Question 1

If a superior planet is observed from Earth to have a synodic period of 1.2 years,what is its sidereal period?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If a superior planet is observed from...

Question 2

The time it takes a planet to complete one full orbital revolution is commonly known as its:

Accepted Answer

The time it takes for a planet to complete one full orbital revolution is commonly known as its period.

Question 3

In the ________ model of the Solar System,________ motion is only an apparent,not a real,motion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the ________ model of the Solar...

Question 4

An empirical science is one that is based on:

Accepted Answer

An empirical science is one that relies on observed data rather than assumptions or theoretical models. Calculus and computer models may be used in analyzing the data, but they are not the basis of the science itself. Hypotheses are a part of the scientific process, but they are not the defining feature of an empirical science.

Question 5

If the synodic period of Venus is observed from Earth to be 1.6 years,Venus' sidereal period is _____ years.

Accepted Answer

The synodic period of Venus is the time it takes for Venus to return to the same position relative to Earth and the Sun. This period is 1.6 years. 
The sidereal period of Venus is the time it takes for Venus to complete one orbit around the Sun relative to the fixed stars. 
We can use the following equation to relate the synodic period (Ps) and the sidereal period (Pd) of Venus: 
1/Ps = 1/Pd - 1/PE 
Where PE is the sidereal period of Earth (1 year). 
Solving for Pd, we get: 
Pd = 0.62 years 
Therefore, the answer is E.

Question 6

When the Earth catches up to a slower moving outer planet and passes it like a faster runner overtaking a slower runner in an outside lane,the planet:

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the Earth catches up to a...

Question 7

The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is called its _________ period.

Accepted Answer

A planet's sidereal period is the time it takes to complete one orbit around the Sun relative to the fixed stars. This is different from the synodic period, which is the time it takes for the planet to return to the same position relative to the Sun as seen from Earth, and can vary due to the relative motion of the two planets. Prograde and retrograde refer to the direction of motion of a planet, and geocentric refers to a model of the solar system where Earth is at the center.

Question 8

If the synodic period of Mars is observed from Earth to be 2.1 years,what is Mars's sidereal period?

Accepted Answer

The synodic period is the time it takes for a planet to return to the same position relative to the sun and Earth. The sidereal period is the time it takes for a planet to complete one orbit around the sun relative to the distant stars. Therefore, we can use the equation 1/P = 1/S - 1/E, where P is the synodic period, S is the sidereal period, and E is Earth's sidereal period (1 year). Plugging in the given values, we get 1/S = 1/2.1 - 1/1 = 0.4762. Solving for S, we get S = 1/0.4762 = 2.1 years. Therefore, the answer is choice C, 1.9 years.

Question 9

A superior planet is one that is:

Accepted Answer

A superior planet is one whose orbit is farther from the sun than Earth's orbit.

Question 10

Which laws are based entirely on observational data without having any theoretical framework behind them?

Accepted Answer

Empirical laws are based entirely on observational data and do not have any theoretical framework behind them. Physical laws, Galileo's laws of planetary motion, and Newton's laws of motion all have theoretical foundations behind them. Deductive laws are based on logical reasoning rather than observation.

Question 11

Observations of what astronomical events allowed astronomers to definitively determine that the heliocentric model of the solar system was correct?

Accepted Answer

The precise motions of planets across the celestial sphere provided evidence for the heliocentric model, as they were observed to move in complex patterns that were better explained by the Sun being at the center of the solar system rather than the Earth.

Question 12

The fact that Kepler's heliocentric model of the Solar System predicted _________ more easily and accurately than the geocentric model is an illustration of how scientific theories evolve by the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

Kepler's heliocentric model of the Solar System predicted the retrograde motion of planets more easily and accurately than the geocentric model. Retrograde motion is the apparent motion of a planet in the opposite direction to its usual motion as observed from Earth. Kepler's model explained this phenomenon as occurring due to the differences in the speed and distance of planets from the Sun. The heliocentric model thus provided a more accurate description of planetary motion and paved the way for further advancements in astronomy.

Question 13

Astronomers argued that the heliocentric model of the Solar System was simpler than the geocentric model,based on:

Accepted Answer

The heliocentric model explains the retrograde motion of planets more simply than the geocentric model, as it naturally accounts for the apparent backward motion of planets as Earth overtakes them in its orbit.

Question 14

A circle has an eccentricity of _________ and a line has an eccentricity of _________.

Accepted Answer

A circle has an eccentricity of 0 because it has a constant distance between its center and any point on its circumference. 
A line has an eccentricity of 1 because its distance between any point on the line and its directrix is equal to its distance between that point and its focus.

Question 15

If the sidereal period of Jupiter is 11.9 years,what is Jupiter's synodic period as observed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

The synodic period of Jupiter is the time it takes for Jupiter to return to the same position relative to Earth after a full orbit. This can be calculated using the formula:

1/P = 1/T(1) - 1/T(2)

where P is the synodic period, T(1) is the sidereal period of Jupiter, and T(2) is the sidereal period of Earth (which is approximately 1 year). Plugging in the values:

1/P = 1/11.9 - 1/1

1/P = 0.084

P = 1/0.084

P = 11.86 years

This means that Jupiter's synodic period as observed from Earth is approximately 1.09 years. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 16

The average distance between a planet and the Sun is given by the _________ of its elliptical orbit.

Accepted Answer

The semimajor axis is the longest radius of an ellipse, which is half of the longest diameter. In terms of a planet's orbit around the Sun, the semimajor axis gives the average distance of the planet from the Sun.

Question 17

The time it takes for a planet to come back to the same position relative to the Sun is called its _________ period.

Accepted Answer

The synodic period is the time it takes for a planet to return to the same position relative to the Sun as seen from Earth. It is the time between two consecutive oppositions or conjunctions. The sidereal period, on the other hand, is the time it takes for a planet to complete one orbit around the Sun as seen from a fixed point in space, and is shorter than the synodic period as Earth is also moving in its orbit. Heliocentric and geocentric refer to different models of the solar system, while prograde refers to the direction of motion of a planet or moon.

Question 18

When the Sun,the Earth,and a planet all lie along a straight line,the planet is at:

Accepted Answer

When the Sun, the Earth, and a planet all lie along a straight line, the planet is either at opposition or conjunction. Opposition occurs when the planet is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, while conjunction occurs when the planet is on the same side of the Sun as Earth. Therefore, the best choice is E, either opposition or conjunction.

Question 19

The eccentricity of the majority of the planetary orbits in our Solar System is approximately:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The eccentricity of the majority of the...

Question 20

If the Sun is located at one focus of Earth's elliptical orbit,what is at the other focus?

Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, each planet follows an elliptical orbit around the Sun with the Sun located at one of the foci. There is nothing at the other focus of Earth's elliptical orbit.

Quiz 3: Motion of Astronomical Bodies