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Physics 109: Practice Final

1.

The boundaries between the different tectonic plates on Earth are

(a): marked by changes in the average ages of rocks.
(b): the same as those of the continents.
(c): marked by concentrations of volcanos and earthquakes.
(d): all mid-ocean ridges.
(e): the same as the political boundaries.

2.

S-waves cannot travel through the Earth's outer core. What does this tell us about the outer core?

(a): the outer core is very cold.
(b): the outer core is solid.
(c): the outer core is composed of mostly Ni and Fe.
(d): the outer core is liquid.
(e): trick question - there is no outer core.

3.

Which of the following accounts for the circulation patterns around high and low pressure regions in the Earth's atmosphere?

(a): aberration.
(b): the Coriolis effect.
(c): the jet stream.
(d): the oblate shape of the Earth.
(e): centrifugal force.

4.

The various layers of the Earth's atmosphere (e.g., stratosphere, mesosphere, etc.) vary in temperature because the different layers

(a): have different densities, hence different temperatures.
(b): are heated by solar wind particles that can only penetrate to certain depths.
(c): are filled with clouds to a greater or lesser extent.
(d): absorb solar radiation more or less effectively.
(e): are heated by different kinds of chemical reactions.

5.

Why is there so little CO

in the Earth's atmosphere?

(a): It never was a major constituent of the atmosphere.
(b): CO dissolved in the oceans and then combined with rocks.
(c): CO was broken down by solar UV radiation.
(d): Earth's gravity is not strong enough to retain CO in the atmosphere.
(e): Most of the CO has been incorporated into living organisms.

6.

What is the origin of the Earth's magnetic field?

(a): currents in the Earth's core.
(b): permanent magnetism left over from the formation of the Earth.
(c): the flow of ionized gases in the Earth's upper atmosphere
(d): pockets of solar magnetism captured from the solar wind.
(e): charged particles in the Van Allen belts.

7.

What kind of eclipse occurs when the Moon's penumbral shadow comes in contact with the surface of the Earth?

(a): total lunar eclipse.
(b): partial lunar eclipse.
(c): trick question - there is no eclipse.
(d): total solar eclipse.
(e): partial solar eclipse.

8.

The fact that most rocks on the Moon are older than Earth rocks supports which of the following statements?

(a): the Moon formed before the Earth.
(b): volcanic activity was never very important on the Moon.
(c): the Moon has experienced little formation of rock since the lunar maria were formed.
(d): crater impacts have dredged up older material on the Moon.
(e): the Moon was formed somewhere else in the solar system and was captured by the Earth.

9.

One side of the Moon always faces the Earth because

(a): of tidal locking.
(b): of Kepler's third law.
(c): the Moon's orbit is retrograde.
(d): of conservation of angular momentum.
(e): the Moon does not rotate on its own axis.

10.

Why does the Moon have so little atmosphere?

(a): the solar wind has stripped it away.
(b): the process that led to the formation of the Moon prevented it.
(c): the gravity of the Moon is too weak to retain an atmosphere.
(d): there was no volcanism on the Moon, so no significant outgassing occurred.
(e): the Moon is so cold that all the atmospheric gases condensed onto the lunar surface.

11.

The average density of the Moon is most similar to that of the Earth's

(a): atmosphere.
(b): magnetosphere.
(c): core.
(d): oceans.
(e): mantle.

12.

A recent theory attributes the origin of the Moon to the impact of a Mars-size body with the Earth. Which of the following is both a true statement and supports the impact theory of the Moon's origin?

(a): the scar left by the impact can be identified with the Pacific Ocean.
(b): the remains of the impacting body now form part of the Earth's core.
(c): there is no water on the Moon.
(d): the composition of the Moon is similar to Earth's but also somewhat different.
(e): there is no lunar atmosphere.

13.

Mercury's surface resembles that of our Moon in that both

(a): have heavily cratered highlands.
(b): show evidence of water erosion over 3 billion years ago.
(c): have icy regions in places protected from direct sunlight.
(d): bodies show signs of crustal (tectonic) motion.
(e): have maria of similar size and appearance.

14.

Mercury is not in a synchronous orbit around the Sun because

(a): you can't fool me - the orbit is synchronous.
(b): the large ellipticity of Mercury's orbit prohibits synchronization.
(c): small gravitational perturbations by the other planets (mostly Venus) prevent synchronization.
(d): tides on Mercury are not effective because the planet has no natural satellites.
(e): synchronization is possible assuming Newton's law of gravity, but not for Einstein's theory of gravitation, which provides the correct description of Mercury's orbit.

15.

The greenhouse effect

(a): is the result of changes to the Earth's atmosphere caused by biological or human activity.
(b): is really only a theoretical concept and has not been verified observationally.
(c): on the Earth, is caused by the dumping of excess heat from automobiles and power plants into the environment.
(d): is the cause of the high surface temperature of Venus, but does not play a role elsewhere in the solar system
(e): results from the absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases.

16.

Venus's surface has been mapped primarily by

(a): infrared radiation.
(b): ultraviolet light.
(c): radar.
(d): x-rays.
(e): landers equipped with cameras.

17.

The carbon dioxide (CO

) in Venus's atmosphere

(a): increased greatly when Venus's oceans evaporated 3 billion years ago.
(b): is second only to nitrogen (N ) as a component of the atmosphere.
(c): has resulted from photosynthesis by plants.
(d): is opaque to infrared radiation.
(e): is responsible for the bands and belts seen on the planet.

18.

On which planet(s) would an explorer see the Sun rise in the west (ignore cloud cover)?

(a): Mercury.
(b): Mercury and Venus.
(c): Venus.
(d): Venus and Mars.
(e): Mars.

19.

Volcanic activity on the Earth, Mercury, and Mars has

(a): continued to the present day on all three planets.
(b): ceased more than 3 billion years ago on Mercury and Mars.
(c): created only large volcanic cones on all three planets.
(d): occured within the last billion years only on the Earth and Mars.
(e): had only insignificant effects on the surfaces of these planets.

20.

Which of the following is NOT likely to be found on the Martian surface today?

(a): volcanic peaks.
(b): thick polar ice sheets.
(c): rift canyons.
(d): gently rolling plains.
(e): canals.

21.

What was the result of the life-detection experiments that were carried out on the Viking mission to Mars?

(a): no clear-cut evidence of life was detected.
(b): microbial life was found.
(c): no life was found, but numerous organic compounds suggest life in the past.
(d): Martian soil showed no evidence for any biological or chemical activity.
(e): spectacular photographs of Martian organisms on the cover of the National Enquirer.

22.

How do astronomers know that the Martian volcano Olympus Mons is significantly younger than the Martian highlands?

(a): by radioisotopic dating of returned samples.
(b): by comparing the observed density of impact craters.
(c): through studies of the surface chemical composition measured by the Viking landers.
(d): by comparison with observations of earlier astronomers.
(e): because Olympus Mons has been observed in eruption.

23.

In which of the following forms can water NOT exist on Mars today?

(a): permafrost.
(b): polar ice caps.
(c): lakes.
(d): atmospheric gas.
(e): thin frost layers on the surface.

24.

How do we know that the dark colored belts in the atmosphere of Jupiter are generally hotter than the light colored zones?

(a): they reflect less sunlight than the light regions.
(b): through direct temperature measurements by the Galileo probe that entered Jupiter's atmosphere.
(c): they emit more infrared radiation than the light regions.
(d): they are observed to lie higher in the atmosphere.
(e): it's only an educated guess, there's no hard evidence.

25.

The amount of infrared energy emitted by Jupiter is about twice as great as the amount of sunlight that the planet absorbs. What is the significance of this discrepancy?

(a): It implies that the planet is cooler than it should be.
(b): It implies that there are significant energy sources within Jupiter.
(c): It implies that the Sun was once much brighter than it is now.
(d): It implies that the planet must have a rocky core.
(e): It implies the existence of metallic hydrogen in the center of Jupiter.

26.

Jupiter and its moons are often compared to the Sun and its planets. One reason for this is that

(a): tidal forces have played an important role in the amount of geological activity on the moons.
(b): the outer moons are geologically active, while the inner moons are not.
(c): the inner moons are rocky, while the outer moons are gaseous.
(d): the main moons have nearly circular orbits in the plane of Jupiter's equator.
(e): some of the small moons have retrograde orbits.

27.

The cores of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be

(a): rocky material.
(b): permanently magnetized iron.
(c): molecular hydrogen.
(d): Jupiter has no core.
(e): liquid composed of hydrogen and helium.

28.

The equatorial diameter of Saturn is about 10% larger than the polar diameter. Why?

(a): Saturn is distorted by tides due to its satellite Titan.
(b): Beneath the clouds, the solid surface of Saturn is asymmetric.
(c): The strong Saturnian magnetic field causes the planet to flatten at the poles.
(d): Saturn's shape is distorted by its prominent ring system.
(e): Saturn rotates rapidly.

29.

In what part of Saturn's rings do the ring particles move the fastest?

(a): the innermost part.
(b): the outermost part.
(c): they all move at the same speed.
(d): within the Cassini division.
(e): in the ring spokes.

30.

Planetary rings are flat and circular because of

(a): spin-orbit coupling.
(b): shepherding satellites.
(c): collisions between ring particles.
(d): tidal effects from the planet.
(e): orbital resonances with satellites.

31.

The planet Uranus is unusual because

(a): it orbits the Sun in the opposite direction to all the other planets.
(b): it has no magnetic field.
(c): none of its moons orbits in the equatorial plane of the planet.
(d): its spin axis is tipped over to lie close to its orbital plane.
(e): it has strong markings in contrasting colors.

32.

What is remarkable about the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune?

(a): they are much stronger than Jupiter's magnetic field.
(b): they are much weaker than the Earth's magnetic field.
(c): they appear to be undergoing reversals of magnetic polarity.
(d): each planet has two north magnetic poles and two south magnetic poles.
(e): the magnetic field axes are significantly misaligned to the planetary rotation axes.

33.

What property of Pluto could be determined only after the discovery of its satellite, Charon?

(a): its size.
(b): its mass.
(c): its rotation period.
(d): its albedo.
(e): its distance.

34.

Phobos and Deimos, the two satellites of Mars, most resemble which of the following?

(a): the Galilean satellites.
(b): the outer satellites of Jupiter.
(c): the Moon.
(d): Pluto's satellite Charon.
(e): Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn.

35.

Order the four Galilean satellites by the average age of their surfaces from youngest to oldest.

(a): Io, Europa, Callisto, Ganymede
(b): Callisto, Ganymede, Io, Europa
(c): Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto
(d): Europa, Io, Callisto, Ganymede
(e): Io, Ganymede, Europa, Callisto

36.

The eruptions on Jupiter's moon Io produce mainly

(a): Sulphur and sulphur dioxide.
(b): Liquid water and steam which freezes quickly.
(c): Molten rock.
(d): Carbon dioxide and water.
(e): Methane and ammonia.

37.

Which of the following statements about the atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon Titan is WRONG?

(a): The main gas is nitrogen.
(b): The Sun's ultraviolet light causes complex molecules to form.
(c): The upper atmosphere contains a thin ``smog''.
(d): There are clouds of methane in the atmosphere.
(e): The abundant carbon dioxide came from volcanos.

38.

Most meteors are caused by

(a): interplanetary dust that burns up in the atmosphere.
(b): the rocket engines of UFOs as they approach the Earth.
(c): comets that strike the Earth and burn up in the atmosphere.
(d): asteroids that strike the Earth and burn up in the atmosphere.
(e): small fist-sized pieces of interplanetary rock that reach terminal velocity before they hit the ground.

39.

How do we know that some of the parent bodies of meteorites were differentiated?

(a): from tracking meteor orbits to identify the location in the solar system that the parent bodies originated.
(b): by determining the relative numbers of stony, iron, and stony-iron meteorites.
(c): don't kid yourself - we really don't know this.
(d): by studying the composition of meteorites.
(e): through radioactive dating.

40.

Recently some astronomers have been advocating an intensive program of observations to identify Earth-crossing asteroids. Why would such a study be important?

(a): primitive objects like these will help us to understand the origin of the solar system.
(b): it would increase funding for astronomical research programs.
(c): studying the orbits of these bodies will allow for more precise measurements of the Earth's orbit.
(d): to investigate the origin of meteor showers.
(e): the consequences of an impact between even a small asteroid (10 km in diameter) and the Earth would be catastrophic.

41.

A comet's tail is

(a): the shadow of the comet.
(b): a trail of gas and dust illuminated by the Sun.
(c): the solar wind lit up by the comet.
(d): material falling towards the comet.
(e): a gap in the solar wind created by the motion of the comet.

42.

Which of the following is NOT expected to be a general feature of planetary systems?

(a): all prograde or all retrograde orbits
(b): flattened disk-like shape.
(c): the presence of comets, asteroids. and interplanetary dust.
(d): a star like the Sun.
(e): inner planets with a low abundance of volatile elements.

43.

During the formation of the solar system, conservation of angular momentum

(a): was unimportant since the cloud core that formed the Sun was not rotating.
(b): defined the structure of the solar system.
(c): did not allow much material to collapse to form the Sun.
(d): explains why most of the angular momentum of the solar system resides in the planets.
(e): explains the differences in chemical composition of the planets.

44.

Which of the following statements best explains the origin of density differences between the planets?

(a): Temperature variations in the solar nebula caused different types of dust grains to condense at different radii.
(b): Heavier material settled further out in the solar nebula.
(c): The densities of the planets were altered after their formation by outgassing from volcanos.
(d): Planets with strong magnetic fields are denser than those with weak or no fields.
(e): The outer planets are denser than the terrestrial planets because they are more massive.

45.

The energy of the Sun comes from

(a): magnetic fields in the central core.
(b): thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei (protons) to make helium.
(c): radioactive decays of uranium and plutonium.
(d): large-scale chemical reactions.
(e): tidal heating caused by the planets.

46.

One of the most important constraints on the mechanism for the energy production of the Sun is

(a): the prodigious amount of energy radiated by the Sun today.
(b): the high temperature and pressure of the Sun's interior.
(c): the constancy of the Sun's energy production rate over the past 3 billion years.
(d): the reversals in the polarity of the Sun's magnetic field.
(e): the 11 year cycle in the number of sunspots.

47.

Astronomers study neutrinos from the Sun because neutrinos

(a): are relics from the formation of the Sun.
(b): are produced in sunspots.
(c): provide a sensitive probe of the solar convective zone.
(d): tell us about the nuclear reactions in the Sun over the past 170,000 years.
(e): tell us about the nuclear reactions in the Sun at the present time.

48.

Which of the following best describes sunspots?

(a): cooler than average regions in the photosphere associated with strong magnetic fields.
(b): giant arches of hot gas exploding off the surface of the Sun.
(c): the mottling of the photosphere caused by convection.
(d): a brighter patch of the photosphere associated with a sudden change in the magnetic field.
(e): holes in the Sun's atmosphere through which we can see the dark surface.

49.

It is likely that differential rotation of the Sun, wherein the gas at the equator rotates more rapidly than the gas at the poles, plays a role in the sunspot cycle. What is the role that differential rotation plays?

(a): it causes the magnetic polarity of the sunspot groups to switch.
(b): it increases the amount of convection near the solar surface, which causes sunspots to disappear.
(c): it stretches and distorts magnetic field lines which greatly decreases the magnetic field strength.
(d): it makes magnetic field lines migrate from latitudes of around 30 toward the equator.
(e): it causes the magnetic field lines to twist into loops that eventually erupt through the surface.

50.

The Maunder minimum is

(a): the lowest point in the surface of the Sun.
(b): the lowest latitude at which a sunspot was ever observed.
(c): the lowest temperature ever measured for a sunspot.
(d): a period in the late 17th century with very little sunspot activity.
(e): Michael Maunder's record low score in the 109 final exam of 1982.

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John Hughes
Tue Nov 24 20:52:47 EST 1998