Physics Involved With Astronomy Quiz

1 million millimeters

1 kilometer

100 kilometers

100 millimeters

100 meters

Because the stars in the constellations are so far away

Because the stars in the constellations move so slowly- typically about the speed of a snail- that their motions are not noticeable

Because the stars in the constellations are not moving

Because the stars in the constellations all move at the same speeds and in the same directions, so they don't change their relative positions

The seasons would be less extreme, because the Sun's rays would be less direct in the summer, and more direct in the winter

The seasons would be less extreme, because the surface of the Earth would be farther from the Sun in the summer, and closer to the Sun in the winter

The seasons would be more extreme, because the Sun's rays would be more direct in summer, and less direct in winter

The seasons would be more extreme, because the surface of the Earth would be closer to the Sun in the summer, and farther from the Sun in the winter

Less than the thickness of a human hair held at arm's length

Slightly more than a width of a basketball held at arm's length

About the width of a finger held at arm's length

About the width of your fist held at arm's length

Stars were too far away for parallax to be measured with available technology

Earth is stationary at the center of the universe

Galileo's theories of the universe were essentially correct

Stars must all lie at the same distance from Earth, on the celestial sphere

The answer depends on whether it's winter or summer

30 degrees up, due West

On the northern horizon

The answer depends on what time of day (or night) it is

Directly overhead

The planet moves backward through the sky

The planet moves backward in its orbit around the Sun

The planet moves through constellations that are not part of the zodiac

The planet rises in the west and sets in the east

The planet appears to move eastward with respect to the stars over a period of many nights

It does not have seasons

It uses a 23-hour rather than a 24-hour day

It has about 11 fewer days

Its new year always occurs in February instead of on January 1

The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars

Patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face

Four moons of Jupiter

Phases of Venus

Semi-major axis

Perihelion

Eccentricity

Aphelion

Period

A circle is considered to be a special type of ellipse

The focus of an ellipse is always located precisely at the center of the ellipse

The semi-major axis of an ellipse is half the length of the longest line that you can draw across an ellipse

An ellipse with a large eccentricity looks much more elongated (stretched out) than an ellipse with a small eccentricity

Because the gravity from the Moon cancels out the gravity from Earth

Because there is no gravity in space

Because they are falling around the Earth

Because they are moving so fast

Decreases, because the force of gravity strengthens as the cloud shrinks

Increases, because the force of gravity strengthens as the cloud shrinks

Decreases, because its angular momentum is conserved

Increases, because its angular momentum is conserved

Increases, because its total energy is conserved

Direction

Speed

Momentum

Mass

The energy goes into the ground, and as a result, the orbit of the Earth about the Sun is slightly changed

It is transformed back into gravitational potential energy

The rock keeps the energy inside it in the form of mass-energy

The energy goes to producing sound and to heating the ground, rock, and surrounding air

Actually only three of seven distinct laws of planetary motion

Natural consequences of the law of universal gravitation

The key to proving that Earth orbits our Sun

Seriously in error

9.8 km/s downward

9.8 km/s^2 downward

9.8 m/s downward

9.8 m/s^2 downward

9.8 m^2/s downward

You can make mass into energy if you can accelerate the mass to the speed of light

It takes a large amount of mass to produce a small amount of energy

A small amount of mass can be turned into a large amount of energy

One kilogram of mass represents 1 joule of energy

Mass can be turned into energy, but energy cannot be turned back into mass

Inversely proportional to the distance between objects

Directly proportional to the distance between objects

Not dependent on the distance between objects

Directly proportional to the square of the distance between objects

Inversely proportional to the square of the distance between objects

Decrease by a factor of 4

Increase by a factor of 2

Decrease by a factor of 2

Not change at all

Increase by a factor of 4

Measuring the orbital period and distance of Jupiter's orbit around the Sun

Knowing the Sun's mass and measuring the average distance of Jupiter from the Sun

Measuring the orbital speed of one of Jupiter's moons

Knowing the Sun's mass and measuring how Jupiter's speed changes during its elliptical orbit around the Sun

Measuring the orbital period and distance of one of Jupiter's moons

The 10-pound weight will hit the ground before the 5-pound weight

Both weights will float freely, since everything is weightless on the Moon

Both will hit the ground at the same time

The 5-pound weight will hit the ground before the 10-pound weight

Infrared light has higher energy, and moves faster

Infrared light has higher energy, but the same speed

Visible light has higher energy, and moves faster

Visible light has higher energy, but the same speed

You will see two distinct stars in your photograph

The photo will seem to show only one star rather than two

The two stars will appear to be touching, looking rather like a small dumbbell

The stars will not show up at all in your photograph

X-ray telescopes require the use of grazing incidence mirrors

X-rays are too dangerous to be allowed on the ground

X-rays do not penetrate Earth's atmosphere

It was built by NASA