Multiple Choice Questions
1. More than 99% of the mass of the solar system is contained in
A. The Earth
B. The Sun
C. The giant planets
D. Jupiter
2. The astronomical unit is a unit used to describe
A. Masses
B. Periods of revolution
C. Distances
D. Acclerations
3. An astronomical unit is the
A. Average distance between the Sun and Earth
B. Distance between the Earth and the Moon
C. Angular size of the Sun
D. Distance between the Sun and the nearest star
4. Which of the following is not a terrestrial planet?
A. Neptune
B. Mercury
C. Mars
D. Venus
5. The energy transport process in which energy is transported through the collisions of electrons
with one another is
A. Conduction
B. Convection
C. Radiation
D. Radial drift
6. Which of the following occurs because of the revolution of the Earth about the Sun and cannot
be accounted for in geocentric models of the solar system?
A. The Coriolis effect
B. The aberration of starlight
C. Planetary retrograde motion
D. The phenomenon of day and night
7. The Coriolis effect is a consequence of
A. The rotation of the Earth
B. The revolution of the Earth
C. Tides
D. The saros cycle
8. As a result of the Coriolis effect, a missile fired northward toward the equator will seem to be
deflected
A. Too far to the north
B. Too far to the south
C. Toward the west
D. Toward the east
9. Which of the following descriptions of the Earth's core is true?
A. Made of metal, denser than the mantle
B. Made of metal, less dense than the mantle
C. Made of silicate rock, denser than the mantle
D. Made of silicate rock, less dense than the mantle
10. In which part of the Earth's interior are pressure, temperature, and density the greatest?
A. Inner core
B. Outer core
C. Mantle
D. Crust
11. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the Earth's
A. Umbra
B. Van Allen belts
C. Equatorial plane
D. Saros
12. What kind of eclipse do we see when the Moon is partly within the Earth's umbral shadow?
A. Partial lunar eclipse
B. Total solar eclipse
C. Total lunar eclipse
D. Partial solar eclipse
13. What kind of eclipse occurs when the Moon's penumbral shadow comes in contact with the
surface of the Earth?
A. Partial solar eclipse
B. Total solar eclipse
C. Partial lunar eclipse
D. Total lunar eclipse
14. At which phase of the Moon do lunar eclipses occur?
A. Full
B. New
C. First quarter
D. Third quarter
15. Eclipses do not occur each month because the
A. Moon is always in the ecliptic
B. Moon's orbit is eccentric
C. Moon's distance to the Earth keeps changing
D. Moon's orbital plane is inclined (tilted) to the ecliptic plane
E. Moon's angular size is not equal to the Sun's at all times
Essay – 6 to 12 sentences per question
1. Explain what the two types of internal heat is for planets, why each one occurs and how
heat flow works with this system?
2. Explain each the four proofs of the Earth’s rotation and revolution?
3. Explain the structure of Earth’s atmosphere, why we need greenhouse gasses and what
effects man can have on the atmosphere?
4. Explain the moons orbit and rotation, draw a diagram as proof, how does the orbit affect
eclipses and the pattern of eclipses?(included the difference between partial and full)
5. Explain each of the theories that explain the moons formation?