Deck 9: Early History of the Terrestrial Planets

Question 1

The heat that caused melting in Earth's early history was supplied by which of the following events or causes?

A)volcanic activity and radioactivity
B)a large impact event and radioactivity
C)solar heating and volcanic activity
D)a large impact event and solar heating

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The four inner planets are

A)mostly hot,with heavy,dense atmospheres.
B)all similar to Earth in size,atmosphere,and density.
C)larger and less dense than the outer planets.
D)small,rocky,and relatively lacking in volatile elements.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements about the age of Earth and the Moon is true?

A)Earth is approximately 3 billion years older than the Moon.
B)Earth and the Moon are approximately the same age.
C)Earth is approximately 1.5 billion years younger than the Moon.
D)Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years younger than the Moon.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is not one of the giant outer planets?

A)Neptune
B)Uranus
C)Saturn
D)Pluto

Question 5

Which of the following statements about Mars is false?

A)Mars has a thin,cold atmosphere.
B)Mars has networks of valleys and dry river channels.
C)Mars has liquid water and a corrosive atmosphere.
D)Mars has a land surface much older than that of Earth.

Question 6

What caused dust and condensing material to accrete into planetesimals?

A)gravitational attraction and collisions
B)nuclear fusion
C)heating of gases
D)rotation of the proto-Sun

Question 7

Which of the following planets is not geologically active?

A)Earth
B)Mars
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 8

The effects of the collision of a large Mars-sized body with the Earth about 4.5 Ga is proposed to have caused

A)a magma ocean to form at Earth's surface.
B)an increase in Earth's speed of rotation.
C)Earth's spin axis to tilt.
D)a magma ocean to form at Earth's surface,Earth's speed of rotation to increase,and Earth's spin axis to tilt.

Question 9

When did the Big Bang take place?

A)approximately 4.5 million years ago
B)approximately 4.5 billion years ago
C)approximately 13.7 million years ago
D)approximately 13.7 billion years ago

Question 10

NASA's Deep Impact mission went to which object in our solar system?

A)an asteroid
B)a planet
C)the Moon
D)a comet

Question 11

Nebulae are composed primarily of which of the following elements?

A)hydrogen and helium
B)iron and silicon
C)hydrogen and oxygen
D)oxygen and silicon

Question 12

What is the process by which an originally homogeneous Earth developed a dense core and a light crust?

A)accretion
B)compression
C)differentiation
D)metamorphism

Question 13

Why is the Sun's mass decreasing with time?

A)because the temperature of the Sun is increasing
B)because the Sun is contracting
C)because the Sun's nuclear fusion consumes mass
D)because the Sun's volume is increasing

Question 14

According to the nebular hypothesis,the inner planets are dense and rocky because

A)the inner planets were the first to condense from the solar nebula.
B)the lighter gases were blown away by the Sun's radiation.
C)heavy elements were created by fusion within the inner planets.
D)the inner planets' gravitational pull attracted dense material from the outer planets.

Question 15

The giant outer planets are composed mostly of

A)carbon dioxide.
B)oxygen and nitrogen.
C)hydrogen and helium.
D)rocks and ice.

Question 16

The hypothesis that explains the formation of the solar system is referred to as the

A)Big Bang theory.
B)origin hypothesis.
C)nebular hypothesis.
D)planetesimal hypothesis.

Question 17

The evidence that Mars once had water includes

A)dry river beds and valleys.
B)large salt deposits from dried-up oceans.
C)liquid water in current Martian oceans.
D)water vapor in the Martian atmosphere.

Question 18

Under intense pressure and high temperature,hydrogen atoms combine to form helium.This process is called

A)convection.
B)metamorphism.
C)nuclear fission.
D)nuclear fusion.

Question 19

To date,which spacecraft/mission has given us the best close-up view of Saturn's rings?

A)Viking
B)Voyager
C)Cassini-Huygens
D)Apollo

Question 20

Which of the following solar system bodies is least likely to have water ice on its surface?

A)Earth
B)Mars
C)the Moon
D)Venus

Question 21

The oldest terrestrial material found on Earth is approximately _______ years old.

A)4.4 billion
B)4400
C)4.4 million
D)440 hundred

Question 22

The light-colored regions visible on the Moon's surface correspond to the

A)lunar highlands.
B)lunar crater land.
C)lunar maria.
D)lunar channels.

Question 23

The asteroid belt lies between which two planets?

A)Earth and Mars
B)Venus and the Earth
C)Jupiter and Saturn
D)Mars and Jupiter

Question 24

Analyses of the oldest terrestrial material found in Western Australia suggest that Earth had cooled enough to form a crust approximately _______ years after the planet was hit by a Mars-sized body.

A)10 million
B)10 billion
C)100 million
D)100 billion

Question 25

The tallest volcano in the solar system is found on

A)Earth.
B)Mercury.
C)Venus.
D)Mars.

Question 26

Because of the dense foggy atmosphere that surrounds Venus,its surface was explored using _______technology.

A)radar
B)crater-counting
C)photometric
D)lasar

Question 27

Venus's unique surface is thought to have formed through a process of vigorous mantle convection,volcanic activity,and crustal stretching referred to as

A)plate tectonics.
B)convective tectonics.
C)flake tectonics.
D)crumple tectonics.

Question 28

Because of Mercury's proximity to the Sun,the daytime temperatures at its surface are approximately

A)100 $\degree$ C.
B)470 $\degree$ C.
C)3000 $\degree$ C.
D)850 $\degree$ C.

Question 29

Which planet had shield volcanoes?

A)Earth
B)Mars
C)Venus
D)all of the above

Question 30

Which planet is also known as the volcanic planet?

A)Earth
B)Venus
C)Mars
D)the Moon

Question 31

The dark regions visible on the Moon's surface correspond to the

A)lunar highlands.
B)lunar crater land.
C)lunar maria.
D)lunar channels.

Question 32

Which planet is surrounded by a hot atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid?

A)Mars
B)Saturn
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 33

The Sojourner rover detected evidence for the existence of _________ on Mars.

A)granite
B)andesite
C)marble
D)limestone

Question 34

Mercury's thin atmosphere is composed mostly of

A)helium.
B)oxygen.
C)hydrogen.
D)sulfur dioxide.

Question 35

The time in early solar system history when there were numerous crater-forming impacts is known as the time of

A)Heavy Cratering.
B)Heavy Accretion.
C)Heavy Bombardment.
D)Heavy Collision.

Question 36

The atmosphere of Mars is composed of

A)oxygen.
B)nitrogen.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)sulfuric acid.

Question 37

What are exoplanets?

A)planets that harbor life (for example,Earth)
B)the inner planets
C)planets that orbit another star
D)planets that have an atmosphere

Question 38

Which planet is closest in size to Earth?

A)Mars
B)Venus
C)Mercury
D)Jupiter

Question 39

The Mars Exploration Rovers are known as

A)Spirit and Magellan.
B)Opportunity and Spirit.
C)Lander and Opportunity.
D)Lander and Magellan.

Question 40

What kinds of rocks are found in the lunar maria?

A)andesite
B)granite
C)peridotite
D)basalt

Question 41

Light from faraway galaxies can help reveal many things,except

A)the age of galaxies.
B)how distant galaxies evolved.
C)whether life exists in other galaxies.
D)the evolution of the universe.

Question 42

The earliest fly-by missions to Mars are referred to as the _______ missions.

A)Mariner
B)Rover
C)Voyager
D)Global Surveyor

Question 43

The effects of a small meteor impact on Earth (<100 m radius)include

A)knocked over trees.
B)romantic sunsets.
C)dusty atmosphere.
D)knocked over trees,romantic sunsets,and a dusty atmosphere.

Question 44

Oceans of water currently exist on

A)Mars.
B)Venus.
C)Mercury.
D)Earth.

Question 45

The only planet in the solar system other than Earth that is thought to be tectonically active is

A)Mars.
B)Mercury.
C)the Moon.
D)Venus.

Question 46

Which of the following is the accepted explanation of the Moon's origin?

A)It was torn out of Earth (fission theory).
B)It was captured by Earth (capture theory).
C)It accreted next to Earth (accretion theory).
D)It formed when a Mars-sized object collided with Earth (collision theory).

Question 47

Temperatures in the solar system generally

A)increase away from the Sun.
B)decrease away from the Sun.
C)are equal throughout.
D)decrease out to the asteroid belt and then increase again.

Question 48

Which of the following planets has a significant amount of oxygen in its atmosphere?

A)Earth
B)Mars
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 49

The longest and deepest canyon in the solar system is called

A)Vallis Magellan.
B)the Grand Canyon.
C)Vallis Marineris.
D)Death Valley.

Question 50

How can planetary surfaces be dated?

A)crater counting
B)isotopic methods
C)with both A and B
D)It is impossible to date planetary surfaces.

Question 51

The terrestrial planets are

A)Earth,Uranus,Venus,and Pluto.
B)Earth,Mars,Saturn,and Mercury.
C)Mars,Venus,Earth,and Mercury.
D)Mars,Venus,Saturn,and Neptune.

Question 52

Water is present on Mars as

A)polar ice caps.
B)vapor in the atmosphere.
C)small surface ponds and streams.
D)oceans.

Question 53

Which ingredient is considered vital for the emergence of life on any given planet?

A)carbon dioxide
B)sulfuric acid
C)liquid water
D)oxygen

Question 54

Which of the following statements about the solar system is correct?

A)All the planets and their moons have atmospheres.
B)Ices are more abundant outside than inside the asteroid belt.
C)The "inner" planets are larger than the "outer" planets.
D)All the planets have at least two moons.

Question 55

The discovery of _________ minerals on Mars indicates that there was once water present at the surface.

A)sulfate
B)silicate
C)oxide
D)carbonate

Question 56

Which of the following planets has the oldest overall surface?

A)Earth
B)Venus
C)Saturn
D)Mercury

Question 57

The first spacecraft to land on another planet and successfully transmit data back to Earth was called

A)Mars Express.
B)Viking 1.
C)Pathfinder.
D)Sojourner.

Question 58

Mars is also called the Red Planet because of

A)the reflection of the Sun's rays on the surface gives it a red appearance.
B)the abundance of iron oxide minerals on the surface gives it a red appearance.
C)heat radiating from the interior gives it a red appearance.
D)the broad expanses of lava on the surface give it a red appearance.

Question 59

The Mars rovers are also called the robotic geologists because they can

A)analyze minerals.
B)study the atmosphere.
C)collect samples.
D)analyze minerals,study the atmosphere,and collect samples.

Question 60

Which list shows the correct order of events in early Earth evolution?

A)accretion,impact event,differentiation
B)impact event,accretion,differentiation
C)differentiation,accretion,impact event
D)accretion,differentiation,impact event

Question 61

Future astronauts working on the planet Mars might have their visibility obscured by long-lasting and planet-engulfing

A)snow storms.
B)fog.
C)sand storms.
D)micrometeorite showers.

Question 62

Which of the following is no longer considered a "true" planet?

A)Mercury
B)Earth
C)Uranus
D)Pluto

Question 63

Besides Earth,where have we found what look like sedimentary rocks?

A)The moon
B)Mars
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 64

Within the last few years one of our landers sent back images from a surface of another moon (not Earth's).Which moon was it?

A)Deimos
B)Io
C)Titan
D)Triton

Question 65

What is the name of the most recent rover on Mars?

A)Chance
B)Curiosity
C)Opportunity
D)Spirit

Question 66

How many planets are in our solar system?

A)seven
B)eight
C)nine
D)10

Question 67

Which of the following planets has so-called flake tectonics?

A)Earth
B)Mars
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 68

The largest rover to roam the surface of the planet Mars is named

A)Sojourner.
B)Curiosity.
C)Opportunity.
D)Spirit.

Question 69

Which of the following planets or moons has the greatest range in surface temperature fluctuations (a high of 470˚C and a low of −170˚C)?

A)Titan
B)Earth
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 70

Currently,there is a lot of excitement about the potential of life on other planets.One of the concerns is the size of the planet.Some planets might simply be too big.Why is that an issue?

A)The distances for the organism to travel might be too great.
B)The planet might not have or be able to retain an atmosphere.
C)A large planet might stay hot longer and life could not take hold.
D)High gravity might crush any potential creatures.

Question 71

After Earth,what is the best geologically known planetary body in our solar system?

A)Mars
B)Venus
C)the Moon
D)Titan

Question 72

Surface features called coronae are found on which planet?

A)Mars
B)Earth
C)Mercury
D)Venus

Question 73

The grandest canyon in the solar system,namely Vallis Marineris,is ____ km long and ____ km deep?

A)10,000; 10
B)50; 2
C)1000; 5
D)4000; 8

Question 74

What is potentially the smallest size (diameter)meteor that could threaten civilization on Earth?

A)10 m
B)100 m
C)1000 m
D)10,000 m

Question 75

NASA's Viking missions went to which planet/moon?

A)the Moon
B)Venus
C)Mercury
D)Mars

Question 76

Which of the following planets has the hottest atmosphere (475˚C)?

A)Jupiter
B)Earth
C)Mars
D)Venus

Question 77

Which of the following was among the effects of the "Tunguska event" in Siberia in 1908?

A)Birth rates among humans increased.
B)Some species went extinct.
C)Extensive forest fires raged in Russia.
D)Whole towns in Siberia were wiped out.

Question 78

Which of the following statements about the planets is incorrect?

A)All the inner planets are rocky.
B)All the outer planets have rings.
C)All the planets originally accreted from planetesimals.
D)All the planets have moons.