Homework #4

Due: Oct 27

Physics 5

1. The Moon’s diameter is about _______ of Earth’s diameter.

a. ½

b. 1/3

c. ¼

d. 1/5

2. Disco Stu weighs 24 lb on the Moon. Approximately how much does he weigh on Earth?

a. 120 lb

b. 144 lb

c. 164 lb

d. 196 lb

3. Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?

a. It is an effect of the phases of the Moon

b. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth

c. The Moon doesn’t rotate

d. The Moon looks the same on all sides

4. Why is there no air on the Moon?

a. The air escaped because of the Moon’s low gravity

b. The Moon is too hot, so the atmosphere evaporated

c. The atmosphere was lost when meteors struck the Moon’s surface and blasted it away

d. The Moon never had an atmosphere

5. What is a difference between the Moon’s maria and highlands?

a. Maria are lighter

b. Maria are denser

c. Maria have more craters

d. Maria is made of crust, highlands are made of mantle

6. What causes the motion of Earth’s plates?

a. Differentiation

b. Plates effectively “floating” on the liquid outer core

c. Convection within the mantle

d. None of the above

7. How do we know that Earth’s outer core is liquid?

a. Volcanoes emit molten lava from the core

b. Comparative studies of the Moon have shown a large liquid core

c. Shear seismic waves are not transmitted by the liquid core

d. If you put your ear to the ground, you can hear it sloshing around

8. What causes an aurora?

a. Charged particles from the Van Allen belts colliding with the atmosphere

b. Tidal forces from the Moon acting upon Earth’s atmosphere

c. Dust in the atmosphere, usually from volcanoes

d. Extreme cold temperatures at the poles causing charged particles to emit visible light

9. Plate tectonics cause:

a. Volcanoes

b. Earthquakes

c. Continental drift

d. All of the above

10. Which theory of the Moon’s origin is most likely?

a. The Moon was captured by Earth

b. The Moon formed with the Earth as a pair of similar bodies

c. A young Earth spun extremely fast, and a chunk came loose which became the Moon

d. A large object collided with Earth, and the chunks that came off became the Moon

11. What is the largest part of Earth?

a. Crust

b. Core

c. Mantle

d. Hydrosphere

12. If the Moon is in third quarter, what tide will Earth have?

a. Spring tide

b. Neap tide

c. Ebb tide

d. Red tide

13. Earth’s atmosphere is mostly:

a. Nitrogen

b. Oxygen

c. Argon

d. Carbon dioxide

14. Convection occurs in the __________.

a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Ionosphere

15. The principle cause of the greenhouse effect is:

a. The absorption of the Sun’s heat energy by the hydrosphere

b. Carbon dioxide and water vapor absorption of infrared radiation from Earth

c. Ozone reflection of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun

d. Reflection and absorption of visible light by clouds in the troposphere

16. Which is NOT an effect of the Moon’s tidal forces?

a. Oceans rising and falling twice per day

b. Earth’s rotation speed slowing down

c. Differentiation within Earth

d. Increase of the distance of the Moon

17. What is the only significant source of lunar erosion?

a. Impacts of meteorites

b. Wind

c. Heat from the Sun

d. Moonquakes

18. Which of the following is NOT true:

a. The inner core is the densest part of Earth

b. The inner core is the hottest part of Earth

c. The inner core is the most pressurized part of Earth

d. All of these are true

19. Why is the far side of the Moon more cratered than the near side?

a. Due to a thicker crust, no volcanoes could form to create maria

b. Due to thicker crust, the far side is denser, and so attracts more meteoroids because of its stronger gravitational force

c. Due to its facing Earth, the near side has been hit by less meteorites

d. Due to its facing Earth, the near side has had less erosion

20. Earth’s magnetosphere is caused by:

a. Charged particles in the ionosphere

b. The rotating liquid core

c. Solar wind

d. Intrinsic metals in Earth’s mantle