Question 1

The MOST common surface features on Venus are

Accepted Answer

A)   impact craters.
B)   ancient river valleys and huge flood plains.
C)   evidence of plate tectonic motion, including long mountain ranges and subduction troughs.
D)   volcanoes and lava flows.E) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 2

Which of these physical properties of Venus are very similar in value to those of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)   mass and radius and hence average density and surface gravity
B)   rotation rate around its axis and length of solar day
C)   temperatures of surface and atmosphere
D)   magnetic field and magnetosphereE) B) and C)
F) A) and C)

Question 3

The interior of Mercury contains

Accepted Answer

A)   significant amounts of water as permafrost because occasional melting has produced deep water-formed valleys that crisscross the planet's surface.
B)   mostly ices and very low-density material because the planet's average density is close to that of water.
C)   an iron core that occupies a large fraction of the volume of the overall planet and produces a magnetic field.
D)   very little iron, in contrast to Earth, and so the planet has no magnetic field.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 4

Which of these planets rotates on its axis in a retrograde fashion, opposite to that of most of the planets and opposite to the direction of revolution of the planets?

Accepted Answer

A)   Mercury
B)   Venus
C)   Saturn
D)   the MoonE) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 5

A major feature of the atmosphere of Mars is

Accepted Answer

A)   very dense clouds shrouding most of the planet.
B)   very high temperatures and pressures.
C)   occasional strong winds and dust storms.
D)   a chemical mixture very similar to that of Earth.E) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 6

Olympus Mons is a

Accepted Answer

A)   long-lived anticyclone, or spot, on Jupiter.
B)   valley on the Moon.
C)   mountain on Venus.
D)   volcano on Mars.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 7

What observations of the Martian surface led Lowell to the conclusion that intelligent life-forms existed on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)   melting icecaps, a network of linear features that look like canals, and varying dark surface markings assumed to be vegetation
B)   geometrical structures and patterns that are apparently the remains of buildings and cities
C)   sculpted mountains in the shape of humanoid heads, obviously carved to announce the presence of intelligent life to distant observers
D)   lakes and rivers of water flowing from polar ice caps and detected by strong specular reflection of sunlightE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 8

The Martian moon Phobos orbits near the equatorial plane of Mars in just over 7.5 hours in the same direction as the planet rotation. How then would one see Phobos move across the Martian sky from the surface of the planet?

Accepted Answer

A)   Phobos would rise in the west, move rapidly across the sky, and set in the east, and it would do so only once per Martian day.
B)   Phobos would rise in the east, move rapidly across the sky, set in the west, and appear several times per Martian day.
C)   Phobos would remain almost stationary in the sky, in almost synchronous orbit, because its period is close to Mars's rotation period.
D)   Phobos would rise in the west, move rapidly across the sky, set in the east, and appear several times per Martian day.E) A) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 9

Compared with that of Earth, Mercury's magnetic field is

Accepted Answer

A)   weak but clearly present.
B)   below the limit of detection and therefore still needs confirmation.
C)   similar in strength.
D)   much more powerful.E) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 10

Which one of these features is common to Mercury and the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)   craters associated with volcanic activity
B)   large flat plains dotted with relatively small craters
C)   maria filled with solidified basalt and marked with few craters
D)   scarps formed when the body shrankE) C) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 11

Mercury's average density and the fact that it has a (weak)  magnetic field lead to the conclusion that its central core is probably composed of

Accepted Answer

A)   solid rocks of relatively low density.
B)   solid and/or molten iron.
C)   ices of water and methane.
D)   molten rock.E) B) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 12

Experiments carried out to detect life on another world were performed by the

Accepted Answer

A)   Apollo astronauts.
B)   Venera landers.
C)   Galileo spacecraft.
D)   Viking landers.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 13

Recent radar observations of Mercury have suggested that Mercury may

Accepted Answer

A)   have one or more tectonic rift valleys.
B)   have ice at its north and south poles.
C)   have geologically recent lava flows on the side that was not photographed by Mariner 10.
D)   not be precisely locked into its hypothesized 3-to-2 spin-orbit coupling.E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 14

What is the Valles Marineris?

Accepted Answer

A)   large rift valley system associated with the great volcanoes on Mars
B)   long scarp-and-trough system in the lava plains of Mercury
C)   system of deep trenches bordering Aphrodite Terra on Venus
D)   system of tectonic faults on the Jovian satellite GanymedeE) None of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 15

The mass of Mars is 11 percent of Earth's mass, while its radius is half of Earth's radius. What do these figures suggest for the density of Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)   The density of Mars is less than the density of Earth.
B)   The density of Mars is the same as the density of Earth.
C)   The density of Mars is greater than the density of Earth.
D)   Not enough information is given to compare the densities of Mars and Earth.E) A) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 16

What is the strongest evidence for liquid water flowing on Mars today?

Accepted Answer

A)   the continued erosion of some riverbeds
B)   brown lines on some surface features believed to be salt deposits from water flows
C)   seasonal channels feeding meltwater pools near the polar ice caps
D)   There is no such evidence; water does not appear to be flowing on Mars at present.E) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 17

The overall geography of the Venusian surface has been determined largely by

Accepted Answer

A)   photography from orbiting spacecraft in long elliptical orbits in order to descend below the clouds during part of their orbits.
B)   robotic spacecraft that landed on the surface.
C)   radar techniques from orbiting spacecraft.
D)   visible-light photography.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 18

How many raised areas that look like continents are seen on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)   one
B)   several
C)   none
D)   twoE) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 19

The polar caps on Mars are MOST likely made up of

Accepted Answer

A)   volcanic outflows of light-colored lava and dust similar to that produced by Earth-based volcanoes (such as Mount St. Helens) .
B)   sulfur dioxide and sulfur compounds.
C)   light-colored dust, blown there by the Martian dust storms.
D)   water and carbon dioxide ices.E) B) and D)
F) A) and D)

Question 20

Tomorrow's weather report for Venus would be

Accepted Answer

A)   overcast and very hot.
B)   cold and clear.
C)   snow.
D)   hot and humid, with clear skies.E) None of the above
F) B) and C)

Exam 8: The Other Terrestrial Planets

What is the strongest evidence for liquid water flowing on Mars today?

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Which of these planets rotates on its axis in a retrograde fashion, opposite to that of most of the planets and opposite to the direction of revolution of the planets?

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The interior of Mercury contains

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Which of these physical properties of Venus are very similar in value to those of Earth?

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Experiments carried out to detect life on another world were performed by the

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The mass of Mars is 11 percent of Earth's mass, while its radius is half of Earth's radius. What do these figures suggest for the density of Mars?

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Compared with that of Earth, Mercury's magnetic field is

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How many raised areas that look like continents are seen on Venus?

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The MOST common surface features on Venus are

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Tomorrow's weather report for Venus would be

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A major feature of the atmosphere of Mars is

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Olympus Mons is a

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The polar caps on Mars are MOST likely made up of

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What observations of the Martian surface led Lowell to the conclusion that intelligent life-forms existed on Mars?

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Mercury's average density and the fact that it has a (weak) magnetic field lead to the conclusion that its central core is probably composed of

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Recent radar observations of Mercury have suggested that Mercury may

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What is the Valles Marineris?

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Which one of these features is common to Mercury and the Moon?

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The overall geography of the Venusian surface has been determined largely by

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Martian moon Phobos orbits near the equatorial plane of Mars in just over 7.5 hours in the same direction as the planet rotation. How then would one see Phobos move across the Martian sky from the surface of the planet?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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