Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Solar System
Solar System and Planetary Geology
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which planet has a higher average surface temperature than Mercury? | Venus |
| What are Mars' two moons? | Phobos and Deimos |
| Which moons of our solar system are sometimes called the Galilean moons? | The four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto |
| What is the Oort cloud? | It is a cloud of comets thought to orbit the Sun at great distances. |
| What is the diameter of Jupiter compared to Earth? | Jupiter's diameter is about 11 times that of Earth. |
| What is the greenhouse effect on Venus? | It is much stronger than on Earth due to high carbon dioxide levels. |
| What is significant about the Voyager missions? | They consisted of flybys rather than orbiters, allowing visits to multiple planets. |
| What happens to light from a red shirt? | It reflects red light and absorbs other colors. |
| What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency for gamma rays? | Gamma rays have a small wavelength and high frequency. |
| What is the energy usage of a 100-watt light bulb left on for one minute? | 6,000 joules. |
| Which statement about x-rays and radio waves is not true? | X-rays travel through space faster than radio waves. |
| What is the order of electromagnetic radiation from shortest to longest wavelength? | Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwaves, radio waves. |
| What is the main characteristic of jovian planets? | They contain significant amounts of hydrogen compounds. |
| What is the difference between terrestrial and jovian planets in terms of density? | Terrestrial planets are higher in average density than jovian planets. |
| What is the significance of the Galilean moons? | Their discovery helped overturn the belief in an Earth-centered universe. |
| What is the rotation direction of the inner planets compared to the outer planets? | The inner planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise, while the outer planets orbit clockwise. |
| What is the main reason for the greenhouse effect on Venus? | Its atmosphere has a high concentration of carbon dioxide. |
| What is the primary composition of terrestrial planets? | They are made mostly of metal and rock. |
| What is the main advantage of flyby spacecraft compared to orbiters? | Flyby spacecraft can visit multiple planets and return data more quickly. |
| What is the main component of the Oort cloud? | It is primarily composed of comets. |
| What is the effect of Venus's slow rotation on its temperature? | It gives more time for the surface to heat up in sunlight. |
| What is the primary reason for the high temperatures on Venus? | The extreme greenhouse effect. |
| Which planet's moons orbit 'backward' compared to their planet's rotation? | Neptune's moon Triton. |
| What is the main reason for the high density of terrestrial planets? | They contain large quantities of metal and rock. |
| What is the significance of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions? | They visited Jupiter, Saturn, and all four jovian planets. |
| What does the term 'jovian planets' refer to? | The gas giants in our solar system. |
| What is the main characteristic of the inner planets? | They orbit much closer to the Sun than jovian planets. |
| What is the main difference between the orbits of inner and outer planets? | Inner planets orbit counterclockwise, while outer planets can orbit clockwise. |
| What are the types of electromagnetic radiation in order of increasing frequency? | radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays |
| What happens to oxygen when it is heated? | It vaporizes into a gas, dissociates into individual oxygen atoms, and becomes ionized. |
| What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency for electromagnetic waves? | Frequency goes in the opposite direction of wavelength; gamma rays have the shortest wavelength and highest frequency, while radio has the longest wavelength and lowest frequency. |
| What is the atomic number of carbon? | 6 |
| What is the atomic mass number of carbon with 6 protons and 7 neutrons? | 13 |
| What is the fundamental difference between two different chemical elements? | They have different numbers of protons in their nucleus. |
| What does a hot object emit compared to a cooler object? | A hot object emits more radiation per unit surface area than a cool object. |
| What is the Stefan-Boltzmann law? | It states that a hot object produces more total infrared emission than a cooler object. |
| What happens to the gravitational potential energy of a soccer ball kicked to a height of 10 meters? | The ball's gravitational potential energy is greatest at the instant when the ball is at its highest point. |
| What does Newton's Second Law of Motion state? | The net force applied to an object equals its mass multiplied by acceleration (F = ma). |
| What happens to energy when a rock falls to the ground? | The potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. |
| What would happen if the Sun shrank in size but its mass remained the same? | The Sun would rotate faster to conserve angular momentum. |
| What is the significance of atomic number? | Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom. |
| What is the relationship between thermal radiation and temperature? | All light emitted by a hot object has higher energy than that emitted by a cooler object. |
| What is the effect of a net force on an object? | It will always cause a change in the object's direction or momentum. |
| What is the wavelength at which a 15,000 K star emits its most intense light? | About 100 nanometers. |
| What describes a case in which you are not accelerating? | Driving in a straight line at a constant speed. |
| What is the definition of velocity? | Velocity describes speed in a particular direction. |
| What happens if the Sun shrinks but its mass remains the same? | Earth would change from a bound orbit to an unbound orbit and fly off into interstellar space. |
| What is the potential energy of a rock held above the ground? | It is converted to kinetic energy as the rock falls. |
| What happens to energy when a rock hits the ground? | The energy goes into the ground, producing sound and heating the ground, rock, and surrounding air. |
| What does E represent in the formula E = mc²? | The mass-energy, or potential energy stored in an object's mass. |
| What happens to gravitational potential energy as an interstellar gas cloud shrinks? | It gradually transforms into other forms of energy. |
| What is the gravitational force between Earth and the Sun if Earth is twice as far from the Sun? | It would be one-quarter as strong. |
| What causes ocean tides on Earth? | The difference in the force of gravity exerted by the Moon across the sphere of the Earth. |
| What is the relationship between the mass of Earth and its orbital period around the Sun? | A single planet's orbital distance and orbital period are all we need to determine the Sun's mass using Newton's version of Kepler's third law. |
| What is the nebular theory of solar system formation? | It holds that our solar system formed from the collapse of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. |
| What key difference explains why jovian planets are different from terrestrial planets? | The jovian planets formed in a region with a much higher density of hydrogen and helium gas. |
| What happens to gas particles as a nebula shrinks in size? | Gas particles lose gravitational potential energy, which becomes thermal energy. |
| What is the effect of the tidal forces from the Sun and Moon? | They work together at both new and full moons, giving us both higher high tides and lower low tides. |
| What is the significance of the frost line in the solar nebula? | The terrestrial planets formed inside the frost line and the jovian planets formed beyond it. |
| What is the role of planetesimals in the formation of planets? | Jovian planets began from planetesimals made only of ice, while terrestrial planets began from those made only of rock and metal. |
| What are the major ingredients of the solar nebula in order from most abundant to least abundant? | Hydrogen and helium gas; rock; metal; and hydrogen compounds. |
| What does the Moon's average density suggest? | It is made of rock much more like that of the Earth's outer layers than that of the Earth as a whole. |
| What is the significance of the Pacific Ocean in relation to the giant impact hypothesis? | The Pacific Ocean is not an impact crater; the giant impact occurred long before there was a Pacific Ocean. |
| What is accretion in the context of planet formation? | The growth of planetesimals from smaller solid particles that collided and stuck together. |
| How old is a rock that originally contained 80 micrograms of potassium-40 if it currently has 10 micrograms? | 3.75 billion years. |
| According to modern scientific dating techniques, how long ago did Earth and the other planets of our solar system form? | 4.5 billion years. |
| What internal heat source still generates heat within the terrestrial worlds today? | Heat from radioactive decay. |
| What is the process called when dense metals sink to the core of a planet? | Differentiation. |
| What would we see happening in a typical region of the mantle if we could observe it? | Hot molten rock rising upward throughout the mantle and cool, solid rock falling downward. |
| What is the lithosphere? | The lithosphere is broken into a set of large plates that float on the softer rock below. |
| What is the current understanding of Mars' global magnetic field? | Scientists suspect that Mars once had a global magnetic field. |
| What does the current amount of potassium-40 in a rock indicate about its age? | The current amount indicates how many half-lives have passed since the rock solidified. |
| What is the relationship between the thickness of the lithosphere and interior temperature? | The thickness of the lithosphere depends on interior temperature, with cooler interiors leading to thicker lithospheres. |
| What is the role of convection in the terrestrial worlds? | Heat from convection generates heat within the terrestrial worlds. |
| What does the term 'solar nebula' refer to? | The cloud of gas and dust from which the solar system formed. |
| What is the primary composition of first-generation star systems? | They probably consisted only of hydrogen and helium. |
| What evidence supports the giant impact hypothesis for the Moon's formation? | Computer simulations show that the Moon could really have formed through a giant impact. |
| What does the term 'differentiation' mean in planetary science? | The process where denser materials sink to the center of a planet. |
| What is the significance of the image from the ALMA observatory? | It shows gaps likely cleared by forming planets. |
| What is the half-life of potassium-40? | 1.25 billion years. |
| What do scientists suspect about Mars's magnetic field? | Mars once had a global magnetic field. |
| What could explain why Mars lacks a global magnetic field today? | A core that has a molten layer and a mantle that has convection. |
| What is required for a planet to have a global magnetic field? | A core layer of molten, convecting material and sufficiently rapid rotation. |
| What is the fundamental reason that Mars has so little geological activity compared to Earth? | Its small size leads to more rapid loss of internal heat. |
| What are the basic requirements for a terrestrial world to have a global magnetic field? | A liquid outer core, convection in that core, and sufficiently rapid rotation. |
| What processes are responsible for virtually all surface geology? | Impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, and erosion. |
| Which of a planet's fundamental properties has the greatest effect on its level of volcanic and tectonic activity? | Size. |
| From center to surface, what are the interior layers of a terrestrial world? | Core, mantle, crust. |
| What geological processes have shaped the Moon and Mercury? | Impact cratering, volcanism, and tectonics. |
| What does a lack of impact craters on a planet suggest? | The sediments must have been deposited in water, indicating past presence of liquid water. |
| What does the photo from the Curiosity rover showing layered sedimentary rock on Mars suggest? | It indicates that Mars still experiences rain at least once every few million years. |
| What is the evidence of a global repaving on Venus about a billion years ago? | Venus has relatively few impact craters distributed evenly over its surface. |
| What is the result of volcanoes erupting over a hot spot in the mantle? | The chain of islands formed as the Pacific plate moved over this hot spot. |
| What would happen to Earth's average surface temperature if its ice caps melted? | The surface temperature would change radically, until it was equal to the melting temperature of ice. |
| What is the rotation rate of Venus? | Once every 6 months. |
| What is the size comparison of Venus? | Same as Mars. |
| What is the distance from the Sun for Venus? | Same as Earth. |
| What happens to the surface temperature of Earth if ice caps melt? | The surface temperature would increase. |
| What is the rotation rate of the Moon? | Once every 18 hours. |
| What is the size comparison of the Moon? | Same as the Moon. |
| What is the distance from the Sun for the Moon? | Same as Mars. |
| What is the rotation rate of Mars? | Once every 10 days. |
| Why does melting ice caps increase Earth's temperature? | Melting ice caps decrease Earth's overall reflectivity, leading to more sunlight absorption. |
| What does the greenhouse effect primarily involve? | Greenhouse gases absorbing infrared light from the Sun. |
| Does Venus have auroras around its poles? Why or why not? | No, because its atmosphere is too thick. |
| What is the primary cause of the greenhouse effect? | Greenhouse gases absorb infrared light from the Sun. |
| How does a planet's surface interact with sunlight? | It absorbs visible sunlight and returns energy to space as infrared light. |
| What happens to the temperature in the tropospheres of Venus and Mars? | Temperature declines smoothly with altitude. |
| Why does atmospheric pressure decrease with altitude on Earth? | The weight of the atmosphere above decreases with altitude. |
| Which layer of Earth's atmosphere do we live in? | Troposphere. |
| What is the Coriolis effect? | A phenomenon that affects wind patterns due to Earth's rotation. |
| Why is the Coriolis effect weak on Venus? | Because Venus has such a thick atmosphere. |
| Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas? | Oxygen (O2). |
| Why is thermal escape of atmospheric gas easier from the Moon than from Earth? | Because the Moon's gravity is much weaker than Earth's. |
| What is a runaway greenhouse effect? | A greenhouse effect that heats a planet so much that its surface rock melts. |
| What happened to outgassed water vapor on Venus? | Water was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rock. |
| What change in the Sun's history is important for understanding the climates of Venus, Earth, and Mars? | A gradual brightening with time. |
| What is the primary mechanism of the greenhouse effect? | Greenhouse gases slow the escape of infrared radiation, heating the lower atmosphere. |
| What is the effect of greenhouse gases on temperature? | More greenhouse gases lead to more warming. |
| What is the atmospheric gas density order for terrestrial worlds? | Venus, Mars, Mercury/Moon, Earth. |
| What is the temperature structure of Venus's atmosphere? | It has a thick atmosphere with much higher temperatures. |
| What happens to the temperature in the tropospheres of Earth? | Temperatures generally decrease with altitude. |
| What is the role of ultraviolet light in the greenhouse effect? | It is absorbed by ozone, heating the atmosphere. |
| What is the significance of a planet's rotation rate? | It affects the strength of the Coriolis effect. |
| What is the main reason for the greenhouse effect on Earth? | Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation. |
| What is the relationship between atmospheric pressure and altitude? | Pressure decreases as altitude increases. |
| What is the primary source of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere? | Photosynthesis. |
| What is the effect of greenhouse gases on infrared radiation? | They absorb and slow its escape from the planet. |
| What is the significance of the axis tilt of Mars? | It is thought to change significantly with time, affecting climate. |
| What happens to sunlight absorbed by a planet's surface? | It is returned to space as infrared light. |
| Why does Venus not have a magnetosphere? | Venus rotates too slowly to generate a global magnetic field. |
| What is the relationship between greenhouse gases and temperature? | More greenhouse gases lead to higher temperatures. |
| What is the effect of the solar wind on a planet's atmosphere? | It can strip atmospheric gas into space. |
Created by:
skyfalls
Popular Earth Science sets