Part I: Multiple Choice Questions. There are 31 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each. Choose the best answer and record it on the scan sheet. 1. The molecule that does NOT contribute to the greenhouse effect on Earth is A. water. B. nitrogen. C. carbon dioxide. D. methane. 2. The sidereal day is A. the time it takes earth to spin once about its axis. B. the international standard for the average length of a day. C. the time between one sunrise and the next. D. the portion of the day due to the earth's orbital motion. 3. Planets are spherical while asteroids are irregularly shaped because A. asteroids can not be irregular in shape. B. material strength dominates over gravity in planets. C. gravity dominates over material strength in planets. D. gravity dominates over material strength in asteroids. 4. The escape velocity is A. the speed required to completely escape the gravitational pull of an object. B. the speed needed to launch a satellite into orbit. C. the terminal velocity acquired by an object in free fall. D. the speed at which a planet will orbit in a circle. 5. You find yourself driving south on Route 1 on the winter solstice. The sun is directly ahead of you. Consequently, A. the time is about noon. B. this situation is not possible. C. there will be a full moon that day. D. you are out early, shortly after sunrise. 6. Copernicus' model of the heavens destroyed many of the concepts of the heavens held by the ancient Greeks. However, one feature that his model retained was that A. all celestial orbits are circles. B. the Sun controls all motions of the planets. C. the Earth is at the center of the Universe. D. epicycles were used to explain retrograde motion. 7. A solar eclipse can occur A. when the Moon's phase is new. B. when Venus is at inferior conjunction. C. when the Moon's phase is full. D. when Venus is in its crescent phase. 8. Compared to its neighboring planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the surface of the Earth is relatively young. This youthful appearance results from A. the Earth having the largest Moon of all of these planets. B. the Earth being the most recently formed of these planets. C. tectonic activity still shaping the surface of the Earth. D. the Earth is furthest from the Sun. E. the fact that few major impacts ever occur on the Earth. 9. Which observation of Galileo's was NOT relevant to distinguishing between the Ptolemaic and Copernican world models? A. The moons of Jupiter. B. Stars in the Milky Way. C. The phases of Venus. D. Mountains and plains on the Moon. 10. The molecule that contributes most to the greenhouse effect on Earth is A. carbon dioxide. B. ozone. C. water. D. methane. 11. The principle reason that the terrestrial planets have different geology is A. rotation rate. B. planetary mass. C. thickness of the atmosphere. D. distance from the Sun. 12. According to Newton's laws of motion, the Moon remains in orbit around the Earth because A. the Earth's magnetic field holds it there B. the Sun's gravity balances the Earth's gravity C. the original motion of the Moon was circular D. the Moon's velocity balances the Earth's velocity E. Earth's gravity pulls the Moon toward the Earth 13. The giant pendulum demonstration done in class was to illustrate A. that the instructor better duck before the pendulum returns! B. the conservation of energy. C. the conservation of mass. D. the conservation of angular momentum. 14. The tablecloth pull demonstration done in class was to illustrate A. that physics is hazardous. B. how escape velocity depends on the mass of an object. C. the conservation of mass. D. the concept of inertia. 15. The ocean tides raised by the Sun and the Moon on the Earth reinforce each other when A. the phase of the Moon is new or full. B. the phase of the Moon is first or third quarter. C. the Moon is closest to the Earth. D. the Earth is closest to the Sun. 16. Which of the following is NOT one of Newton's Laws of Motion? A. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. B. F = ma. C. An object in motion remains in motion unless acted on by an outside force. D. All objects fall at the same rate irrespective of mass. 17. The greenhouse effect occurs because A. Ultraviolet radiation is blocked by the atmosphere. B. Ultraviolet radiation is blocked by the ozone layer. C. Infrared radiation is blocked by the atmosphere. D. Visible radiation is blocked by the atmosphere. 18. The phase of the moon today is A. waning crescent. B. full. C. first quarter. D. waxing gibbous. 19. Which of these assumptions is NOT part of the scientific method? A. The laws of nature are universal. B. There exists an objective reality. C. Reality is governed by the laws of nature. D. Reality is limited by our perceptions. 20. We see the same pattern on the moon every night because A. the moon has craters, mountains, and maria. B. the earth's atmosphere make it look bigger near the horizon. C. the phase of the moon depends on the illumination of the sun. D. the moon's spin and orbit are tidally locked. 21. The sun stays below the horizon all winter for observers A. in the tropics. B. above the arctic circle. C. exactly at the equator. D. this situation never happens. 22. The Moon has many more craters than Earth because A. Earth's are all beneath the ocean. B. asteroids cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere. C. it has no erosion or geological activity to erase craters. D. it shielded Earth from collisions. 23. Suppose you are an astronaut taking a space walk to fix your spacecraft with a hammer. Your life-line breaks and the jets on your backpack are out of fuel. How would you return to your craft safely (without the help of someone else)? A. Fling your arms around in circles B. Throw the hammer in disgust at the spacecraft C. Apply harsh language towards the spacecraft D. Throw the hammer in disgust away from the spacecraft E. There is absolutely nothing you can do so kiss your ship goodbye 24. The geocentric world model is characterized by A. placing the sun at the center of the universe. B. a flat earth. C. placing the earth in orbit around the sun. D. placing the earth at the center of the universe. 25. The seasons of the Earth result from A. the varying speed of the Earth in its orbit B. the precession of the Earth's rotation axis C. the Earth being farther from the Sun in winter because of its elliptical orbit D. the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis 26. The "runaway greenhouse effect" occurred on which planet? A. Mars B. Venus C. Mercury D. Earth 27. Mercury and Venus are called inferior planets because A. they are terrestrial planets like Mars. B. they never stray far from the sun on the sky. C. they are small and insignificant. D. they are insufferably hot. 28. The ecliptic is A. the line that divides the Earth into daytime and nighttime B. the Sun's path across the celestial sphere C. the line on the celestial sphere directly above the Earth's Tropic of Cancer D. a circle approximately 23.5 degrees across centered on Polaris E. the path across the celestial sphere followed by comets 29. Which of the following statements about retrograde motion is INCORRECT? A. retrograde motion occurs when a planet occasionally rises in the west and sets in the east. B. in the heliocentric model of the Universe, retrograde motion occurs when one planet overtakes another in its orbit around the Sun. C. retrograde motion is the occasional westward drift of a planet against the background stars. D. in the geocentric model of the Universe, epicycles were invented to explain retrograde motion. 30. Why do we think the climate of Mars has changed? A. Old river beds exist, but no water flows there today. B. Fossil trees found by the Viking spacecraft show it was once hot and wet. C. The atmosphere is currently rich in methane. D. Its mean density is between that of Earth and the Jovian planets. 31. The sun casts no shadow A. on the spring equinox at the latitude of the tropics. B. every day at noon. C. only at the equator. D. on the summer solsctice at the latitude of the tropics. 1. B. 2. A. 3. C. 4. A. 5. A. 6. A. 7. A. 8. C. 9. B. 10. C. 11. B. 12. E. 13. B. 14. D. 15. A. 16. D. 17. C. 18. A. 19. D. 20. D. 21. B. 22. C. 23. D. 24. D. 25. D. 26. B. 27. B. 28. B. 29. A. 30. A. 31. D.