In Quest of the Universe, 5e: Explorations

Title Text: In Quest of the Universe, Fourth Edition

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Study Quizzes

Please read each question and select your answer from the choices provided. You must complete all of the questions in order to view your results. At the end of each exam, you have the option to e-mail your results to your instructor.

1: Which of the following years will be a leap year?
	A: 2054
	B: 2100
	C: 2102
	D: 2400
	E: (None of the above.)

2: An observer at the Earth's South Pole sees the stars
	A: rising and setting every day.
	B: neither rising nor setting.
	C: rising and setting for only half the year.
	D: rising and setting at intervals that depend on the seasons.
	E: (None of the above.)

3: At the time of the equinox the Sun is located
	A: directly overhead at noon for all observers.
	B: always on the line connecting the Earth and the Moon.
	C: on the celestial equator.
	D: below the celestial equator.
	E: above the celestial equator.

4: For an observer in the northern hemisphere summers are warmer than winters mainly because
	A: the Earth is closer to the Sun during the summer.
	B: the Sun's energy output is greater during the summer.
	C: we receive an additional amount of energy from the Moon in the form of reflected sunlight.
	D: the days are longer in the winter.
	E: the Sun's altitude in the sky is higher during summer.

5: During its retrograde motion a planet
	A: moves westward with respect to the distant stars.
	B: orbits around the Sun in a reverse direction.
	C: rises in the west.
	D: moves eastward with respect to the distant stars.
	E: (None of the above.)

6: The celestial coordinates of the autumnal equinox are
	A: 0 degrees declination, 0 hours right ascension.
	B: 0 degrees declination, 12 hours right ascension.
	C: 23.5 degrees declination, 6 hours right ascension.
	D: minus 23.5 degrees declination, 18 hours right ascension.
	E: 0 degrees declination, 24 hours right ascension.

7: The number 50,000 written in power-of-ten notation is ________ .
	A: 5´106
	B: 5´104
	C: 5´10-4
	D: 5´10-5
	E: 5´105

8: A light-year is
	A: a unit of time.
	B: about 150 million kilometers.
	C: defined as the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
	D: smaller than an astronomical unit.
	E: (None of the above.)

9: On a scale where the Sun is the size of a basketball, the nearest star is
	A: a pinhead 1000 feet away.
	B: a bowling ball 1000 feet away.
	C: a small house 1000 feet away.
	D: about 7000 kilometers away.
	E: about 200 million miles away.

10: Evaluate 4´10-3 multiplied by 5´105.
	A: 200
	B: 20
	C: 2000
	D: 0.2
	E: 0.02

11: Evaluate 8´102 divided by 4´10-1.
	A: 200
	B: 20
	C: 2000
	D: 0.2
	E: 0.02

12: Compared to the astronomical unit, the size of Texas (about 800 miles) is
	A: about the same order of magnitude.
	B: about two orders of magnitude greater.
	C: about 2 orders of magnitude smaller.
	D: about five orders of magnitude smaller.
	E: about ten orders of magnitude smaller.

13: The word "nebula" is another name for a
	A: planet.
	B: star.
	C: galaxy.
	D: satellite.
	E: (None of the above.)

14: During a total lunar eclipse, an astronaut on the near side of the Moon observes
	A: a total solar eclipse.
	B: a total lunar eclipse too.
	C: a total eclipse of the Earth.
	D: no eclipse at all.
	E: a partial solar eclipse.

15: An observer on Earth always sees the full Moon
	A: in her western sky.
	B: passing directly over her at midnight.
	C: in her eastern sky.
	D: passing directly above her at noon.
	E: rising about the time the Sun sets.

16: The shortest time that a lunar eclipse can occur after a solar eclipse is about
	A: a week.
	B: a month.
	C: two weeks.
	D: two months.
	E: a year.

17: The elongation of the Moon when it is in its full phase is about
	A: 0 degrees.
	B: 90 degrees east.
	C: 90 degrees west.
	D: 180 degrees.
	E: anywhere from 0 to 180 degrees.

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