Question 1

Which new idea has been added into our theory of solar system formation as a result of the discoveries of extrasolar planets?

Accepted Answer

A)   Planets can migrate from the orbits in which they are born.
B)   In addition to the categories of terrestrial and jovian, there must be an "in-between" category of planet that has the mass of a jovian planet but the composition of a terrestrial planet.
C)   In some star systems, it is possible for jovian planets to form in the inner solar system and terrestrial planets to form in the outer solar system.
D)   Some of the "exceptions to the rules" in our own solar system are likely to have been the result of giant impacts.E) A) and D)
F) A) and C) A

Question 2

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to:

Accepted Answer

A)   small asteroids.
B)   comets.
C)   Earth's Moon.
D)   particles in the rings of Saturn.E) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 3

Which jovian planet does not have rings?

Accepted Answer

A)   All the jovian planets have rings.
B)   Jupiter
C)   Neptune
D)   Uranus
E)   MarsF) A) and D)
G) None of the above A

Question 4

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)   The jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while the terrestrial planets began from planetesimals made only of rock and metal.
B)   Both types of planet begun with planetesimals growing through the process of accretion, but only the jovian planets were able to capture hydrogen and helium gas from the solar nebula.
C)   Swirling disks of gas, like the solar nebula in miniature, formed around the growing jovian planets but not around the growing terrestrial planets.
D)   The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line of the solar nebula and the jovian planets formed beyond it.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 5

Briefly describe the modern theory of how our Moon formed.

Accepted Answer

The Moon formed from a giant i...

Question 6

Which of the following puzzles in the solar system cannot be explained by a giant impact event?

Accepted Answer

A)   the formation of the Moon
B)   the large metallic core of Mercury
C)   the backward rotation of Venus
D)   the extreme axis tilt of Uranus
E)   the orbit of Triton in the opposite direction to Neptune's rotationF) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 7

Once a planet forms in a a disk-like nebula around a star, its orbit is fixed and will never change.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter, compared to terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A)   Caused icy planetesimals to slingshot away from the Sun, to become Oort cloud comets
B)   Formed in a region with lower orbital speeds
C)   Accreted from icy planetesimals
D)   Surface dramatically altered during bombardment
E)   Formed in regions cold enough for water to freezeF) A) and E)
G) C) and E)

Question 9

Explain why the early Earth did not form with water, and how it gained it later in its formation.

Accepted Answer

Earth, and all terrestrial planets, form...

Question 10

List at least three of the notable exceptions to the general patterns of the solar system.

Accepted Answer

Several possibilities: (a) The rotationa...

Question 11

Consider a star with 2 planets. The mass of planet A is the same as the mass of planet B. The orbit of Planet A is on average, closer to the star than the orbit of Planet B. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   Planet A is on average, moving faster than Planet B.
B)   Planet A is on average, moving slower than Planet B.
C)   The relative orbital speeds depend on the masses of the planets.
D)   Planet A moves with the same speed as Planet B.E) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 12

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Accepted Answer

A)   It is made mostly of rock and ice.
B)   It sometimes enters the inner solar system.
C)   It has a long tail. It has a moon.D) A) and B)
E) B) and C)

Question 13

Which planet could an astronaut visit without the need for a spacesuit (and survive) ?

Accepted Answer

A)   Mercury
B)   Venus
C)   the Moon
D)   Mars
E)   None; an astronaut would need a spacesuit to survive a visit to any other planet in the solar system.F) B) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 14

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?

Accepted Answer

A)   Our theory is not quite correct because it cannot explain these exceptions.
B)   Most of the exceptions are the result of giant impacts or close gravitational encounters.
C)   The exceptions probably represent objects that formed recently, rather than early in the history of the solar system.
D)   The exceptions probably represent objects that were captured by our solar system from interstellar space.
E)   The exceptions exist because, even though our theory is as correct as possible, nature never follows rules precisely.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 15

In essence, the Kepler mission is searching for extrasolar planets by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   observing a star carefully enough to notice that it is experiencing a gravitational tug caused by an unseen planet
B)   obtaining high-resolution photographs of other star systems
C)   identifying spectral lines that look like what we expect to see from a planet rather than a star
D)   monitoring stars for slight dimming that might occur as unseen planets pass in front of themE) B) and C)
F) A) and B) D

Question 16

The heavy bombardment phase of the solar system lasted

Accepted Answer

A)   several million years.
B)   several tens of millions of years.
C)   several hundreds of millions of years.
D)   about a billion years.
E)   to the present time.F) A) and E)
G) B) and D)

Question 17

According to our theory of solar system formation, what three major changes occurred in the solar nebula as it shrank in size?

Accepted Answer

A)   It got hotter, its rate of rotation increased, and it flattened into a disk.
B)   Its mass, temperature, and density all increased.
C)   It gained energy, it gained angular momentum, and it flattened into a disk.
D)   Its gas clumped up to form the terrestrial planets, nuclear fusion produced heavy elements to make the jovian planets, and central temperatures rose to more than a trillion Kelvin.E) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

Question 18

Hot Jupiters were a surprise to astronomers. What is the current explanation for their existence?

Accepted Answer

A)   Jupiters form as a companion to the host star, but fail to become actual stars themselves because they are not massive enough.
B)   Jupiters are supposed to form far away from their host star, then they migrate closer through gravitational interactions with the protoplanetary disk.
C)   The temperature of the hot Jupiters is highly uncertain, so they might not be as hot as the astronomers say.
D)   Jupiters actually can form close to the host star, since they do not require as much hydrogen compounds and ice as originally thought.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 19

How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?

Accepted Answer

A)   They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today.
B)   They formed as dense, rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today.
C)   They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
D)   Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet close in.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 20

Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)   Pluto
B)   Neptune
C)   an asteroid in the asteroid belt
D)   a comet in the Kuiper belt
E)   a comet in the Oort cloudF) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Exam 6: Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Which new idea has been added into our theory of solar system formation as a result of the discoveries of extrasolar planets?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Mars has two moons that are most similar in character to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which jovian planet does not have rings?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

According to our present theory of solar system formation, which of the following statements about the growth of terrestrial and jovian planets is not true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Briefly describe the modern theory of how our Moon formed.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe Moon formed from a giant i...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following puzzles in the solar system cannot be explained by a giant impact event?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Once a planet forms in a a disk-like nebula around a star, its orbit is fixed and will never change.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the formation of gas giants like Jupiter, compared to terrestrial planets?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain why the early Earth did not form with water, and how it gained it later in its formation.

Correct AnswerverifiedEarth, and all terrestrial planets, form...View AnswerShow Answer

List at least three of the notable exceptions to the general patterns of the solar system.

Correct AnswerverifiedSeveral possibilities: (a) The rotationa...View AnswerShow Answer

Consider a star with 2 planets. The mass of planet A is the same as the mass of planet B. The orbit of Planet A is on average, closer to the star than the orbit of Planet B. Which of the following statements is true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In what way is Pluto more like a comet than a planet?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which planet could an astronaut visit without the need for a spacesuit (and survive) ?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do we find some exceptions to the general rules and patterns of the planets?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In essence, the Kepler mission is searching for extrasolar planets by ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedD

The heavy bombardment phase of the solar system lasted

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to our theory of solar system formation, what three major changes occurred in the solar nebula as it shrank in size?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Hot Jupiters were a surprise to astronomers. What is the current explanation for their existence?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is furthest from the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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The Moon formed from a giant i...
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Earth, and all terrestrial planets, form...
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Several possibilities: (a) The rotationa...
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