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Astronomy 12 Test Review
Chapter 4 (Gravity)
1. Fill in the Blanks
____________________________ models of the universe, such as the Ptolemaic model, have the Sun, the
Moon, and all the other planets orbiting Earth. ____________________________ model of the solar system holds that
Earth, like all the other planets, orbits the Sun and was made popular by ____________________________. This model
naturally explains ____________________________ motion, which is the backward or westward motion of the planets as
viewed from Earth. Retrograde motion was explained using ____________________________ in the geocentric model.
____________________________ motion, which is the direct or eastward planetary motion.
____________________________ is the apparent shift in the position of a distant star, due to Earth’s revolution around
the Sun. Farther stars have a ____________________________ parallax than nearer ones. A
____________________________ is defined as the distance to a star, which has a parallax of one arcsecond. The
distance to a star (in parsecs) is equal to the reciprocal of the ____________________________.
____________________________ was the first experimental scientist. His telescopic observations of the Sun,
the Moon, and the planets provided experimental evidence against the heliocentric theory and supporting Copernicus’s
heliocentric model. ____________________________ constructed a set of three simple laws describing the motions of
the planets, explaining the mass of observational data accumulated by his benefactor, Tycho Brahe.
Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion state that (1) planetary orbits are ____________________________ having the
Sun as one focus, (2) a planet moves fastest at its orbital ____________________________ and slowest at its orbital
____________________________, and (3) the ratio of a planet’s orbital ____________________________ cubed to its
orbital ____________________________squared is the approximately same for all planets.
An object at rest tends to stay at rest or if in motion, tends to stay in motion. This statement is called Newton’s
____________________________. To make a body speed up, slow down and/or change direction, a
____________________________ must be applied. The rate of change of velocity, or acceleration, is equal to the applied
force divided by the body’s mass. This statement is called Newton’s ____________________________. Forces always
act in pairs that are equal in size but opposite in direction. This statement is called Newton’s
____________________________. ____________________________ attracts the planets to the Sun. Every object
having any mass exerts a gravitational force on all other objects, and the strength of this force
____________________________ with the square of the distance, according to an inverse-square law.
____________________________ are the raising of Earth’s oceans (and to a lesser degree, Earth’s land mass) due to
gravity. ____________________________ tides are that cause the greatest deformation of the Earth;
____________________________ tides are that cause the least deformation of the Earth.
2. Sketch and label Ptolemy’s geocentric model for the planet Mars, highlighting the deferent and epicycle.
3. What discoveries of Galileo helped confirm the Copernican model.
4. Ceres is an asteroid that revolves around the Sun in 4.6 years. What is the orbital radius of Ceres? (Remember, the
orbital radius of Earth is 1 A.U. and orbital period is 1 year)
5. Pallas is an asteroid that revolves around the Sun with an orbital period of 4.62 years and an average orbital radius of
2.77 A.U. Vesta is another asteroid with an orbital radius of 2.36 A.U. What is the orbital period of Vesta?
6. List the revisions made by Newton to Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.
7. Jimmy, a 60 kg weakling, accelerates in a car at 4 m/s2. What is size of the force accelerating Jimmy?
8. A 50 kg rock is pushed with a force of 200 N. What is the acceleration of the rock?
9. The Sun exerts a gravitational force on the Earth, with a particular size (or magnitude) towards the Sun. What is the
size and direction of the gravitational force Earth exerts on the Sun? Explain.
10. Jupiter is 5 A.U. from the Sun. An unknown planet, Q, of equal mass to Jupiter is 40 A.U. from the Sun. Compare the
size of the gravitational force on Jupiter by the Sun with that of planet Q.
11. Complete the table below:
Star Name
Parallax
Distance
(arcsec)
(parsecs)
Arcturus
0.090
Procyon
3.472
Hadar
0.006
Rigel
0.004
250
12. Draw Sun, Moon and Earth configurations that would cause a) neap and b) spring tides.
Chapter 7 (Comparative Planetology)
13. List the planets in order from nearest to farthest from the Sun.
14. Describe Bode’s Law.
15. Construct a Venn Diagram in order to compare and contrast the properties of terrestrial and jovian planets. Properties
to consider in your analysis: mass, density, chemical composition, moon and rings, distance from the Sun, outer (or
surface) temperatures.
16. Define planet. Why is Pluto not a planet?
17. Where are asteroids mostly found in the Solar System?
18. Contrast the Asteroid Belt and the Kuiper Belt, in terms of their location in the Solar System and the objects they
contain.
19. Contrast the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, in terms of their distance from the Sun and the objects they contain.
20. What is the relationship between the extent to which a planet or satellite (i.e. moon) is cratered and the amount of
geologic activity on that planet or satellite?
21. Why do smaller planets retain less of their internal heat?
22. Why is a large planet more likely to have a magnetic field than a small planet?
23. How are magnetic fields in terrestrial planets produced? In Jovian planets?
Chapter 8 (Origin of the Solar System)
24. What are 3 key properties of the Solar System that must be accounted for when developing any model of its
formation?
25. Describe the nebular theory of Solar System formation. Be sure to elaborate how
26. Terrestrial planets and asteroids were formed (i.e. planetesimal accretion).
27. Jovian planets and comets were formed (i.e. core accretion and disk instability models).
28. Note: a diagram would assist any response to the question.
29. What role did condensation temperatures play in the formation of the planets?
30. The Solar System is approximately 4.6 billion years old. How is the age of the Solar System determined?
31. Describe 3 physical processes that are essential in the nebular theory of solar system formation.
32. Describe 5 types of extrasolar planets.
33. Describe 6 methods of detecting extrasolar planets.