Question 1

Why does it make sense that the jovian planets farther from the Sun have less mass?

Accepted Answer

The differences in the sizes of the jovi...

Question 2

Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is made of a different composition than Saturn,including a higher proportion of hydrogen compounds and rocks.
B)  The extra mass of Jupiter compresses its interior to a greater extent than that of Saturn.
C)  Its core is much larger than Saturn's.
D)  It has a greater proportion of helium to hydrogen compared to Saturn.
E)  It is unknown why this is so.

Question 3

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?

Accepted Answer

A)  Triton
B)  Titan
C)  Ganymede
D)  Europa

Question 4

Overall,Jupiter's composition is most like that of

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth.
B)  a comet.
C)  an asteroid.
D)  the Sun.

Question 5

Of the four jovian planets,which likely formed first?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jupiter
B)  Saturn
C)  Uranus
D)  Neptune

Question 6

What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?

Accepted Answer

A)  methane
B)  hydrogen
C)  water
D)  ammonia

Question 7

Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

Accepted Answer

A)  Saturn's gravity prevents particles from migrating upwards out of the rings.
B)  The "gap" moons shepherd the particles and maintain its thin profile.
C)  Any particle in the ring with an orbital tilt would collide with other ring particles,flattening its orbit.
D)  Solar radiation pressure keeps particles pressed into the rings.
E)  The current thinness is a short-lived phenomenon that is special to this time.

Question 8

Which of the following is not due to tidal forces?

Accepted Answer

A)  the synchronous rotation of the Moon around Earth
B)  the volcanos on Io (a moon of Jupiter) 
C)  the rings of Saturn
D)  the grooved terrain of Enceladus (a moon of Saturn) 
E)  the backward orbit of Triton (a moon of Neptune)

Question 9

Which statement about planetary rings is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  All four jovian planets have rings.
B)  Individual ring particles orbit their planet in accord with Kepler's laws,so that particles closer in orbit faster than particles farther out.
C)  Rings are always located closer to a planet's surface than any large moons.
D)  Saturn's rings formed along with its moons 4.6 billion years ago.

Question 10

Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?

Accepted Answer

A)  lakes of liquid methane or ethane
B)  rain or snow consisting of methane or ethane droplets or ice crystals
C)  lakes of liquid water in the warmer equatorial regions
D)  volcanic outgassing of methane and other gases

Question 11

What would happen to Jupiter if we could somehow double its mass?

Accepted Answer

A)  Its density would decrease and its diameter would double.
B)  Its density would stay about the same and its volume would double.
C)  Its density would increase but its diameter would barely change.
D)  It would become a star,with nuclear fusion in its core.

Question 12

Process of Science: Scientists have not observed Io's interior nor measured its internal temperature.What evidence do we have of Io's strong tidal heating from Jupiter?

Accepted Answer

Io has active volcanoes,as verified thro...

Question 13

How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are about the same as average winds on Earth.
B)  They are slightly faster than average winds on Earth.
C)  They are slightly slower than average winds on Earth.
D)  They are much faster than hurricane winds on Earth.

Question 14

Which previously unknown planet's location was predicted from mathematical calculations of orbital motions?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury
B)  Uranus
C)  Neptune
D)  Pluto
E)  all of the above

Question 15

Explain how the resonance among Io,Europa,and Ganymede makes their orbits slightly elliptical.

Accepted Answer

For every orbit that Ganymede completes ...

Question 16

The satellite Amalthea orbits Jupiter at just about the same distance in kilometers at which Mimas orbits Saturn.Yet Mimas takes almost twice as long to orbit.What can you deduce from this difference qualitatively? Since Jupiter and Saturn are not very different in radius,what else can you conclude?

Accepted Answer

The gravitational attraction of Saturn o...

Question 17

Use these choices for the following questions.
-Which of the above applies to Ganymede?

Accepted Answer

A)  the most volcanically active body in the solar system
B)  thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water
C)  probably a captured moon
D)  the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005
E)  the largest moon in the solar system

Question 18

Use these choices for the following questions.
-Which of the above applies to Triton?

Accepted Answer

A)  the most volcanically active body in the solar system
B)  thought to have a deep,subsurface ocean of liquid water
C)  probably a captured moon
D)  the target of the Huygens probe,which landed on the surface in 2005
E)  the largest moon in the solar system

Question 19

Why do Uranus and Neptune have blue methane clouds but Jupiter and Saturn do not?

Accepted Answer

A)  Methane does not condense into ice in the warmer atmospheric temperatures of Jupiter and Saturn.
B)  Methane did not exist in the solar nebula at the radii of Jupiter and Saturn when the planets formed.
C)  The greater gravitational force of Jupiter and Saturn prevents the methane from rising to the upper edges of the atmosphere.
D)  Methane reacts with the abundant ammonia clouds in Jupiter and Saturn.
E)  The relatively slow rotation of Uranus and Neptune allows methane to migrate to higher levels in the atmosphere and condense into clouds.

Question 20

How do the jovian planet interiors differ?

Accepted Answer

A)  All have cores of about the same mass,but differ in the amount of surrounding hydrogen and helium.
B)  The core mass decreases with the mass of the planet.
C)  The composition changes from mostly ammonia in Jupiter and Saturn to mostly methane in Uranus and Neptune.
D)  The composition changes from mostly hydrogen in Jupiter and Saturn to mostly helium in Uranus and Neptune.
E)  All have about the same amount of hydrogen and helium but the proportion of rocks is greater in those planets closer to the Sun.

Exam 11: Jovian Planet Systems

Correct AnswerverifiedThe gravitational attraction of Saturn o...View AnswerShow Answer

Use these choices for the following questions. -Which of the above applies to Triton?

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Which of the following is most unlikely to be found on Titan?

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Why does it make sense that the jovian planets farther from the Sun have less mass?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe differences in the sizes of the jovi...View AnswerShow Answer

How do the jovian planet interiors differ?

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Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

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Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?

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What would happen to Jupiter if we could somehow double its mass?

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Which statement about planetary rings is not true?

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Of the four jovian planets,which likely formed first?

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How do typical wind speeds in Jupiter's atmosphere compare to typical wind speeds on Earth?

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Overall,Jupiter's composition is most like that of

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Which of the following is not due to tidal forces?

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Why do Uranus and Neptune have blue methane clouds but Jupiter and Saturn do not?

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Use these choices for the following questions. -Which of the above applies to Ganymede?

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What atmospheric constituent is responsible for the blue color of Uranus and Neptune?

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Process of Science: Scientists have not observed Io's interior nor measured its internal temperature.What evidence do we have of Io's strong tidal heating from Jupiter?

Correct AnswerverifiedIo has active volcanoes,as verified thro...View AnswerShow Answer

Which moon has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain how the resonance among Io,Europa,and Ganymede makes their orbits slightly elliptical.

Correct AnswerverifiedFor every orbit that Ganymede completes ...View AnswerShow Answer

Which previously unknown planet's location was predicted from mathematical calculations of orbital motions?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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The gravitational attraction of Saturn o...
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The differences in the sizes of the jovi...
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Io has active volcanoes,as verified thro...
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For every orbit that Ganymede completes ...
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