Chapter 06 Answers PDF

Preview

Summary

Quiz answers...

Description

Chapter 6 The Terrestrial Planets: A Study in Contrasts 1) Venus' rotation period is longer than its period of revolution around the Sun. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.1 2) Mercury, Venus, and Earth have similar densities. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 3) The density of Mars is very similar to that of the other terrestrial planets. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 4) Venus can appear as a crescent through the telescope. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2 5) Mercury's rotation and revolution are an example of a 3:2 resonance. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.2 6) Although it has no liquid water, Mercury has a tidal bulge. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.2 7) Compared to Earth, Venus spins very rapidly on its axis. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2, 6.1 8) Atmospheric pressure on Mars is roughly half that of Earth's at sea level. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 9) Venus' surface temperature cools off at night, much like Mercury's does. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.3 1

10) Mercury has the widest variation in surface temperatures between night and day of any planet in the solar system. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3 11) The scarps on Mercury are extremely similar to the cratered lunar highlands in appearance. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 12) We now know of polar caps on Mercury, the Moon, Earth, and Mars. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 13) The surface temperature of Venus is 730K, even hotter than Mercury. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 14) No evidence of impact craters has been found on Venus. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 15) The surface of Mars is surprisingly smooth and featureless. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 16) Mars has larger volcanoes than Earth's Hawaii. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 17) The polar caps and dust storms of Mars can be seen with Earth-based telescopes. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 18) The Moon's far side is more ancient and heavily cratered; on Mars, the same is true of its southern hemisphere. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 2

19) Mars appears red in color because of refraction of light by its atmosphere, much like the color of the totally eclipsed Moon. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 20) There is new evidence that water has flowed as mud on Mars in recent times. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 21) Because of its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit, Mars' polar caps change size even more than the Earth's do. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 22) The seasonal polar caps on Mars, which grow and shrink over the year, are primarily carbon dioxide. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 23) Winds on Mars give rise to planet-wide dust storms. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6, 6.8 24) The low surface gravity helps Martian volcanoes grow to great heights. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 25) The giant Borealis basin around the Martian north pole may have formed due to an impact with an asteroid twice the size of Ceres. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 26) The Phoenix lander on Mars failed to confirm the presence of water ice under the surface. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6

3

27) Mercury has an unusually small core. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 28) Mars has a weak magnetic field. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 29) The Mars Rover found undisputed microfossils, proving life once existed on Mars. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 30) Venus and Mercury both have magnetic fields similar to Earth's. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 31) Mercury's magnetic field is generated by the same dynamo effect as Earth's. Answer: FALSE Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.7 32) Carbon dioxide is the predominant atmospheric gas on Venus. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3, 6.8 33) Running water continues to be the major erosive factor of Mars today. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 34) Running water played a major role in shaping Mars in ancient times. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6

4

35) Which of these gets so bright as to be seen in daylight at times? A) Mercury B) Venus C) Mars D) Jupiter E) Saturn Answer: B Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.1 36) Which three worlds have almost identical densities? A) Mercury, Venus, and Earth B) Mercury, Mars, and our Moon C) Deimos, Phobos, and our Moon D) Earth, Moon, and Mars E) Mercury, Earth, and Mars Answer: A Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 37) Which planet shows the widest range of surface temperatures between day and night? A) Mercury B) Venus C) Earth D) Mars E) Uranus Answer: A Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2 38) How does Mercury's rotation relate to the Sun? A) It always keeps one face tidally locked toward the Sun, as our Moon does with us. B) Its year is much shorter, only 88 days, than its slow rotation of 243 days on its axis. C) Its rotation rate is 2/3 as long as its year, due to tidal resonances. D) Its day is the same length as its year. E) It does not spin at all, being tidal stopped by the solar tides. Answer: C Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.2

5

39) Venus' rotation on its axis A) is the fastest of the terrestrial planets. B) is clockwise, unlike most other solar system objects. C) shows it is tidally locked in its orbit around the Sun. D) is highly tilted to its orbital plane, causing large seasonal changes. E) prevents us from seeing all of its surface features. Answer: B Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.2 40) Mercury presents the same side to the Sun A) every other orbit. B) all the time, just like our Moon. C) every 12 hours. D) every third orbit. E) twice every orbit. Answer: A Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.2 41) The atmospheric pressure on Venus A) shows an extreme change with the seasons. B) is much lower than on Earth. C) is about the same as on Mercury. D) is much higher than on Earth. E) causes variations in surface temperature. Answer: D Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3 42) What is the main constituent of the atmosphere of Venus? A) oxygen B) nitrogen C) hydrogen D) carbon dioxide E) sulfuric acid Answer: D Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3

6

43) The main constituent of the Martian atmosphere is A) hydrogen. B) helium. C) methane. D) carbon dioxide. E) nitrogen. Answer: D Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3 44) Why are Mars' seasons more extreme than those of the earth? A) Mars' seas dried up long ago. B) Mars' axial tilt is slightly more than our 23.5 degrees. C) Mars' orbit is more eccentric than our almost circular one. D) Mars' weather is affected by evaporation from the polar ice in its summer. E) All of these contribute to the huge seasonal changes that Mars experiences. Answer: E Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.2, 6.6 45) Which body has the densest atmosphere? A) Mercury B) Venus C) Earth D) Mars E) our Moon Answer: B Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.3 46) One of the effects of Mercury's very slow spin is A) extreme variations in its surface temperature. B) an intensely powerful magnetic field. C) tectonic activity. D) wind patterns that are slow, but global in size. E) large variations in the size of its polar cap. Answer: A Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.3

7

47) Mercury's surface most resembles which of these? A) the Earth's deserts B) the lunar far side C) the lunar mare D) Venus' polar regions E) Mars' deserts Answer: B Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 48) The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by A) tectonic activity. B) meteorite bombardment. C) a tidal bulge. D) volcanism. E) the crust cooling and shrinking. Answer: E Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 49) What did radar astronomers find in the polar regions of Mercury? A) rift valleys B) large mare basins, such as near our Moon's south pole C) temperatures cold enough to allow thin sheets of water ice D) polar caps of dry ice that vary seasonally, much like Mars E) auroral displays much like Earth's Answer: C Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.3 50) Our most detailed maps of Venus come from A) the Magellan space probe. B) the Hubble Space Telescope. C) direct observation from Earth-based optical telescopes. D) manned landings. E) Earth-based radio telescopes. Answer: A Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.5

8

51) The surface of Venus can be observed with A) the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. B) radar observations. C) most amateur telescopes. D) the Hubble Space Telescope. E) All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet. Answer: B Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 52) What percentage of the surface of Venus could be characterized as continental-sized highlands? A) less than 10% B) about 30%, like the Earth C) 45% D) 75% E) 100% Answer: A Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 53) Which statement is true of Venus' surface? A) There are two continent sized uplands. B) It has remained unchanged for billions of years. C) Atmospheric pressure is very low. D) There is an extensive hydrosphere. E) There are no shield volcanoes. Answer: B Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 54) Like Olympus Mons, volcanoes on Venus A) form where continental plates collide. B) are much larger than typical volcanoes on Earth. C) have been extinct for billions of years. D) only form at the equator. E) are shield volcanoes. Answer: E Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.5

9

55) Valles Marineris is the most striking example of a(n) A) impact crater. B) shield volcano. C) oceanic trench. D) rift valley. E) scarp. Answer: D Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 56) The deepest depression found on the surface of Mars is the A) Mariana Trench. B) Caloris basin. C) Valles Marineris rift. D) Hellas Basin. E) Mare Crisium. Answer: D Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 57) We have not yet found meteoroids and meteorites derived from A) Venus. B) the Moon. C) Mars. D) asteroids. E) comets. Answer: A Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6 58) The name of the NASA mission(s) that landed on Mars in 1976 was A) Voyager. B) Magellan. C) Viking I and II. D) Venera 14. E) Galileo. Answer: C Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.6

10

59) Which of the following characterizes a shield volcano? A) It sits above a hot spot in the planet's mantle. B) It is formed by moving tectonic plates. C) It can erupt only briefly before being dragged off the hot spot. D) It cannot get as high as Mt. Everest before the thin crust starts slumping. E) It cannot grow very large, for it has a very short span of eruption. Answer: A Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5, 6.6 60) What is true of Mars? A) Its magnetic field is stronger than Earth's B) Its atmosphere is mostly water vapor. C) Iron oxide on the surface is responsible for its reddish color. D) A pool of water was discovered by the Mars Rover. E) Definite microfossils have been found. Answer: C Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.6 61) That the Tharsis region on Mars has so few craters A) proves tectonic activity is taking place. B) is due to the very low elevation of the region. C) suggests it is the youngest region on the planet. D) suggests it is at the center of a particularly strong magnetic field. E) is due to annual flooding and water erosion. Answer: C Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.6 62) The largest difference between Mars' northern and southern hemispheres is that A) the southern appears older, with more impact craters. B) the northern has all the outflows and must have been much hotter. C) the northern is higher overall, despite some high volcanoes in the south. D) the southern has a polar cap, but none ever forms in the north. E) the southern is much darker, with large mare-like basaltic lava flows. Answer: A Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.6

11

63) The presence of a Mercurian magnetic field surprised the planetary scientists on the Mariner 10 team because A) Mercury is low in iron. B) Mercury spins too rapidly to produce a stable dynamo. C) it's still too hot for its core to have differentiated. D) the dynamo theory predicted that Mercury was spinning too slowly for one. E) Mercury lacks an iron core. Answer: D Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 64) Much of the water on Mars A) is thought to be in a layer of permafrost just below the surface. B) lies in shallow pools near the poles. C) is locked in the seasonal ice cap. D) is found in deep pools near the equator. E) is in the form of clouds. Answer: A Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.9 65) Of all the planets known in antiquity, ________ is the hardest to observe visually. Answer: Mercury Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.1 66) Compared to the orbits of Venus and Earth, the orbits of both Mercury and Mars have much ________ eccentricity. Answer: higher Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 67) The only two planets which can transit the Sun are ________. Answer: Mercury and Venus Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.1 68) The Sun's tidal pull has slowed Mercury's rotation down to a period ________ that of its year. Answer: 2/3 Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.2 69) The direction of the rotation of Venus is exceptional because it is in a ________ direction. Answer: retrograde or clockwise Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2 12

70) The planet which shows us the widest range of surface temperatures between day and night is ________. Answer: Mercury Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2 71) Of all the planets, the axial tilt and rotation period of ________ is most like our own. Answer: Mars Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.2 72) While featureless in visible light, we can see some detail in Venus' clouds using ________. Answer: ultraviolet light Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.2 73) Because of their low surface gravities, the Moon and Mercury lack ________. Answer: atmosphere Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3 74) The clouds on Venus are made primarily of ________. Answer: sulfuric acid. Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.3 75) ________ are great wrinkle marks on Mercury's crust, due to its core contracting. Answer: Scarps Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 76) The surface of Mercury looks very similar to ________. Answer: the lunar far side Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.4 77) The most effective wavelengths to see through the clouds of Venus to the surface are ________. Answer: radio or radar Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5

13

78) Smooth rolling plains, modest highlands and lowlands, and no water describes the surface of ________. Answer: Venus Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 79) Unlike our Moon and Mars, all the impact craters found on Venus are ________ in size. Answer: large Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.5 80) In age, the surface of Venus is much ________ than even the lunar mare. Answer: younger Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.5 81) As with the lunar mare and Earth's ocean basins, the chief rock in the low plains of Venus is ________. Answer: basalt Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.5 82) Mars appears red due to ________ on its surface. Answer: rust, or iron oxide Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 83) Of all the planets, only ________ has surface features easily seen from Earth with groundbased telescopes. Answer: Mars Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6, Disc. 6.1 84) The largest volcano in the solar system, ________, is found on Mars. Answer: Olympus Mons Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.6 85) Directly opposite the Tharsis uplift and volcanoes on Mars lies the deep ________, perhaps suggesting impact cause and volcanic effect. Answer: Hellas basin Diff: 3 Section Ref.: 6.6

14

86) Mercury's core is unusually ________, which may help explain its magnetic field. Answer: large Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.7 87) The planet ________ has the least variation in temperatures on the surface between day and night. Answer: Venus Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.8 88) Carbon dioxide dominates the atmospheres of Venus and Mars, but on Earth most of it lies underground as ________. Answer: carbonate (or limestone) rocks Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.8 89) The ALH84001,meteorite, discovered in Antarctica, came from ________, and suggests it may once have had life. Answer: Mars Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.8 90) The greatest rift valley system yet found is ________ on Mars. Answer: Valles Marineris Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.7 91) While ________ gas is the main atmospheric component of both Mars and Venus, its density means it plays a far larger role in heating Venus. Answer: carbon dioxide Diff: 1 Section Ref.: 6.8 92) The great barometric changes accompany the sublimation of carbon dioxide in the Martian spring and summer, creating planet-wide ________. Answer: dust storms Diff: 2 Section Ref.: 6.8 Question 1



Our most detailed maps of Venus come from Selected Answer:

the Magellan space probe. 15

Answers:

Earth-based radio telescopes. the Hubble Space Telescope. manned landings. the Magellan space probe. direct observation from Earth-based optical telescopes. Question 2



The planet ________ has the least variation in temperatures on the surface between day and night. Selected Answer:

Venus

Answers:

Venus Mars Earth Mercur y Question 3



Much of the water on Mars Selected Answer:

Answers:

is thought to be in a layer of permafrost just below the surface. is found in deep pools near the equator. is thought to be in a layer of permafrost just below the surface. is locked in the seasonal ice cap. lies in shallow pools near the poles. is in the form of clouds.



Question 4

The deepest depression found on the surface of Mars is the 16

Selected Answer:

Hellas Basin.

Answers:

Mariana Trench. Hellas Basin. Mare Crisium. Caloris basin. Valles Marineris rift. Question 5



We now know of polar caps on Mercury, the Moon, Earth, and Mars. Selected Answer: Answers:

Tru e Tru e False

Question 6



The surface of Venus can be observed with Selected Answer:

radar observations.

Answers:

radar observations. the Hubble Space Telescope. the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. most amateur telescopes. All of these have provided detailed observations about the surface of our sister planet. Question 7



The scarps on Mercury were probably caused by Selected Answer:

the crust cooling and shrinking.

Answers:

17

the crust cooling and shrinking. volcanism. tectonic activity. a tidal bulge. meteorite bombardment. Question 8



Mercury's surface most resembles which of these? Selected Answer: Answers:

the lunar far side Mars' deserts the lunar far side Venus' polar regions the Earth's deserts the lunar mare Question 9



Like Olympus Mons, volcanoes on Venus Selected Answer:

are shield volcanoes.

Answers:

are shield volcanoes. are much larger than typical volcanoes on Earth. form where continental plates collide. have been extinct for billions of years. only form at the equator. 

Question 10

The smooth rolling plains, modest highlands and lowlands and no water describes the surface of ___________. 18

Selected Answer:

Venu s

Answers:

Venu s Eart h Moo n Mars Question 11



Which is the dominant compressional landform on Mercury's volcanic plains. Selected Answer:

Answers:

Wrinkle ridges Hollows Chaotic terrain Wrinkle ridges Craters Scarps Question 12



The atmospheric pressure on Venus Selected Answer:

is much higher than on Earth.

Answers:

is much lower than on Earth. causes variations in surface temperature. is much higher than on Earth. 19

shows an extreme change with the seasons. is about the same as on Mercury. Question 13



Venus' surface temperature cools off at night, much like Mercury's does. Selected Answer: Answers:

Fals e True Fals e

Question 14



Mercury's rotation and revolution are an example of a 3:2 resonance. Selected Answer: Answers:

Tru e Tru e False

Question 15



Venus' rotation on its axis Selected Answer: Answers:

is clockwise, unlike most other solar system objects. is the fastest of the terrestrial planets. ...