Second Quarter
Practice Test
Only one side of the Moon is visible from
Earth because
A.the Moon does not rotate on its axis.
B.the Moon does not revolve around
Earth.
C.the Moon is in a geosynchronous orbit
around Earth.
D.the Moon revolves once and rotates
once in the same period of time.
1
And the answer is…
D. the moon
revolves once
and rotates once
in the same
period of time.
During a total eclipse of the Moon, the
Moon is
A. Between Earth and the Sun
B. In Earth’s umbra
C. In Earth’s penumbra
D. Casting a shadow on Earth
2
And the answer is…
B. In Earth’s umbra
Planet
Diameter
(km)
Period of
Rotation
(Earth
Days)
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
142,800
120,540
51,200
49,000
0.41
0.43
0.72
0.67
Average
Distance
From
The Sun
(millions of km)
778
1,427
2,871
4,497
Period of
Revolution
(Earth
years)
Number of
Moons
12
29
84
165
67
62
27
14
What conclusion about the large outer planets is supported by the
information in the table?
A.As the diameter of the planet increases, the number of moons
increases.
B.As the distance from the sun increases, the period of revolution
increases
C.As the diameter of the planet increases, the period of rotation
decreases.
D.As the distance from the sun increases, the period of rotation
decreases.
3
And the answer is…
B. As the distance from
the Sun increases, the
period of revolution
increases
Which of these appears in Earth’s
atmosphere?
A. A moon
B. A meteor
C. An asteroid
D. A comet
4
And the answer is…
B. A
meteor
As a research assignment for a science class, a student has been asked to
determine how many times Io revolves around Jupiter in one Jupiter year. To
help answer this question, he has gathered the following facts from the library:
The same side of Io always faces Jupiter.
Io’s period of rotation on its axis is 1.8 Earth days.
One Jupiter year is equal to 12 Earth years.
By using this information and by performing a few calculations, the student
should be able to complete the assignment.
What can you conclude about Io’s period of revolution
around Jupiter?
A.It is less than its period of rotation.
B.It is equal to its period of rotation on its axis.
C.It is greater than its period of rotation on its axis.
D.It is equal to one Jupiter year.
5
And the answer is…
B. It is equal to its period of rotation
on its axis.
(Just like the Earth’s moon! The
rotation and revolution period take
the same amount of time-- about a
month)
What moon phase would
be occurring if the moon is
at position H?
6
And the answer is…
Waxing
Gibbous
How is a moon different from a planet?
A. A moon is smaller than any planet.
B. A moon is less massive than any
planet
C. A moon is in orbit around a planet.
D. A moon is unable to have an
atmosphere
7
And the answer is…
C. A moon is in orbit
around a planet.
What season
occurs in the
Northern
hemisphere
when the Earth
is at position B
during its
revolution
around the
Sun?
8
And the answer is…
Summer
What moon phase would be
occurring if the moon is at
position L?
9
And the answer is…
Waning
Crescent
What do all four gas giants have
that terrestrial planets do not have?
A. Atmospheres
B. Solid surfaces
C. Moons
D. Rings
10
And the answer is…
D. Rings
Earth's orbit around the Sun and its
23-degree tilt on its axis cause
A. phases of the Moon
B. solar eclipses
C. seasons
D. tides
11
And the answer is…
C. seasons
What season
occurs in the
northern
hemisphere
when the Earth
is at position D
during its
revolution
around the
Sun?
12
And the answer is…
Winter
Some data about the atmosphere of
Mars are shown on the graph. What
conclusion can be made about the
ability of humans to breathe Martian
air?
A. Life support will be needed
because the percentage of oxygen is
too low.
B. It will be impossible to breathe
because the percentage of nitrogen is
too low.
C. Oxygen and nitrogen will make it
possible for photosynthesis to
produce food.
D. Humans will be able to breathe the
air because oxygen is present.
13
And the answer is…
A. Life support will be
needed because the
percentage of oxygen
is too low.
Betty wants to find out the amount
of water she collected in a cup during
a rainstorm. Which instrument
should she use?
A.thermometer
B.graduated cylinder
C.ruler
D.equal arm balance
14
And the answer is…
B. graduated
cylinder
At which letter on the
diagram might a solar
eclipse occur?
A. Letter E
B. Letter H
C. Letter I
D. Letter L
15
And the answer is…
A. Letter E
Which of the drawings represents the first-quarter
phase of the Moon?
A
B
C
D
16
And the answer is…
The diagram shows the
orbit of the moon
around Earth. Between
which two points will
the Moon appear to
change from a new
moon to a quarter
moon?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Q and R
R and S
S and T
T and Q
17
And the answer is…
D. T and Q
What season
occurs in the
northern
hemisphere
when the
Earth is at
position C
during its
revolution
around the
Sun?
18
And the answer is…
Fall
What season is North America
experiencing at each point?
A.Point A is spring, B is
summer, C is fall and D is
winter
B.Point A is summer, B is fall, C
is winter and D is spring
C.Point A is fall, B is winter, C is
spring and D is summer
D.Point A is winter, B is spring,
C is summer and D is fall
19
And the answer is…
A. Point A is spring, B is
summer, C is fall and D
is winter
Venus’s day is longer than its year. Which
of the following explains this relationship?
A.The rotation period on Venus is longer
than its revolution period
B.The rotation period on Venus is shorter
than its revolution period
C.The rotation period on Venus takes the
same amount of time as its revolution
period
20
And the answer is…
A. The rotation period on
Venus is longer than its
revolution period
Why does the Moon seem to change shape from
week to week?
A.Clouds block part of the Moon.
B. The Moon revolves around Earth showing
different amounts of the sun lit part
C. The Moon is lit in different ways, changing
the amount that is lit at one time
D.Different amounts of the dark-colored side
of the Moon face Earth.
21
And the answer is…
B. The Moon revolves
around Earth
showing different
amounts of the
Sunlit part
What is the correct arrangement of
these structures from smallest to
largest?
A. universe, planet, solar system, galaxy
B. planet, solar system, galaxy, universe
C. solar system, universe, galaxy, planet
D. universe, galaxy, solar system, planet
22
And the answer is…
B. planet, solar system, galaxy, universe
As a planet travels around the sun, it
is also spinning on its axis. This
spinning is called
A.Declination
B.Rotation
C.Revolution
D.Orbiting
23
And the answer is…
B. Rotation
In the diagram, number 5 represents
A. a row of comets.
B. rings of dust and dirt particles.
C. the asteroid belt.
D.a black hole.
24
And the answer is…
C. the asteroid belt.
In the diagram above, which planets would be
considered gas giants?
A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
C. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
D. 6, 8, 9, 11
25
And the answer is…
D. 6, 8, 9, 11
When the north end
of Earth’s axis is tilted
toward the sun, North
America will
experience
A.more direct rays
and longer days.
B.more direct rays
and shorter days.
C.more indirect rays
and longer days.
D.More indirect rays
and shorter days.
26
And the answer is…
A.more direct rays
longer days.
4