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Name: ______________________________________
Period: _______
Date: ___________
Periods 1, 2, and 3 Astronomy Final 2008
Multiple Choice – 1 Point Per Question
Write the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1. The tilt of the Earth and its position in its orbit around the sun causes
a. global warming
c. a rain shadow.
b. different seasons.
d. the greenhouse effect.
2. What factor determines the amount of solar energy an area receives?
a. angle of sunlight
c. mountains
b. wind patterns
d. ocean currents
3. At the equator, the sun's rays strike the surface of the Earth at a
a. 90º angle spreading the amount of solar energy over a large area.
b. 90º angle concentrating the amount of solar energy onto a small area.
c. lesser angle concentrating the amount of solar energy onto a small area.
d. lesser angle spreading the amount of solar energy over a large area.
4. During our winter months, the Southern Hemisphere has
a. lower temperatures and shorter days.
c. higher temperatures and longer days.
b. lower temperatures and longer days.
d. higher temperatures and shorter days.
5. Where would the weather most likely be warm on December 25th?
a. Alaska
c. England
b. Australia
d. Canada
6. The length of a day on Earth is based on
a. the Earth orbiting the sun.
c. the moon orbiting the Earth.
b. the rotation of the Earth on its axis.
d. the rotation of the moon on its axis.
7. Which of these would be shorter if Earth rotated faster?
a. years
c. weeks
b. months
d. days
8. The time required for the Earth to orbit the sun once is called a
a. day.
c. month.
b. week.
d. year.
9. A ____ is roughly the amount of time required for the moon to orbit the Earth once.
a. day
c. month
b. week
d. year
10. The spinning of a planet on its axis is called
a. an orbit.
c. a rotation.
b. a revolution.
d. circling.
11. The path that a planet takes while traveling around the sun is called
a. an orbit.
c. a revolution.
b. a rotation.
d. circling.
12. The motion of a planet traveling around the sun is called
a. an orbit.
c. a rotation.
b. a revolution.
d. circling.
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The following illustration shows Earth's orbit around the sun
_C__ 13. Which of the following is illustrated by letter A?
a. orbit
c. rotation
b. revolution
d. period of rotation
_B__ 14. Which of the following is illustrated by letter C?
a. orbit
c. rotation
b. revolution
d. period of rotation
_A__ 15. Which of the following is illustrated by letter B?
a. orbit
c. rotation
b. revolution
d. period of rotation
_A__ 16. What is the most current theory for the formation of Earth’s moon?
a. The moon formed from a collision between another body and the Earth.
b. The moon was captured by the Earth.
c. The moon formed at the same time as the Earth.
d. The moon formed by spinning off from the Earth early in its history.
_B__ 17. The amount of time it takes for an object to spin on its axis once is called
a. period of revolution.
c. retrograde rotation.
b. period of rotation.
d. prograde rotation.
_D__ 18. The amount of time it takes for an object to orbit around the sun once is called
a. prograde rotation.
c. retrograde rotation.
b. period of rotation.
d. period of revolution.
_B__ 19. For all eight planets, a year is
a. 365 days.
c. one period of rotation.
b. one period of revolution.
d. Both (a) and (b)
_B__ 20. For all eight planets, a day is
a. 24 hours.
c. one period of revolution.
b. one period of rotation.
d. Both (a) and (b)
_B__ 21. The composition of the Earth's moon is similar to that of Earth's
a. crust.
c. inner core.
b. mantle.
d. outer core.
_C__ 22. Which statement best explains maria?
a. Maria is the moon's nickname.
c. Maria are the moon's lava plains.
b. Maria are the moon's craters.
d. Maria is moon dust.
_D__ 23. Which of the following best describes our moon?
a. On Earth, we always see the same side of the moon.
b. The moon's period of rotation and period of revolution are identical.
c. The relative positions of the moon, sun, and Earth determine which phase the moon is in.
d. All of the above
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Completion – 1 Point Per Question
Complete each sentence or statement.
24. Each time Earth orbits the sun, another
25. ROTATION
YEAR
of the Earth causes night and day.
26. The Earth completes one
ROTATION
each day. (revolution or rotation)
27. We are located in the arm of a pinwheel-shaped
elliptical)
28. A
LIGHT-YEAR
29. GALAXIES
30. SPIRAL
has passed.
SPIRAL
galaxy in the Milky Way. (spiral or
is the distance that light travels in one year.
are large groupings of stars in space.
galaxies have a bulge at the center and very distinctive spiral arms.
31. If you lived on the far side of the moon, you would never see the
32. Most lunar craters are the result of
IMPACTS
EARTH
. (Earth or sun)
. (volcanoes or impacts)
33. The different appearances of the moon due to its changing position are called
PHASES
34. When the moon is
WAXING
, the sunlit fraction seen from Earth is getting larger.
35. When the moon is
WANING
, the sunlit fraction seen from Earth is getting smaller.
36. A(n)
ECLIPSE
.
occurs when the shadow of one celestial body falls on another.
37. A
LUNAR
eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, and the shadow of
the Earth falls on the moon.
38. A
SOLAR
eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the Earth and the sun, and the shadow of
the moon falls on the Earth.
Short Answer – 2 Points Per Question
Answer in complete sentences! Use a separate sheet of paper to answer questions 39 – 46.
39. How would seasons be different if the Earth did not tilt on its axis? If the Earth did not tilt on its axis,
40.
41.
42.
43.
there would be no seasons. The same amount of solar radiation would reach the Earth year-round.
Why do higher latitudes receive less solar energy than lower latitudes? Higher latitudes receive less solar
energy because the sun's rays strike the Earth's surface at a less direct angle. This spreads the same
amount of solar energy over a larger area, resulting in lower temperatures.
Why do we always see the same side of the moon? The moon's period of revolution around the Earth is
the same as its period of rotation.
Do solar eclipses occur at the full moon or at the new moon? Explain why. Solar eclipses occur during the
new moon. During the new moon, the side of the moon that faces the Earth is in darkness because
the moon is between the sun and the Earth.
Is the far side of the moon always dark? Explain your answer. (2 Points) No; the far side of the moon gets
just as much sunlight as the near side. As the moon revolves around the Earth, it also rotates, which
gives it night and day.
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44. Describe the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse. In a solar eclipse, the moon passes
between the sun and the Earth, and the moon's shadow falls on the surface of the Earth. In a lunar
eclipse, the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the surface of the
moon.
45. Describe the current theory of how the Earth's moon formed. The current theory states that as the Earth
was still forming, a large object collided with it and broke off a piece of the Earth's mantle. This
piece of the mantle combined with part of the colliding body to form the moon, which then began to
orbit the Earth.
46. Look back at the drawing on the top of page 2. What is incorrect about Earth’s orbital path? Earth’s orbital
path is actually almost a perfect circle. The Earth’s orbital path is not nearly as elliptical as shown in
the diagram.
The following illustration shows Earth's position in its orbit around the sun.
47.
At which position 1, 2, 3, or 4 is it winter in the
Northern Hemisphere? (1 Point)
_____3 (2)____
48.
Pole
At which position 1, 2, 3, or 4 does the South
receive almost 24 hours of daylight? (1 Point)
_____3 (2)____
49.
the
At which position 1, 2, 3, or 4 is it summer in
Northern Hemisphere? (1 Point)
_____1 (4)____
50. Look at the images below. Label each lunar phase with the correct phase name. (7 Points)
First Quarter
Waxing Crescent
Waxing Gibbous
New Moon
Full Moon
Waning Crescent
Waning Gibbous
Third Quarter
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