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| Which type of electromagnetic radiation has the longest wavelength? |
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| Which kind of photon has the highest energy? |
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| An astronomer finds that the spectrum of a mysterious object shows bright emission lines. What can she conclude about the source? |
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Definition
| It contains hot, relatively tenuous gas |
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| If an object's spectral lines are shifted to longer wavelengths, the object is |
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| Scientists think the Earth's core is composed mainly of |
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| Our knowledge of the composition of the Earth's core comes from |
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Definition
| analysis of earthquake waves |
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| The slow shifts of our planet's crust are believed to arise from |
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Definition
| heat from the interior causing convective motion, which pushes on the crust. |
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| If the shape of the Earth's orbit was unaltered but its rotation axis was shifted so that it had no tilt with respect to the orbit, seasons would be |
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Definition
| essentially nonexistent, with little temperature change at a given place throughout the year. |
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Term
| What evidence indicates that part of the Earth's interior is liquid |
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| No S type of seismic waves are detectable at some locations after an earthquake. |
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| We don't get eclipses every month. This is because |
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Definition
| the Moon's orbit is tilted with respect to the Earth's orbit. |
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| How are the Moon and eclipses related? |
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Definition
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| What causes the phases of the Moon? |
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| The Moon's motion around the Earth causing us to see different amounts of it lit. |
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| Why does the Moon shine in the sky? |
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Definition
| It reflects light from the Sun |
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| What are the large smooth dark areas on the moon called? |
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| Which of the following planets are primarily rocky with iron cores? |
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Definition
| Mercury, Venus, and Earth |
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| One explanation of why the planets near the Sun are composed mainly of rock and iron is that |
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Definition
| the Sun's heat made it difficult for other substances such as ices and gases to condense near it |
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| Which of the following features of the Solar System does the solar nebula hypothesis explain? |
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| The numerous craters we see on the solid surfaces of so many Solar System bodies are evidence that |
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Definition
| they were bombarded in their youth by many solid objects |
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| Why is Pluto not considered a Jovian planet? |
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Definition
| Its mass and radius are so small, and it lacks the thick atmosphere of hydrogen seen on the other Jovian planets |
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| Why does Mercury have so many craters and the Earth so few? |
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Definition
| Erosion and plate tectonic activity have destroyed most of the craters on the Earth |
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| Which body in the inner Solar System has the densest atmosphere? |
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Definition
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| Why is Venus's surface hotter than Mercury's? |
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Definition
| Carbon dioxide in Venus's atmosphere traps heat radiating from its surface thereby making it warmer |
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| What are the Venusian clouds made of? |
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| Mercury's average density is about 1.5 times larger than the Moon's even though the two bodies have similar radii. What does this suggest about Mercury's composition? |
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Definition
| Mercury's interior is much richer in iron than the Moon's |
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Term
| The low average densities of Jupiter and Saturn compared with the Earth suggests |
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Definition
| they contain large quantities of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium |
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Term
| What makes some astronomers think that Uranus was hit by a large body early in its history? |
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Definition
| Its rotation axis has such a large tilt with respect to its orbit. |
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Term
| Why would it be foolish to send astronauts to land on Jupiter |
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Definition
| It has no solid surface for them to land on |
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Definition
| The distance at which a moon held together by gravity will be broken apart by the planet's gravitational attraction. |
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| Astronomers think that the inner core of Jupiter is composed mainly of |
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