Download SNC1P - The Study of the Universe Exam Practice Questions

Name: _______________________
Exam date: ___________________________
SNC1P - The Study of the Universe Exam Practice Questions
1. What is a constellation?
A group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky
2. What is a light year? How far is a light-year?
A light year is the distance (not time) that light travels in a year
1 light year or 1 ly= 9 000 billion km or 9.46 x 10 12 km
3. Give five examples of constellations that can be seen from Ontario, and one example of an asterism.
Orion (the Hunter) has the Belt of Orion within it; the Belt of Orion is an asterism
Ursa Major (big bear) constellation has the Big dipper as an asterism within
4. Which star can be used to find direction on Earth’s surface all year long in the northern hemisphere?
Polaris (the North Star)
5. What shape does the Earth’s orbit take?
Ellipse
6. Which phenomenon is caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis?
Seasons
7. When Earth’s southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, what season is occurring in Ontario?
Being tilted away from the Sun, the southern hemisphere experiences winter; the season is opposite
that for us here in Ontario so we would be experiencing summer
8. Draw diagrams to show the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse. Fully label your diagrams.
Solar eclipse (Sun being blocked by the Moon) SME
Lunar eclipse (moon being blocked by the Earth)
SEM
9. What causes tides on Earth?
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull that the Earth and the moon exert on one another
10. Which planet has the coldest average surface temperature?
Neptune (-235oC)
11. Which planets are the gas giants? Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
12. Which planet is one astronomical unit away from the Sun? Earth 1AU = 150 million km or 1.50 x 108 km
13. Which planets have an orbital radius less than one astronomical unit?
Mercury and Venus
Page 1 of 3
14. Which planet(s) has/have an atmosphere that is rich in methane?
Uranus and Neptune
15. What keeps the objects in the solar system in orbit around the Sun?
Gravitational pull from the Sun
16. Identify unique features of the different planets.
Please consult your notes and solar system file on our website (under Oct 26 post) and see page 294295 txtbook
17. Compare and contrast terrestrial/rocky planets and gas giants.
Terrestrial planets:
Gas giants
- Smaller, have rocky surface
- Larger, made of gases
- Closer to the Sun
- Further from the Sun beyond the
Asteroid Belt
18. How is Venus’s atmosphere different from Earth’s atmosphere?
Rich in sulfur which rains down as acid
19. Which phenomenon is caused by the rotation of Earth on its axis?
Days and nights
20. Which planet is closest to Earth in size and composition?
Venus
21. Which planet has the most known moons?
Jupiter (close to 67 moons- some are unconfirmed)
22. Which planet has large, elaborate rings made of ice and rock?
Saturn (62 moons- some are unconfirmed)
23. Which planet has long, immense cracks caused by extreme heating and cooling of the surface?
Mercury
24. Which planet has iron-rich rocks and a volcano three times higher than Mount Everest?
Mars
25. Which planet has a storm the size of three Earths?
Jupiter (the storm looks like and is called the Great Red Spot)
26. What is the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite?
Meteoroids:
Meteors:
Meteorites:
Rocks moving through space Rocks that burn as they
Fragments of a meteor fallen
enters the Earth’s
and reached the Earth’s
atmosphere
crust
27. What causes the phases of the Moon?
Earth’s rotation and the Moon’s rotation and revolution around the Earth resulting in different portions of
the moon being lit by the Sun
Page 2 of 3
28. How are asteroids different from meteoroids?
Asteroids
- Come from the Asteroid Belt located
between Mars and Jupiter
- Not big enough to form into planets
- Can have moons
Meteroids
- Might have broken off asteroids or comets
- Smaller than asteroids
29. Where is the asteroid belt located in the solar system?
Between Mars and Jupiter
Page 3 of 3