EARTH -------- he Earth bulges at the equator compared to the poles (6378 versus 6335 km). What's a possible explanation? a) The Earth is squashing under its own weight. b) Tidal stretching from the Moon's pull. $c) The rapid rotation of the Earth. d) Tectonic plate motion stops at the equator. The Earth bulges at the equator compared to the poles. If a seal weighs 100 lbs at the equator, what do you estimate it will it weigh at the pole? a) 37 lbs b) 99 lbs c) 100 lbs $d) 101 lbs e) 137 lbs The main reason Earth's atmosphere stays warm is heat from a) volcanos $b) solar radiation c) the greenhouse effect d) continental drift e) the hot core of the Earth The greenhouse effect is caused mostly by a) pesticides b) depletion of the ozone layer $c) carbon dioxide in the atmosphere d) strong magnetic field e) the aurora borealis The Earth's core is hot due to a) solar heating b) large scale meteoroid bombardment c) radioactivity d) heat left over from the Earth's formation. $e) both d. and e. The Earth's magnetic dynamo is caused by a combination of convection in its molten core and a) the Earth's orbit around the Sun $b) the Earth's rotation c) lunar tidal action d) the aurora borealis Particles from the Sun interact with the Earth's magnetic fields to produce $a) the aurora borealis b) dangerous ultraviolet radiation c) hydrogen and helium d) protons and electrons Over the last 10 to 100 million years, the largest scale changes on the surface of the Earth were caused by a) glaciation b) erosion by wind and water c) man-made pollutants $d) continental drift e) comets and asteroids Which of the following statements help explain why summer days tend to be hotter than winter days? I. The day is longer. II. The Earth's surface receives more light per unit area. III. The light is coming directly from the Sun. IV. There is no snow to cool the Earth. a) I b) III $c) I, II d) I, IV e) II, III What would the days and seasons be like if the Earth still rotated at the same speed, but the Earth's axis were tilted nearly 80 degrees on its side instead of 23 degrees? a) Both days and seasons would be half a year long. b) The days would be the same length, but the seasons would be half a year long. c) There can be no seasons in this situation, but days would always be 24 hours long. $d) The days and seasons would the same lengths as ours, but the seasons would have more extreme temperature changes. The Earth is thought to have formed from $a) accretion of small rock-like bodies b) the collapse of a single gas cloud c) gas ejected from the Sun in a massive solar flare d) a disk of gas orbiting the Sun The fact that the Earth has undergone differentiation suggests that the Earth's interior a) has always been solid b) must not have a core c) causes the continents to move $d) was once liquid Earthquakes are an important tool for scientists because their vibrations a) influence the Earth's orbit about the Sun $b) allow the study of the Earth's internal structure c) inform us of the mass of the Earth d) are used to predict the future of plate tectonics Heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun is an example of transfer of energy by a) conduction b) convection $c) radiation d) pollution The reason that the Earth's surface has so few meteor craters compared to other nearby bodies in the solar system is that a) the Moon blocked almost all of the meteors that otherwise would have hit the Earth. b) the atmosphere causes all objects entering from space to burn up before they hit the ground. $c) the Earth's surface has been modified by various forces which cover or remove traces of the craters. d) all meteorite impacts break the crust and release lava from the mantle to fill in the hole. Which of the following is evidence that the Earth's interior is not rigid? I. Plate tectonics II. The liquid oceans III. The greenhouse effect IV. The magnetic field a) I, II $b) I, IV c) II, III d) II, IV e) III, IV Over the course of time, what happens to the plates that cover Earth's surface? a) Water erosion wears away at the edges of the plates at the same rate at which new rock is added. b) Plates just get added onto at the midocean rises, and the surface gets more crumpled as plates continue to run into each other. $c) Parts of plates sink into the interior and melt, while other parts are created anew. d) Where new rock isn't being added to them, the plates just move relative to each other along faultlines. The Earth's surface absorbs energy from sunlight and then radiates about as much energy back into space. The best proof you can offer for this fact is that the average surface temperature on Earth is a) warming slowly. $b) not warming rapidly. c) half light and half dark. d) warmer at the core than on the surface. EARTH & MOON -------------- A full moon $a) can never rise at midnight. b) can never transit at midnight. c) always rises due east. d) always sets due west. Suppose tonight is new moon. You are on the side of the Moon facing the Earth. What phase Earth do you see? a) You can't see the Earth because it is eclipsed by the Sun. b) New Earth c) First Quarter Earth $d) Full Earth e) Third Quarter Earth As seen from the Moon, how often does the Sun rise? a) Never. b) About every 24 hours. c) About once per week. $d) About once per month. e) About once per year. As seen from the Moon, how often does the Earth set? $a) Never. b) About every 24 hours. c) About once per week. d) About once per month. e) About once per year. Assume that the Sun rises at 6:00 AM. At what time does the Third Quarter Moon rise? a) 9:00 AM b) 12:00 Noon c) 9:00 PM $d) 12:00 Midnight When the Moon is in its last quarter, when does it rise and set? a) sunrise, sunset b) sunset, sunrise $c) midnight, noon d) noon, midnight Why don't lunar eclipses happen at every full moon? $a) The Moon's orbit doesn't always take it through the Earth's shadow. b) The Moon's orbit sometimes takes it far enough away that the Earth's shadow has disappeared. c) The Moon's orbit is not circular. d) The Moon cannot be full AND pass through the Earth's shadow. An observer on Earth sees a total lunar eclipse. If someone else is standing on the side of the Moon facing the Earth at the same time, they would the a) Earth's night side, not eclipsing the Sun. b) Earth's day side, not eclipsing the Sun. c) Earth partially eclipsing the Sun. $d) Earth completely eclipsing the Sun. During an annular solar eclipse, the Moon's orbital velocity is: $a) Slower than during a total solar eclipse. b) The same as during a total solar eclipse. c) Faster than during a total solar eclipse. d) The same as the Earth's orbital velocity around the Sun. An observer on Earth sees a total solar eclipse. If someone else is standing on the side of the Moon facing the Earth at the same time, what would they see? The Earth's a) night side. b) day side, which becomes completely dark. $c) day side gets a dark spot that moves across it. d) day side, which doesn't change in brightness. Under which circumstance might there be a lunar eclipse every month? a) If the Moon were smaller compared to the Earth $b) If the Moon's orbit was in the ecliptic c) If the Earth's orbit were in the ecliptic d) If the Earth's axis was not inclined to the ecliptic In order for a solar eclipse to occur, the Moon must be: a) high in the sky b) near first or last quarter $c) near new moon d) near full moon e) over another country What change in the Moon might enable us to see its entire surface from Earth? a) If the Moon was always full. b) If its axis of rotation were tipped slightly. $c) If it rotated at a different speed. d) If its orbit were in the ecliptic. In which case(s) can the Earth, Sun, and Moon be in a straight line? a) Full Moon only b) First quarter and Third (or last) quarter c) New Moon only $d) Both full and new Moon e) This can happen at any phase of the Moon If we see a first quarter moon today, what will people on the other side of the Earth see later today? a) new Moon $b) first-quarter Moon c) full Moon. d) third-quarter Moon e) Any of the above, depending upon the time of night. Earth doesn't experience an eclipse of the Sun every month because a) sometimes the Moon is too far away. b) the Moon always keeps its same side toward the Earth. $c) the Moon's orbit is not in the same plane as the Earth's orbit. d) you have to be in the right place to see a solar eclipse. A friend exclaims that a few months ago she saw the full moon overhead at noon. Is this possible? a) Yes, because a full moon is caused when the Moon is fully lit by the Sun, which can only happen at noon. b) Yes, but only if she was approximately 45 degrees from zero latitude. $c) No, the full moon is never overhead at noon. MOON ------ There is very little atmosphere on the Moon because a) dry rocks on the Moon absorbed its own atmosphere b) it was blown away by meteor bombardment $c) its low mass and high temperature allowed most gases to escape d) the gravitational tidal forces from the Earth stripped it away The Moon a) always points the same face toward the Sun b) does not rotate c) rotates at the same rate as the Earth - once per day $d) rotates on its axis with the same period as its revolution about the Earth Which theory of lunar origin below lost support when the Apollo landings showed there to be similar abundances of isotopes of oxygen on both the Earth and moon? a) fission theory $b) capture theory c) formation together from the same gas cloud d) the dairy theory Place the statements concerning lunar formation below in chronological order from the time of formation: 1 coalesced from orbiting debris 2 cooling of interior 3 mare formed 4 surface melting by heavy bombardment $a) 1, 4, 3, 2 b) 3, 2, 4, 1 c) 1, 2, 3, 4 d) 4, 3, 2, 1 e) 2, 3, 4, 1 The lunar mare were formed primarily by a) melting and solidification followed by impacts b) volcanism $c) impact with later volcanism d) volcanism with later impact Why are some large crater walls sharp and steep, while others are more rounded? a) different volcanos make different craters $b) age differences c) size differences among the impact bodies d) composition differences among the impact bodies e) seismic activity on the Moon During a single night, the Moon a) moves from west to east across the sky $b) moves from east to west across the sky c) appears fixed in the sky above a given location on Earth d) appears fixed in the sky relative to the constellations If the Moon was third quarter last Saturday, what phase will it be this Saturday? a) waning crescent b) waxing gibbous c) At or very near first quarter $d) At or very near new e) Any of the above, depending upon other factors. If you observe the Moon rising in the east as the Sun is setting in the west, then you know that the phase of the Moon must be a) new b) first quarter $c) full d) third (or last) quarter e) Any of the above, depending on other factors It is full moon and it is the night of winter solstice. Where is the Moon? $a) North of the celestial equator b) On the celestial equator c) South of the celestial equator d) Not enough information is given to answer this question Why can we never see an absolutely new moon? a) It is always on the other side of the Earth $b) It is always too close to the Sun c) It is never up during the day d) It is always on the horizon e) It is always covered up by the Sun When two continental plates collide, the likely result is that $a) folded mountains are created b) a hot spot is produced c) very young rocks emerge from below the crust d) a crater is formed Your latest discovery, Planet Eris, never had volcanos. The processes of erosion on Eris have unequal but constant rates in different surface regions. A reasonable way to estimate which region has the least erosion is simply by choosing the region with a) the fewest craters b) the largest craters $c) the most craters d) maria The fact that there are fewer craters on the lunar maria than on the lunar highlands indicates that the a) highlands are younger than the maria b) craters formed as a result of volcanic eruptions $c) maria formed more recently d) maria are of volcanic origin The Moon at night appears brighter in the winter because a) the nights are longer $b) the declination of the full moon is higher in winter c) the cold air makes the Moon appear stronger d) The interaction between the tides and the cold air intensifies moonlight