Question | Answer |
The energy attributed to an object by virtue of its motion is known as _________. | kinetic energy |
The angular distance between a pair of objects in the sky is the angle that appears to separate them. True or false. | True. |
Which of the following is not true about a scientific theory? | A theory is essentially an educated guess. |
A week after full moon, the Moon's phase is: | third quarter |
Momentum is defined as _________. | mass times velocity |
Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? | Phases of Venus. |
Who was/were the first person/people known to make models of nature? | Greeks |
In the formula E=mc2, what does c represent? | the speed of light |
In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring: | the axis also points toward Polaris |
Newton’s 2nd law of motion states that force equals mass times acceleration, or F=ma. Suppose you have already calculated the gravitational force (Fg), attracting Earth and the Moon. Then the amount of acceleration of Earth due to this force is | Fg divided by the mass of the Earth |
The Moon’s shadow always points directly __________. | away from the Sun |
Kepler's first law tells us that a planet's distance from the Sun varies during its orbit. It is the closest at the point True or False.called aphelion and farthest at the point called perihelion. True or False. | False. |
According to Kepler's third law, how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? | A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun. |
How often does a new moon occur? | once a month |
Some type of lunar or solar eclipse (not necessarily a total eclipse) occurs | at least four times a year |
The acceleration of gravity on Earth is approximately 10 m/s2 (more precisely, 9.8 m/s2). If you drop a rock from a tall building, about how fast will it be falling after 3 seconds? | 30 m/s |
What is a planet's total orbital energy? | the sum of its kinetic and gravitational potential energies |
How does a 12-month lunar calendar differ from our 12-month solar calendar? | It has about 11 fewer days. |
Suppose you visit another planet: | Your mass would be the same as on Earth, but your weight would be different. |
Lunar eclipses can occur only during a _________. | full moon |
Suppose a comet orbits the Sun on a highly eccentric orbit with an average (semimajor axis) distance of 1 AU. How long does it take to complete each orbit, and how do we know? | 1 year, which we know from Kepler's third Law |
According to the universal law of gravitation, if you double the distance between two objects, then the gravitational force between them _________. | decreases by a factor of 4 |
The tilt of the Earth's axis remains close to 23.5°, but the direction the axis points in space changes slowly with the 26,000-year cycle of precession. True or False. | True |
What does temperature measure? | the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance |
According to Newton’s second law, the greater the force exerted on an object, the greater the object’s _____. | acceleration |
The difference between speed and velocity is that _________. | velocity also includes a direction |
A solar eclipse occurs when __________. | the Moon’s shadow falls on Earth |
Only one of the statements below uses the term theory in its correct, scientific sense. Which one? | A scientific theory must make testable predictions that, if found to be incorrect, could lead to its own modification or demise. |
Is the following equation Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation:
F = (G*M1)/(d2) True or False | False |
When a spinning ice skater pulls in his arms, he spins faster because _________. | his angular momentum must be conserved, so reducing his radius must increase his speed of rotation |
Suppose that two objects collide. Which of the following things is NOT the same both before and after the collision? | the total temperature of the objects |
Which of the following statements is not one of Newton's Laws of Motion? | What goes up must come down |
Two stars that are in the same constellation: | b. may actually be very far away from each other. |
Suppose you lived on the Moon. Which of the following would be true? | Your weight would be less than your weight on Earth, but your mass would be the same as it is on Earth |
Earth is farthest from the Sun in July and closest to the Sun in January. During which Northern Hemisphere season is Earth moving fastest in its orbit? | Winter |
In the formula E=mc2, what does E represent? | The mass-energy, or potential energy stored in an object's mass |
If you want to make a rocket turn left, you need to: | Fire an engine that shoots out gas to the right. |