Question 1

Halley's comet has an orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the Sun

Accepted Answer

A)  51 AU
B)  18 AU
C)  114 AU
D)  660 AU
E)  38 AUF) C) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 2

Galileo used a telescope to observe the phases of Venus.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Copernicus

Accepted Answer

A)  proposed that the Earth orbited the Sun.
B)  showed how retrograde motion could be explained without epicycles if the planets all orbited the Sun.
C)  neither proposed that the Earth orbited the Sun and showed how retrograde motion could be explained without epicycles if the planets all orbited the Sun.
D)  both proposed that the Earth orbited the Sun and showed how retrograde motion could be explained without epicycles if the planets all orbited the Sun.E) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 4

If an object's orbital velocity exceeds a celestial object's escape velocity, the object will follow closed orbits.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

In pre-Copernican astronomy, it was almost universally believed that

Accepted Answer

A)  the planets traveled in elliptical orbits about Earth.
B)  the center of the universe was the Sun with the Milky Way representing other distant planets.
C)  the Sun was at the center of the universe.
D)  Earth was at the center of the universe.
E)  None of the above was believed.F) D) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 6

Spring tides occur

Accepted Answer

A)  at new Moon and first-quarter Moon.
B)  at first quarter and third-quarter Moons.
C)  at new Moon and full Moon.
D)  at third-quarter and full Moons.
E)  at noon and midnight.F) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 7

Newton concluded that a force from the Earth had to act on the Moon because

Accepted Answer

A)  a force is needed to keep the Moon in motion in its orbit.
B)  a force is needed to pull the Moon outward.
C)  a force is needed to accelerate the Moon toward Earth away from straight-line motion.
D)  the Moon moved at a constant velocity in a straight line.
E)  All of the other choices are correct.F) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 8

How can tidal forces affect the rotation of celestial bodies and their orbital motion Hint: Consider Earth and the Moon.

Accepted Answer

Tidal forces affect orbital motion. For ...

Question 9

Saturn is on average 10 AU from the Sun. What is the approximate orbital period of Saturn

Accepted Answer

A)  10 years
B)  32 years
C)  100 years
D)  1000 years
E)  1,000,000 yearsF) A) and E)
G) C) and E)

Question 10

A comet in a highly elliptical orbit is found to have a semimajor axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU) . According to Kepler's 3rd law, what would be the sidereal period of this comet

Accepted Answer

A)  more than one year
B)  one year
C)  less than one year
D)  76 years; the same for every comet
E)  Not enough information is given to determine this.F) A) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 11

The 4 new 'planets' Galileo discovered are called the ___________________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The 4 new 'planets' Galileo discovered are...

Question 12

What are Newton's three laws of motion

Accepted Answer

(1) A body continues at rest or in unifo...

Question 13

Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved

Accepted Answer

A)  that Venus orbited the Sun.
B)  that Earth orbited the Sun.
C)  that all of the planets orbited the Sun.
D)  that the Moon orbited Earth.
E)  that Venus had an atmosphere.F) A) and B)
G) C) and D)

Question 14

The circular velocity of a satellite orbiting Earth is given by  . In this equation,

Accepted Answer

A)  M represents the mass of the satellite, and r is its radius.
B)  M represents the mass of Earth, and r the radius of Earth.
C)  M represents the mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth to the satellite.
D)  M represents the mass of Earth, and r the distance from Earth to the satellite.
E)  M represents the mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth's surface to the satellite.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 15

Parallax is

Accepted Answer

A)  the apparent motion of an object due to the motion of the observer.
B)  the distance between two foci of an ellipse.
C)  the small circle that the planets slid along in Ptolemy's geocentric universe.
D)  the circular orbits used in Copernicus' heliocentric universe.
E)  half the length of the shortest diameter of an ellipse.F) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 16

When Mars is located directly behind Earth with respect to the Sun in its orbit, it is

Accepted Answer

A)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunset.
B)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at midnight.
C)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at sunrise.
D)  at the midpoint in the sky between east and west at noon.
E)  not visible in the night sky.F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 17

Describe one observation that would disprove the Ptolemaic model and explain why it would conflict with the model.

Accepted Answer

The Ptolemaic model was geocentric, with...

Question 18

The ____________________ Tables were based on a heliocentric model of the universe and used elliptical orbits for the planets.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ____________________ Tables were based on a...

Question 19

An object in orbit around Earth

Accepted Answer

A)  is not experiencing gravity.
B)  is in free fall.
C)  is accelerating towards Earth.
D)  is in free fall and is accelerating toward Earth.E) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 20

Many classical Greek astronomers believed Earth could not move because they detected no parallax.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 4: The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Spring tides occur

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Galileo used a telescope to observe the phases of Venus.

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An object in orbit around Earth

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What are Newton's three laws of motion

Correct Answerverified(1) A body continues at rest or in unifo...View AnswerShow Answer

Parallax is

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Describe one observation that would disprove the Ptolemaic model and explain why it would conflict with the model.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe Ptolemaic model was geocentric, with...View AnswerShow Answer

If an object's orbital velocity exceeds a celestial object's escape velocity, the object will follow closed orbits.

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Newton concluded that a force from the Earth had to act on the Moon because

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Halley's comet has an orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the Sun

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The 4 new 'planets' Galileo discovered are called the ___________________________.

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Saturn is on average 10 AU from the Sun. What is the approximate orbital period of Saturn

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How can tidal forces affect the rotation of celestial bodies and their orbital motion Hint: Consider Earth and the Moon.

Correct AnswerverifiedTidal forces affect orbital motion. For ...View AnswerShow Answer

The ____________________ Tables were based on a heliocentric model of the universe and used elliptical orbits for the planets.

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The circular velocity of a satellite orbiting Earth is given by . In this equation,

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Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved

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In pre-Copernican astronomy, it was almost universally believed that

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A comet in a highly elliptical orbit is found to have a semimajor axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU) . According to Kepler's 3rd law, what would be the sidereal period of this comet

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Many classical Greek astronomers believed Earth could not move because they detected no parallax.

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Copernicus

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When Mars is located directly behind Earth with respect to the Sun in its orbit, it is

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(1) A body continues at rest or in unifo...
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The Ptolemaic model was geocentric, with...
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Tidal forces affect orbital motion. For ...
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