetic neutron stars. B. accretion on to supermassive black holes. C. nuclear fusion. D. collisions between galaxies. 10. Molecular cloud 11. HST 12. 5cm 13. Water can be found on Mars in the form of [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: a. Water ice in the permanent polar caps which are covered by a seasonal layer of carbon dioxide ice (dry ice). b. A small amount of water vapour in the atmosphere that can condense as occasional clouds. c. Liquid water that occasionally flows in the Martian canals. d. Water ice just below the surface in high latitude regions.  14. o The solar nebula is Select one: A. An alternative name for the Milky Way B. The cloud of hot gas surrounding the Sun C. The disk of gas and dust from which the planets are thought to have formed D. The interstellar gas cloud closest to the Sun  15. The lunar maria or plains (the dark regions on the Moon) show very few craters compared with bright highland regions. This is thought to be because Select one: A. The maria are much younger than the highlands having formed within the last billion years and so show few impact craters. B. The maria are almost as old as the highlands at about 3.5 Byr, but the impact cratering rate was falling very steeply with time at this early epoch. C. The maria are covered by a thick layer of dust that hides any craters. D. The craters are due to volcanic activity that occurred mainly in the highland regions. 16. According to the nebular theory for the formation of the solar system Select one: A. planets should be rotating in the same direction as they orbit the Sun B. planets can be rotating in any random direction compared to the direction they orbit the Sun C. planets should be rotating in the opposite direction to the direction they orbit the Sun D. no prediction is made as to the directions of rotations of the planets 17. Brown Dwarf 18. The Doppler method of exoplanet detection is most sensitive to Select one: A. massive planets in long period orbits B. large planets in short period orbits C. massive planets in short period orbits D. low mass planets in short period orbits 19. If we were to send a radio signal to an advanced civilization in 2012 which is located in the Zeta Reticuli star system approximately 39 light-years away and the signal was immediately replied to, when would the reply arrive back at Earth? Select one: A. 2090 B. 2018 C. 2051 D. 2047 20. Halo Kelly 1. Dark Energy 2. The radial velocity (or "Doppler wobble") technique for detecting exoplanets works by Select one: A. measuring the change in velocity of the planet as it orbits the star. B. measuring the change in position of the star as the planet moves around it. C. measuring the change in velocity of the star due to the gravitational pull of the orbiting planet. D. measuring the dip in brightness as the planet passes in front of the star. 3. Formation of moon 4. The model of the solar system proposed by Nicholas Copernicus Select one: A. is the model that is now generally accepted. B. is correct in placing the Sun at the centre of the solar system, but is incorrect in using circular (rather than elliptical) motions. C. was superseded by the Ptolemaic model. D. was shown to be incorrect by Galileo's observations of the phases of Venus. 5. Gallileo use his telescope to discover 6. The earliest fossil evidence of life on Earth consists of stromatolites and microfossils with an age of about Select one: A. 65 million years B. 1.5 billion years C. 3.5 billion years D. 4.5 billion years 7. Mercury and Europa 8. HST 9. Nearest star (scale) 10. Cellular respiration in living eukaryotic cells takes place in structures called Select one: A. chloroplasts B. nuclei C. mitochondria D. archaea 11. Cataclysmic variable stars are [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. found in the "instability strip" in the HR diagram. B. commonly binary systems composed of a main sequence star and a white dwarf. C. observed to have light variations in the form of outbursts above a general quiescent level. D. known to occur in a number of types, one of which is the Cepheid variables. 12. Larger Star, burn quicker 13. The "RNA World" is Select one: A. The generally accepted theory for the origin of life. B. A hypothetical stage in life's history that precedes the current DNA-RNA-Protein basis for life. C. A fictional planet that features in the Star Trek series. D. A theory for the origin of eukaryotic organisms proposed by biologist Lynn Margulis. 14. A star of magnitude 6 is Select one: A. 100 times brighter than a star of magnitude 1 B. 6 times brighter than a star of magnitude 1 C. 100 times fainter than a star of magnitude 1 D. 6 times fainter than a star of magnitude 1 15. Which of the following statements describe properties which are unique to Earth and are NOT shared by any other solar system planets or moons. [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. It has liquid water oceans on the surface B. It has active volcanoes C. It is orbited by the largest moon in the solar system D. It has a magnetic field stronger than that of any other planet in the solar system 16. NASA Gallileo 17. Methane in the Martia 18. Most of the extrasolar planetary system 19. The main chemical block 20. Biologists have found Pessy Which property is NOT shared by the different isotopes of a given element? Select one: A. The number of electrons B. The atomic number C. The number of protons D. The atomic mass number The Large Magellanic Cloud is Select one: A. a galaxy belonging to the Local Group B. a planetary nebula C. an HII region D. a molecular cloud Which of the following spacecraft have returned samples to Earth from other bodies in the solar system? [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. Luna 24 B. Apollo 8 C. Viking 1 D. Stardust The molecular clouds in our galaxy can be best observed by Select one: A. Using radio telescopes to observe the 21-cm hydrogen line B. Looking for radio emission from Carbon Monoxide at millimetre wavelengths C. Using infrared wavelengths that can penetrate the dust in the galactic plane D. Looking for the X-ray emission from hot gas Vincent The "Rare Earth" hypothesis of Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee is the idea that Select one: A. rocky planets like the Earth are uncommon in the galaxy. B. life is unlikely to develop on other planets because of the improbability of the events needed to form the first living cell. C. the evolution of advanced life and civilizations is unlikely to occur elsewhere, because it depends on a number of special features of our planet that have provided a stable and safe environment. D. evolution is dominated by chance, and so is likely to unfold quite differently on another planet, and unlikely to result in human-like intelligence. To measure the radial velocity of a star using a telescope we would use which of the following instruments? Select one: A. an imaging CCD camera to measure its changing position B. a spectrograph to measure its Doppler shift C. a photometer D. a heliometer When the Sun completes it evolution its core will be composed mostly of Select one: A. hydrogen and helium B. helium C. carbon D. iron The four giant (or Jovian) planets in our solar system all share the following properties [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. A system of many satellites B. An atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide C. Much lower densities than the terrestrial planets D. Rapid rotation with periods of less than a day Gideon An object which contains the entire mass of a star like the Sun compressed into an object about the size of the Earth is called Select one: A. a brown dwarf B. a neutron star C. a white dwarf D. a black hole Evidence for the "Big Bang" theory of the universe come from [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY] Select one or more: A. the detection of dark matter in clusters of galaxies. B. the observation that the recession velocity of galaxies increases with distance. C. the presence of the Cosmic Microwave Background. D. the abundances of light elements such as helium, deuterium and lithium. The last supernova to be observed in our galaxy Select one: A. was seen by Chinese observers in 1054. B. was observed by Johannes Kepler in 1604. C. was the supernova SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. D. was detected only by the infrared observatory Spitzer because it is obscured by dust in the Milky Way. AST248 – Search for Life in the Universe Version 1 Final Exam (5/10/2007) Instructions A. Answer ALL questions on the optical scan page provided, using a #2 pencil. B. Make sure to include your NAME and STUDENT ID. The computer identifies you by your student ID; do not forget to include it. C. Do NOT mark your date of birth. Instead, use the first column of the day of the date of birth, to mark the VERSION NUMBER(0 or 1) as indicated above. This is VERY IMPORTANT, since different versions have different answers. D. The exam is CLOSED BOOK. You should not use any books or notes. E. Time: 2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES. 1. Which planet lies between the planets Saturn and Neptune? A) Uranus B) Pluto C) Mars D) Jupiter 2. A scientific model is considered valid if it is consistent with A) a single observation by an individual scientist B) the opinions of experts in the field C) repeated observations made by an individual scientist D) independent observations made by different scientists 3. One of the fundamental principles of stellar evolution is that the more massive a star is A) the more heavy elements it contains B) the more planets it has around it C) the faster it evolves D) the slower it evolves 4. The Cambrian Explosion began approximately A) 2.1 billion years ago B) 545 million years ago C) 360 million years ago D) 65 million years ago 5. Seafloor spreading on the Earth is the process by which A) volcanic material flows from the deep interior to produce volcanic islands B) dense material sank while lighter material rose to the surface during the early geological history C) molten lava oozes out between two tectonic plates that are slowly moving apart D) oceanic crust sinks below continental crust at a tectonic plate boundary - 1 - AST248 – Search for Life in the Universe Version 1 6. Which kind of robotic space mission enables us to determine the chemical composition of a solar system body in a laboratory? A) sample return B) flyby C) lander/probe D) orbiter 7. If we compress the entire history of the Earth into one year, life on Earth appeared A) in early February B) at the beginning of January C) in late December D) in late September 8. Which forms of life on Earth show the greatest diversity? A) insects B) human beings C) plants D) microbes 9. Which of the following signals from an advanced civilization would be easiest to detect? A) high intensity, narrow bandwidth B) low intensity, wide bandwidth C) high intensity, wide bandwidth D) low intensity, narrow bandwidth 10. What do we mean by the half-life of a radioactive isotope? A) it is the amount of time a person can be exposed to radiation without getting sick B) it is the time for half the number of radioactive nuclei to become stable nuclei C) it is the amount of time for half of the nuclei to become radioactive D) it is the time for half the number of radioactive nuclei to decay 11. In the nuclear fusion of four hydrogen nuclei to form a helium nucleus, the resultant helium nucleus A) is more massive than the four hydrogen nuclei, the missing mass being converted into energy B) is radioactive, generating energy by ejected electrons from beta decay C) is less massive than the four hydrogen nuclei, the missing mass being converted into energy D) has exactly the same mass as the four hydrogen nuclei, the energy being generated by the helium nucleus rearranging itself by emitting a gamma ray - 2 - AST248 – Search for Life in the Universe Version 1 12. Energy utilization in living organisms is A) one of the most basic requirements of life, without which organisms could not maintain order, grow, and reproduce B) only important for organisms like plants which receive their energy directly from the Sun C) neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for life D) not important for organisms that have adapted to survive extremely low temperatures (psychrophiles) 13. Significant amounts of liquid water last existed on the surface of Mars during the A) Noachian Era B) Amazonian Era C) Hadean Era D) Hesperian Era 14. If you were to come back to Earth in 150 million years time, what would a map of the planet look like compared to today? A) so completely different that none of our current continents would be recognizable B) only slightly different because plate motion is extremely slow C) exactly the same because plate tectonics is no longer occurring D) quite different because plate tectonics would have caused a shift in the position of the continents 15. If we allow for moisture loss due to a moist greenhouse effect, the inner boundary of the Sun’s habitable zone would be A) just inside the orbit of the Earth B) roughly halfway between the orbits of Venus and Mercury C) roughly halfway between the orbits of the Earth and Venus D) just outside the orbit of the planet Mercury 16. Why do we think that RNA was probably the first self-replicating molecule? A) it is able to replicate at high temperatures found near deep-sea ocean vents B) it is much simpler than DNA C) in laboratory studies researchers have shown that it is able to catalyze its own replication D) it is able to replicate using carbohydrates rather than proteins 17. Mercury and the Moon are probably the least-habitable bodies in the solar system because they A) are unlikely to have liquids anywhere B) have never had carbon compounds on their surfaces C) do not have atmospheres containing oxygen D) do not receive any sunlight - 3 [Show More]

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