Download Benchmark #2: The Solar System

Franks/Lundberg
 Which
of the following statements best
explains how the planets of the solar system
formed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They are condensed rings of matter thrown off
by the younger Sun.
They are the remains of an old exploded star
that was once paired with our Sun.
The Sun captured them from smaller, older,
nearby stars.
They formed out of a nebular cloud of gas and
dust, just like the Sun.
 Before
humans visited the moon and brought
back lunar rocks, the age of the moon was
unknown. However, we now know through
the dating of the oldest lunar rocks that the
Moon is close to…
A.
B.
C.
D.
186,000 years old
6.5 billion years old
4.4 billion years old
15 billion years old

An astronomer notes the change in position of
Mars over the course of several nights and
concludes that Mars orbits the Sun once every
400 Earth days. This figure is considerably lower
than the 687 Earth days that is accepted by the
scientific community. This scientist should…
Publish the findings to reveal the scientific
communities mistake.
B. Form a hypothesis that explains how Mar’s orbit can
vary so greatly.
C. Repeat his experiment, gather a new set of data
and see if his results remain the same.
D. Add 287 days to the accepted figure of Mar’s orbit.
A.
 About
99.8% of all the mass in the solar
system exists in ….
A.
B.
C.
D.
Planets
Asteroids
The Sun
Empty space
 Which
of the following planets was recently
demoted to “dwarf planet” due to its
irregular orbit, and the fact that it has not
cleared its own path around the Sun?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Saturn
Pluto
Mercury
Neptune
 Small
bodies that orbit the planets are
called…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Comets
Protoplanets
Moons
Asteroids
 This
planet orbits the Sun the fastest, is
riddled with craters, and has the highest
temperature range in the solar system due to
a lack of an atmosphere.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
 Who
proposed the heliocentric model to our
solar system, in which the planets revolve at
different speeds around the Sun in their
orbits
A.
B.
C.
D.
Galileo
Copernicus
Kepler
Newton
 The
diameter of Saturn is almost 10 times
that of Earth’s, however Saturn is so light in
weight that it would actually float in water.
Which statement below best explains this?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Saturn is farther from the Sun than Earth
Saturn is a gas planet
Saturn rotates faster than Earth
Saturn is denser than Earth
 Which
statement is most true regarding the
inner planets?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They are mainly made out of solid rock
They are called terrestrial planets
They do not have rings
All of the above
 Many
of the planets and moons in the solar
system are covered in craters. These impact
craters are evidence of…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Solar bursts
Changes in atmosphere
Exploding volcanoes
Past collisions with asteroids, comets, and
other objects in space
 Which
of the following planets experiences
constantly hot surface temperatures due to a
runaway greenhouse effect in this planets
atmosphere?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Uranus
Venus
Earth
Mars
 The
asteroid belt of our solar system exists
between which two planets?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mars and Jupiter
Jupiter and Saturn
Neptune and Pluto
Earth and Mars
A
region of our solar system just beyond
Neptune’s orbit which contains small bodies
of ice and rock that was leftover when our
solar system formed is called…
A.
B.
C.
D.
The outer universe
The Kuiper Belt
The asteroid belt
The Quasar Zone
 Which
of the following planets has just the
right conditions for water to exist as solid,
liquid, and gas?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Venus
Mars
Uranus
Earth
 Earths
interior is one example, the solar
system is another; in both of these systems
the denser material sank to the center of
gravity, while the lighter material migrated
away from the center of gravity. Both of
these systems are influenced by gravity and
the process called…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Differentiation
Settling
Dispersion
Layering
 The
hypothesis that states that the Sun and
the planets both formed out of the same
cloud of gas and dust is called the…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Copernicus hypothesis
Nebular hypothesis
Solar hypothesis
Galileo hypothesis
 An
astronomical unit is used to measure
distance. One astronomical unit equals..
A.
B.
C.
D.
The speed of light
The average distance between the Earth and
the Sun
The length of the solar system
The diameter of the Sun
 Light
A.
B.
C.
D.
speed most accurately measures…
Time
Distance
Gravity
Density
 Through
the process of differentiation the
Earth’s interior formed different layers. This
layer is both Iron and Magnesium-rich, and is
directly below the Earth’s crust but above
the Earth’s liquid outer core. This layer is
called the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Inner core
Mantle
 Which
planet contains the highest volcano
and the deepest, longest canyon in the solar
system, and also has similar seasons to Earth?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Jupiter
Venus
Mars
Mercury
 When
Earth originally formed 4.6 billion
years ago it most likely lacked this
atmospheric gas which is necessary for life.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hydrogen
Helium
Nitrogen
Oxygen
 Earth’s
first atmosphere most likely
contained these two gases.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hydrogen and carbon
Hydrogen and helium
Nitrogen and carbon dioxide
Nitrogen and oxygen
 Through
the process of outgassing, Earth’s
early atmosphere evolved from a
hydrogen/helium atmosphere to an
atmosphere dominated by these gases.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Nitrogen and oxygen
Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor
Potassium, iron, and magnesium
Hydrogen, helium, and carbon
 Which
factor lead to the emergence of
oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere about 2.5
billion years ago?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Photosynthesizing plants and bacteria
Outgassing volcanoes
Comet impacts
Insects and animals
 One
difference between the terrestrial
planets and the outer planets is…
A.
B.
C.
D.
There are lifeforms on all the terrestrial
planets while the outer planets have no life
Terrestrial planets consist mainly of rock, while
the outer planets consist mainly of gas
The terrestrial planets all have liquid oceans,
while the outer planets all lack water
Terrestrial planets are bigger than the outer
planets
 This
scientist/astronomer came up with the
scientific laws of gravity and inertia.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Newton
Copernicus
Galileo
Kepler
 From
the most dense to the least dense,
what is the order of the three main layers
inside the Earth
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mantle, core, crust
Core, mantle, crust
Crust, mantle, core
Mantle, crust, core
 What
planet was originally formed from the
lighter gases in the outer part of the nebular?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mars
Mercury
Venus
Uranus
 Which
planet rotates on its side, most likely
due to an impact with a large object?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Venus
Uranus
Saturn
Mars
 Which
of the following planets appears blue
due to all the methane gas found in this
planets outer atmosphere?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mars
Venus
Jupiter
Neptune
 Which
A.
B.
C.
D.
planet is known for its Giant Red Spot?
Mars
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
 Which
planet contains more mass than all the
other planets combined?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Jupiter
Saturn
Earth
Mercury
 Which
planet is best know for its complex
ring systems?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Uranus
Saturn
Mercury
Jupiter
 All
A.
B.
C.
D.
the planets revolve around the Sun in…
Perfect circles
Squares
Ellipses
Retrograde orbits
 This
planets rotates the slowest of all the
planets in the solar system. Additionally it
rotates clockwise, a retrograde (backwards)
motion to all the other planets.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
 Which
of the following planets would have
the most moons?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Earth
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
 This
astronomer is responsible for discovering
the laws of planetary motion and the fact
that the planets have elliptical orbits.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Kepler
Copernicus
Galileo
Newton
 In
an area where a river has cut deep into
Earth’s crust, there are several different rock
layers that have been exposed. The oldest
layer is most likely to be…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Below the other layers
The thickest layer
The layer most rich in fossils
A layer of igneous lava rock
 Which
of the following theories is most
accepted regarding how Earth got its moon?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The moon is an asteroid that was captured by
Earth’s gravity
Dr. Carpenter told the Moon to “keep it simple”
and ever since, we have had a moon
The Earth and the moon formed at the same
time, 4.6 billion years ago
The moon formed when a Mars sized planet hit
the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago
 Technology
that has been developed in
astronomy, like satellites, has also been
useful in…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Transportation technologies
Communication technologies
Industrial technologies
All of the above

An astronomer points a laser at the Moon’s
surface and takes daily readings of how long the
laser takes to bounce off a reflector on the moon
back to Earth. Over the course of 5 years the
scientist observes that the laser takes a slightly
longer period of time to get to the moon and
back every day. What would be the best
conclusion that this scientist can make from this
experiment?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The moon is slowly moving farther away from the
Earth
The moon is slowly moving closer to the Earth
The moon will eventually blow up and disappear
None of the above make any logical sense
 Our
solar system came into order under the
process of differentiation; however, it is the
processes of gravity and _________ that
maintains this order.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Cycles
Convection
Inertia
Solar radiation
 Which
of the following most accurately
describes the “Goldilocks Zone” regarding
planets and stars?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It is a zone around our Sun where life is
possible
Within this zone water can exist as solid,
liquid, and gas
The Goldilocks Zone depends on the brightness
and temperature of the star in any given solar
system
All of the above are correct
 Scientists
observe that the Giant Red Spot on
Jupiter appears at the same exact spot on
Jupiter’s surface every 9.9 Earth hours.
Which of the following statements best
supports this observation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Jupiter is a gas giant
Jupiter rotates on its axis faster than Earth
Jupiter is bigger than Earth
Jupiter orbits faster than Earth
 Moon
rocks have been dated to 4.4 billion
years old, while the oldest rocks ever dated
from Earth’s crust are only 3.5 billion years
old. Which of the following statements is
most accurate regarding this observation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The moon is older than Earth
The Earth, through plate tectonics, gradually
recycles the rocks of Earth’s crust
The moon is geologically dead, so the surface
of the moon has remained the same longer than
Earth’s constantly changing surface.
Both B and C are correct statements
 This
term describes a planet’s revolution
around the Sun.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Rotation
Revulsion
Orbit
Cycle

Mercury and Venus are also called the Morning
and Evening Stars. This is because they can only
be seen in the night sky just before sunrise and
just after sunset. Which statement below best
explains why this is the case?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mercury and Venus orbit much farther from the Sun
than the Earth
Venus and Mercury’s atmospheres are both only
detectable when they appear low in the sky on
Earth
Venus and Mercury’s orbits are much closer to the
Sun than Earth’s orbit. Therefore they are much
closer to the Sun, and can only be observed from
Earth during these times.
Venus and Mercury actually are stars
 Which
A.
B.
C.
D.
statement about the planets is false?
They orbit the Sun
They create their own light
They are sometimes observed moving
backwards across the night sky from Earth.
They all spin on an axis at different speeds
 Which
one of the following gases makes up
the majority of Venus’s thick atmosphere?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Carbon monoxide CO
Methane gas CH4
Water Vapor H2O
Carbon Dioxide CO2
 These
are the two most abundant (a lot of)
elements in the solar system.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Carbon and oxygen
Sulfur and nitrogen
Nickel and iron
Hydrogen and Helium
 Earth’s
second atmosphere of carbon
dioxide, water vapor, and oxygen is directly
linked to this geological process.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Fusion
Stabilization
Outgassing
Fissures
 Around
4 billion years ago Earth’s thick
atmosphere, rich in water vapor and carbon
dioxide resembled the atmosphere of this
planet today.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Earth
Mars
Mercury
Venus
 From
about 3.5 to 2 billion years ago Earth’s
atmosphere gradually became richer in
oxygen. Which of the following factors
caused this to occur?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Outgassing volcanoes
Changing weather patterns
The emergence of simple plant life
The emergence of human beings