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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:  You are on the Moon, observing Earth, at a distance of about 384,000 kilometers. Using the small-angle formula you conclude that the actual diameter of the Earth is 12,756 kilometers. What is your measured angular size of the Earth?
A: 0.5°
B: 6800°
C: 110²
D: 1.9°
E: (We do not have enough information to answer the question.)

2:  As a result of the tidal interactions between Earth and Moon, the distance between the two objects is ______ while the length of a day on Earth is ______.
A: decreasing, decreasing
B: decreasing, increasing
C: increasing, decreasing
D: increasing, increasing
E: (None of the above.)

3:  As a result of the tidal interactions between Earth and Moon,
A: both objects are oblate.
B: the Earth's rotation axis shifts in space.
C: the Earth precesses.
D: the Earth's rate of rotation changes with a period of 26,000 years.
E: (All of the above but D.)

4:  The double planet theory
A: describes a likely scenario for the formation of the Moon.
B: was suggested early in the 20th century.
C: is supported by the fact that the density of the Earth is about the same as that of the Moon.
D: (None of the above.)
E: (Only A and B.)

5:  Radioactive dating
A: can tell us the exact age of the Moon.
B: does not depend on the original condition of the matter we are dating, independent of the technique used.
C: can be used only with uranium-238.
D: (None of the above.)
E: (Only A and B.)

6:  Which of the following choices is true about P- and S-waves?
A: S-waves travel through liquids but P-waves do not.
B: They provide the main evidence for the existence of a molten outer core inside Earth.
C: P-waves travel through liquids but S-waves do not.
D: (Both A and B.)
E: (Both B and C.)

7:  The Earth's magnetic field is caused by
A: the aurora borealis.
B: the Earth's rotation and convection in its molten metallic core.
C: a permanent magnet inside the Earth.
D: captured magnetism from the solar wind.
E: (None of the above.)

8:  By observing the Hubble Space Telescope we can determine the mass of the Earth using
A: Kepler's first law.
B: Kepler's third law (as modified by Newton).
C: Newton's third law of motion.
D: Newton's first law of motion.
E: (None of the above.)

9:  Moon rocks brought to Earth by astronauts are older than Earth rocks because
A: there has been less erosion and volcanism on the Moon's surface than on the surface of the Earth.
B: all Moon rocks are primordial pieces of the nebula that formed the solar system.
C: they were formed (along with the rest of the Moon) at a distance farther from the Sun than the Earth.
D: the Moon is older than the Earth as shown by the greater number of craters on its surface.
E: (The statement is misleading. Earth rocks are older than Moon rocks.)

10:  You are in a lunar base and one day you see the Earth on your horizon. You will be able to see the Earth on your horizon again
A: 24 hours later.
B: 27.3 days later.
C: 29.5 days later.
D: (The statement is misleading. You will never be able to see the Earth on your horizon again.)
E: (The statement is misleading. The fact that you observed the Earth on your horizon means that you will always have the Earth on your horizon.)

Optional: Enter your name and your instructor's E-mail address to have your results E-mailed to him or her.
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