Deck 24: Uranus,neptune,and the Kuiper Belt

Question 1

The atmosphere(s)of ____ contain(s)mostly nitrogen with traces of methane.

A) Uranus
B) Neptune
C) Miranda
D) Pluto
E) Uranus and Neptune

Answer 1

Pluto

Question 2

In contrast to Jupiter,Uranus does not contain liquid metallic hydrogen because it

A) is not massive enough.
B) is not rich enough in hydrogen.
C) rotates too slowly.
D) is too far from the sun.
E) has a magnetic field that is much too weak.

Answer 2

is not massive enough.

Question 3

The rings of Uranus are believed to be very narrow because

A) of gravitational interactions between ring particles.
B) the spiral density wave confines them.
C) the magnetic field holds them in place.
D) Uranus and Neptune are much smaller than Saturn.
E) they are shepherded by small moons.

Answer 3

they are shepherded by small moons.

Question 4

We can be sure some particles in the rings of Uranus are very small because

A) the rings are faint in forward scattered light.
B) the rings are bright in forward scattered light.
C) only small particles are produced in comet impacts with larger moons.
D) the magnetic field of Neptune would quickly force large particles out of the rings.
E) the larger particles would be quickly destroyed by impacts with the shepherd satellites.

Question 5

The rings of Uranus were discovered

A) during an occultation of a star.
B) during an eclipse of one of the moons by the rings.
C) during an eclipse of Uranus by the rings.
D) as Uranus and the rings passed behind Jupiter.
E) by Voyager 1.

Question 6

The particles in the rings of Neptune are very dark and contain methane ice (CH₄).They may have become dark due to

A) collisions with small icy particles from the outer reaches of the solar system.
B) forming in a region so far from the sun that only icy particles can exist.
C) forming in a region of the solar nebula where there is an abundance of silicate material.
D) being ejected from volcanoes on the surfaces of geologically active satellites of the planets.
E) radiation from the magnetospheres of the planets interacting with ices in the ring particles.

Question 7

The rotation of Uranus is peculiar compared to Jupiter in that

A) it is much slower than is typical for Jovian planets.
B) it is much faster than is typical for Jovian planets.
C) the equator rotates much faster than the poles.
D) the axis is nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit.
E) it cannot be measured because Uranus has no surface features.

Question 8

____ made one of the first calculations of the orbit of Neptune and predicted where to look to observe it.

A) Benjamin Franklin
B) William Herschel
C) John Adams
D) Edwin Hubble
E) Galileo

Question 9

The graph below plots the escape velocities of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperatures along the horizontal.The lines plotted in the figure are the average speeds of gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases.Uranus' moon Miranda could retain which of the gases plotted in this diagram?

A) only CO₂
B) only NH₃
C) CO₂,NH₃,and O₂
D) all of them
E) none of the above

Question 10

Nereid orbits Neptune in a highly elliptical orbit,and Triton has a retrograde orbit around Neptune.This information suggests that

A) Neptune formed out of the solar nebula in much the same manner as the other Jovian planets.
B) Pluto was probably a moon of Neptune that escaped.
C) Triton and Nereid are both captured objects from the inner solar system,probably the asteroid belt.
D) Triton and Nereid may both have suffered major impacts that radically changed their orbits.
E) Triton and Nereid should both have relatively strong magnetic fields.

Question 11

Uranus and Neptune appear blue because

A) their atmospheres absorb blue light very efficiently.
B) both of them have very small masses for Jovian planets.
C) their surfaces are covered with water and their clouds are very thin.
D) their atmospheres absorb red light very efficiently.
E) the wind speeds are very high and show a strong blue shift.

Question 12

The Great Dark Spot is

A) a large ovoid on the surface of Miranda.
B) a large gap in one of Uranus' rings.
C) a huge cyclonic storm on the surface of Neptune.
D) a large volcano on Oberon.
E) the name of Uranus' south pole when it is turned away from the sun.

Question 13

Uranus' moon,Ariel,has a bright surface and grooves 10 km deep.Based on this,it can be concluded that

A) Ariel has a fairly old surface.
B) Ariel has a fairly young surface.
C) Ariel has a thin atmosphere.
D) Ariel is very far from its parent planet,Uranus.
E) a and d

Question 14

In contrast to Jupiter,the magnetic field of Uranus is peculiar in that it is

A) highly inclined to the axis of rotation.
B) very strong.
C) linked to the solar wind.
D) produced by disturbances caused by the orbits of the moons.
E) all of the above

Question 15

The particles in the rings of Uranus are very dark being composed partly of methane (CH₄)ice.They may have become dark over time due to

A) collisions with small icy particles from the outer reaches of the solar system.
B) forming in a region so far from the sun that only icy particles can exist.
C) forming in a region of the solar nebula where there is an abundance of silicate material.
D) being ejected from volcanoes on the surfaces of geologically active satellites of the planets.
E) radiation from the magnetospheres of the planet interacting with chemicals in the ring particles.

Question 16

Neptune has a mass of 1.0*10²⁶ kg and a radius of 25,000 km.What is the escape velocity of Neptune? [This question requires the use of mathematics.The value of the gravitational constant is 6.67*10^-11 Nt m² kg^-2.]

A) 17 km/sec
B) 7.5 km/sec
C) 23 km/sec
D) 7.3*10⁵ km/s
E) 8.9*10¹⁰ km/s

Question 17

Which of the following is(are)found on Triton?

A) craters.
B) flooded basins.
C) nitrogen volcanoes.
D) a nitrogen atmosphere.
E) all of the above

Question 18

Neptune has an orbital period of 165 years.What is its orbital velocity? [This question requires the use of mathematics.The value of the gravitational constant is 6.67*10^-11 Nt m² kg^-2.]

A) 5.4 m/sec
B) 5400 km/s
C) 11.2 km/s
D) 16.5 km/s
E) 5.4 km/sec

Question 19

Rather than metallic hydrogen like Jupiter,Uranus has a region of liquid water in its interior.The diagram below shows a cross section of the interior of Uranus.Which of the regions do current computer models suggest is composed primarily of water?

A) region 1
B) region 2
C) region 3
D) all of the regions
E) none of the regions

Question 20

Jupiter-type belt-zone circulation is not easily visible on Uranus because

A) no clouds form in the pure hydrogen atmosphere.
B) there is no differential rotation.
C) clouds form very deep in the atmosphere.
D) the atmosphere is stirred by cyclonic circulation.
E) there is no liquid metallic core.

Question 21

Of the planets listed below,which one has the largest mass?

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

Question 22

Which of these planets have rings?

A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Uranus
D) Neptune
E) All have rings

Question 23

Pluto is...

A) the smallest mass planet.
B) the planet with the largest orbit.
C) the smallest size planet.
D) the planet with the most eccentric orbit.
E) No answer above is correct because Pluto is not a full fledged planet!

Question 24

How were the rings of Uranus discovered?

A) By the Voyager 2 spacecraft when it approached close enough to see them.
B) They have been known to exist since they were discovered with Uranus by William Herschel.
C) By occultation when Uranus passed in front of a star.
D) By the Hubble space telescope.

Question 25

What type of geological activity is seen on Neptune's moon Triton?

A) Plate tectonics and earthquakes are a common occurrence on Triton.
B) Volcanoes of molten lava,similar to Earth,have been seen there.
C) Geysers of liquid nitrogen are seen erupting from its surface.
D) Geysers of liquid water are seen erupting from its surface.

Question 26

An observer on Pluto who sees Charon directly overhead would see it

A) set in the east.
B) set in the west.
C) set in the north.
D) set in the south.
E) remain overhead.

Question 27

What is the explanation for why Neptune's moon Triton has peculiar orbital characteristics?

A) It is believed that this object formed elsewhere and was later captured by Neptune.
B) Triton has frequent interactions with Neptune's other moons.
C) Triton is known to have had a collision with a passing asteroid recently.
D) Triton is believed to have formed with Neptune and by coincidence started with its peculiar nature.

Question 28

For an observer on Uranus,the ecliptic passes only a few degrees from the celestial poles.

Question 29

The rings of Uranus were discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Question 30

____ is a satellite of Pluto.

A) Miranda
B) Charon
C) Triton
D) Krypton
E) Nereid

Question 31

Which spacecraft has studied Pluto?

A) Pioneer 11
B) Voyager 2
C) Galileo
D) Cassini
E) None of the above but New Horizons is on its way.

Question 32

Pluto was discovered in

A) 1610
B) 1781
C) 1846
D) 1930
E) 1977

Question 33

How many moons is Pluto currently know to have?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

Question 34

Of the planets listed below,which one has the largest mass?

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

Question 35

The existence of Uranus was predicted by the application of Newton's laws of motion and gravity.

Question 36

The graph below plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal.The lines plotted in the figure are the average speeds of gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases.Which of the objects in this diagram has the lowest surface temperature?

A) Ganymede
B) Pluto
C) Titan
D) Triton
E) Miranda

Question 37

Shepherd satellites confine the rings of Uranus.

Question 38

Why is the discovery of Pluto sometimes referred to as an accidental discovery?

A) The observations made to locate Pluto were not made in a systematic manner.
B) Pluto was not located close to its predicted location.
C) No one had ever predicted that Pluto existed before it was found.
D) Pluto's mass was too small to seriously alter the orbit of Neptune.
E) a and c

Question 39

If Uranus had no moon,it would probably not have rings.

Question 40

Pluto's density is 1.8 g/cm³.This implies that

A) Pluto has a large iron-nickel core.
B) Pluto is about 50% water and 50% rocky material.
C) Pluto should have a magnetic field about one-third as strong as Earth's.
D) Pluto is still geologically active.
E) Pluto probably has a small ring system that hasn't yet been detected.

Question 41

____________________ discovered Uranus using a telescope that he built himself.

Question 42

Nereid's orbit is peculiar in that it is highly elliptical.

Question 43

Triton shows evidence of argon geysers that erupt off its surface.

Question 44

The rings of ____________________ were discovered when they occulted a star.

Question 45

Triton orbits in the same direction as Neptune's rotation.

Question 46

The ____________________ was a large cyclonic storm in the atmosphere of Neptune observed by Voyager 2.

Question 47

Pluto has recently lost its designation as a planet; instead,it is classified as a ____________________.

Question 48

Belt-zone circulation does not occur on Neptune.

Question 49

Charon and Pluto are tidally locked so that Charon never rises or sets as seen from Pluto.

Question 50

Pluto has been visited previously by three different spacecraft.

Question 51

The existence and location of ____________________ was accurately predicted and located based on differences in the expected and observed orbit of another planet.

Question 52

Although Neptune has no liquid metallic hydrogen in its interior,it does have a magnetic field.

Question 53

____________________ is the smallest of the large moons of Uranus,and its surface has features called ovoids.These ovoids may have been formed by the upheaval of material by convection in the interior.

Question 54

The ovoids (circi maximi)on Uranus' moon Miranda have been identified as evidence of volcanic activity.

Question 55

Uranus was discovered by William Herschel.