Questions and Answers
Order the items from largest to smallest unit.
A light year is a measure of?
Distance
If an event were to take place on the Sun, how long would it take for the light it generates to reach us?
8 minutes
Rank the following in order of smallest to largest.
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Rank the following in order smallest to largest.
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What does the cosmological principle state?
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What does Occam's razor state?
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What is the significance of the cosmological principle?
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Order the steps of the scientific method.
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What should be the next step in the scientific method after coming up with hypotheses?
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What is the scientific method?
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Label these important reference points. Their location in your sky depends on your location on Earth.
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Label these important places on the celestial sphere.
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What is the celestial equator?
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What is the horizon defined by?
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What causes day and night?
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Why is Polaris, the North Star, unique?
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If the star Polaris has an altitude of 35°, then what do we know?
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Rank in lowest latitude to highest latitude.
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Where on Earth can you stand and, over the entire year, see the entire sky?
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Looking down on Earth from above the North Pole, how does the Moon orbit Earth?
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Which way do most objects travel when viewed from far above the North Pole of Earth?
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About how long does it take Earth to go around its axis once?
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About how long does it take Earth to orbit the Sun?
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About how long does it take the Moon to orbit Earth?
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Rank from most full to least full.
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You see the Moon rising, just as the Sun is setting. What phase is the Moon in?
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What causes the seasons?
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Why does the angle of the Sun's rays matter in regard to Earth's seasons?
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If Earth's axis were tilted by 45°, how would the seasons be different?
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What would be the effect on seasons if Earth had the same tilt as Jupiter?
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Label the northern hemisphere, solstices, and equinoxes.
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What causes the seasons according to evidence about variations in the Sun's influence?
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A lunar eclipse occurs when the ________ shadow falls on the ________.
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How did the ancients know the planets were different from the stars?
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What happens when Earth catches up to a slower-moving outer planet?
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What inference can be made about the geocentric model concerning the motion of Mars?
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What is the next step in the scientific process for the Copernican heliocentric model?
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How does the heliocentric model explain the retrograde motion of Mars?
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When will Uranus be observed in retrograde motion?
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What defines an inferior planet?
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Superior Conjunction occurs when a planet is in line with the Earth and the Sun.
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If a superior planet has a synodic period of 1.2 years, what is its sidereal period?
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What is the eccentricity of a circular orbit?
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Highest eccentricity vs lowest eccentricity.
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What is Earth's orbit's eccentricity?
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What does Kepler's second law say?
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Match speed of planet in elliptical orbit:
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Where is the slowest/highest speed traveled in an elliptical orbit?
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Kepler's second law says that if a planet is in an elliptical orbit around a star, then the planet moves fastest when it is?
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Sort each scenario into the category indicating whether or not the car is accelerating.
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If you use the same force to push on two different cars, which will have the bigger acceleration?
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If you push with a different force on two cars of the same mass, which car will have the bigger acceleration?
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Imagine a planet moving in a perfectly circular orbit around the Sun. Is this planet experiencing acceleration?
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Rank each object being pushed in order of increasing acceleration.
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Imagine you are walking along a forest path. Which of the following is not an action-reaction pair in this situation?
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Place the following in order from largest to smallest semimajor axis.
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The period of Mars's orbit is 1.88 years. What is the distance of Mars's semimajor axis?
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Halley's Comet has an orbital period of 76 years. What is the semimajor axis of its orbit?
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Compared to your mass on Earth, on the Moon your mass would be?
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If you went to Mars, your weight would be?
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If the acceleration of objects dropped from a height does not depend on the object's mass, what does this imply about the force of gravity?
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Compare the gravity between these pairs, each consisting of an Earth-like planet and its star.
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Astronauts in a space shuttle can float while orbiting Earth. Why are these astronauts weightless?
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If your mass is 85 kg, what would be your approximate mass and weight on Mars?
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Assume your mass is 81.00 kg. Then your weight on Earth is 793.80 newtons. What would be your mass and weight on Mars?
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If Earth shrank to a smaller radius but kept the same mass, how would the gravitational force between Earth and the Moon change?
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Newton's third law implies what about the force of gravity associated with a person standing on Earth?
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Label smallest to greatest force.
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If the distance between Earth and the Sun were cut in half, how would the gravitational force between these two objects change?
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For a pair of objects, where is the center of mass located?
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The connection between gravity and orbits enables astronomers to measure the __________ of stars and planets.
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If you are transported to a planet with twice the mass of Earth, but the same radius of Earth, how would your weight change?
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If the mass of Earth were increased by a factor of 4.00, how many times would the force between Earth and the Sun increase?
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What likely causes Kepler's observation that planets travel faster when they are closer to the Sun?
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An object in a(n) __________ orbit in the Solar System will remain in its orbit forever. An object in a(n) __________ orbit will escape from the Solar System.
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The primary factor in Earth's tides is?
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High tides vs low tides.
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Where do subsequent semi-diurnal (twice daily) tides happen precisely?
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If the Moon had twice the mass that it does, how would the strength of the lunar tides change?
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What causes the second high tide?
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When do spring tides occur?
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What causes the Moon to always keep the same face toward Earth?
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What does the effect of Earth's off-center bulge on the Moon imply?
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What happens to the Earth's day due to rotation and the position of the Moon?
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If an object crosses from farther to closer than the Roche limit, it?
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How might you improve your chances of detecting the motion of light?
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If the Sun instantaneously stopped giving off light, what would happen on Earth?
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A light wave does NOT require?
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When light enters a medium from space, it?
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Light acts like?
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Rank the longest wavelength to shortest wavelength.
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Rank the lowest energy to highest energy.
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Rank types of radiation from least energy to most energy.
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When an electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level in an atom, what happens?
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How does the spectrum of a distant star reveal the star's chemical composition?
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Study Notes
Cosmic Structure and Light
- Items ordered from largest to smallest unit: Universe, supercluster, local group, Milky Way galaxy, solar system, Earth.
- A light year measures distance.
- Light from the Sun takes 8 minutes to reach Earth.
- Rank from smallest to largest: Earth, Sun, solar system, Milky Way, Virgo supercluster, Universe.
The Cosmological Principle and Scientific Method
- The cosmological principle asserts that the universe is uniform on a large scale and our location is not unique.
- Occam's razor advocates for choosing the simpler hypothesis when two fit the facts equally.
- The scientific method involves observations, hypothesis formulation, predictions, and testing.
Celestial Reference Points and Earth's Rotation
- Label important celestial reference points: Horizon, north celestial pole, zenith, celestial equator.
- The celestial equator is above Earth’s equator.
- Day and night result from Earth's rotation on its axis.
- Polaris remains in the same position in the night sky, indicating location.
Variations in Sky and Seasons
- Earth's axial tilt causes seasonal changes and affects sunlight angles, with more direct illumination leading to warmer seasons.
- If Earth's tilt was 45°, winters would be significantly colder.
- The Moon's phases include Full, waning gibbous, waning crescent, new moon, waxing crescent, waxing gibbous.
Gravity and Tides
- Tides are primarily influenced by the Moon's gravity, with high tides occurring at 0° and 180°, and low tides at 90° and 270°.
- The gravitational force between Earth and another body increases if the distance is reduced.
Kepler's Laws and Planetary Motion
- Kepler’s second law states that planets travel fastest when closest to the Sun.
- Retrograde motion occurs when Earth overtakes an outer planet, causing the planet to appear to move backward.
- An inferior planet orbits within Earth's orbit relative to the Sun.
Orbits and Gravity
- Objects in bound orbits remain within the solar system; unbound orbits can lead to escape.
- The center of mass between two objects is closer to the more massive object.
- Gravitational force would quadruple if Earth-Sun distance is halved.
Properties of Light
- Light waves do not require a medium to propagate, slowing down when entering a material from space.
- Light exhibits both wave and particle properties.
- A shift in energy levels of electrons in an atom results in photon emission.
Spectrum Analysis
- Spectral analysis shows chemical composition via absorption lines unique to various atoms and molecules.
Studying That Suits You
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Description
Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key astronomical concepts from Smartwork 5. You'll rank astronomical units and understand important measurements like light years. Perfect for reinforcing your understanding of space and distance!