Universe Eighth Edition

1
UniverseEighth Edition
i?clicker Questions

• Chapter 11
• Mercury, Venus, and Mars Earthlike yet Unique

2
At greatest eastern elongation (see diagram)
Mercury is visible

• just before sunrise.
• just after sunset.
• at midnight directly overhead.
• at midnight toward the south.
• at midnight in the west.

Q11.1
3
At greatest eastern elongation (see diagram)
Mercury is visible

• just before sunrise.
• just after sunset.
• at midnight directly overhead.
• at midnight toward the south.
• at midnight in the west.

A11.1
4
The structure of Mercury is

• a rocky mantle surrounding a large iron core that
  is 75 of the planets diameter.
• a rocky mantle surrounding a small iron core that
  is much less than half the diameter of the
  planet.
• a frozen icy mantle surrounding a rocky core.
• a frozen icy mantle surrounding an iron core.
• a rocky core beneath an iron shell.

Q11.2
5
The structure of Mercury is

• a rocky mantle surrounding a large iron core that
  is 75 of the planets diameter.
• a rocky mantle surrounding a small iron core that
  is much less than half the diameter of the
  planet.
• a frozen icy mantle surrounding a rocky core.
• a frozen icy mantle surrounding an iron core.
• a rocky core beneath an iron shell.

A11.2
6
The rotation of Mercury on its axis is unusual in
that

• it has the slowest rotation of all the planets.
• it rotates extremely rapidly.
• it rotates retrograde.
• it rotates three times on its axis in the time it
  takes to make two orbits around the Sun.
• it rotates two times on its axis in the time it
  takes to make three orbits around the Sun.

Q11.3
7
The rotation of Mercury on its axis is unusual in
that

• it has the slowest rotation of all the planets.
• it rotates extremely rapidly.
• it rotates retrograde.
• it rotates three times on its axis in the time it
  takes to make two orbits around the Sun.
• it rotates two times on its axis in the time it
  takes to make three orbits around the Sun.

A11.3
8
Why is the surface of Mercury cooler than the
surface of Venus?

• Mercury moves too rapidly around the Sun to be
  heated up significantly.
• Mercury, unlike Venus, does not have an
  atmosphere and there is no greenhouse effect.
• Mercury is a very reflective body, so most of the
  electromagnetic radiation incident on it is not
  absorbed.
• Mercury is much smaller than Venus.
• Mercurys magnetic field deflects some solar
  radiation.

Q11.4
9
Why is the surface of Mercury cooler than the
surface of Venus?

• Mercury moves too rapidly around the Sun to be
  heated up significantly.
• Mercury, unlike Venus, does not have an
  atmosphere and there is no greenhouse effect.
• Mercury is a very reflective body, so most of the
  electromagnetic radiation incident on it is not
  absorbed.
• Mercury is much smaller than Venus.
• Mercurys magnetic field deflects some solar
  radiation.

A11.4
10
The Moon and Mercury are similar in that they
both

• are about the same size and are heavily cratered.
  
• are heavily cratered and lack an atmosphere.
• lack an atmosphere and have large flat maria.
• have a weak magnetic field and a tenuous
  atmosphere.
• have a weak magnetic field and numerous mountains.

Q11.5
11
The Moon and Mercury are similar in that they
both

• are about the same size and are heavily cratered.
  
• are heavily cratered and lack an atmosphere.
• lack an atmosphere and have large flat maria.
• have a weak magnetic field and a tenuous
  atmosphere.
• have a weak magnetic field and numerous mountains.

A11.5
12
Venus has a high surface temperature because

• of continual volcanic eruptions.
• radioactive elements heat its surface.
• of heating from the solar wind.
• the dense carbon dioxide atmosphere produces a
  very strong greenhouse effect.
• the dense nitrogen atmosphere produces a very
  strong greenhouse effect.

Q11.6
13
Venus has a high surface temperature because

• of continual volcanic eruptions.
• radioactive elements heat its surface.
• of heating from the solar wind.
• the dense carbon dioxide atmosphere produces a
  very strong greenhouse effect.
• the dense nitrogen atmosphere produces a very
  strong greenhouse effect.

A11.6
14
The surface of Venus

• exhibits plate tectonic activity similar to that
  seen on Earth.
• exhibits a crust that has not broken up into
  moving plates but does exhibit hotspot volcanism.
  
• is relatively smooth and featureless.
• exhibits no tectonic activity as far as we can
  tell.
• has not yet been studied due to the dense cloud
  cover, so we do not know if there is any tectonic
  activity.

Q11.7
15
The surface of Venus

• exhibits plate tectonic activity similar to that
  seen on Earth.
• exhibits a crust that has not broken up into
  moving plates but does exhibit hotspot volcanism.
  
• is relatively smooth and featureless.
• exhibits no tectonic activity as far as we can
  tell.
• has not yet been studied due to the dense cloud
  cover, so we do not know if there is any tectonic
  activity.

A11.7
16
How did Venus acquire its dense carbon dioxide
atmosphere?

• It captured carbon dioxide from space.
• Oxygen reacted with carbon on the surface to
  produce carbon dioxide after Venus formed and
  cooled.
• Volcanic eruptions supplied carbon dioxide.
• It captured asteroids, which contain carbon
  dioxide.
• Solar radiation caused chemical reactions in the
  surface rocks.

Q11.8
17
How did Venus acquire its dense carbon dioxide
atmosphere?

• It captured carbon dioxide from space.
• Oxygen reacted with carbon on the surface to
  produce carbon dioxide after Venus formed and
  cooled.
• Volcanic eruptions supplied carbon dioxide.
• It captured asteroids, which contain carbon
  dioxide.
• Solar radiation caused chemical reactions in the
  surface rocks.

A11.8
18
Venus and Earth differ significantly in several
ways. Earth has broken cloud cover and an
atmosphere consisting mostly of nitrogen, whereas
Venus has

• unbroken cloud cover with a much denser carbon
  dioxide atmosphere.
• broken cloud cover with a much denser carbon
  dioxide atmosphere.
• unbroken cloud cover with a much denser nitrogen
  atmosphere.
• broken cloud cover with a much denser nitrogen
  atmosphere.
• unbroken cloud cover with little atmospheric
  nitrogen and a great deal of oxygen.

Q11.9
19
Venus and Earth differ significantly in several
ways. Earth has broken cloud cover and an
atmosphere consisting mostly of nitrogen, whereas
Venus has

• unbroken cloud cover with a much denser carbon
  dioxide atmosphere.
• broken cloud cover with a much denser carbon
  dioxide atmosphere.
• unbroken cloud cover with a much denser nitrogen
  atmosphere.
• broken cloud cover with a much denser nitrogen
  atmosphere.
• unbroken cloud cover with little atmospheric
  nitrogen and a great deal of oxygen.

A11.9
20
Venus and Earth have similar

• mass, density, and magnetic field.
• mass and density.
• rotation rate, density, and atmosphere.
• magnetic field, surface temperature, and
  atmosphere.
• mass, density, and surface temperature.

Q11.10
21
Venus and Earth have similar

• mass, density, and magnetic field.
• mass and density.
• rotation rate, density, and atmosphere.
• magnetic field, surface temperature, and
  atmosphere.
• mass, density, and surface temperature.

A11.10
22
Why do volcanoes on Venus tend to be fewer and
larger than those on Earth?

• Venus has a much more tectonically active surface
  than the Earth.
• Erosion quickly reduces the size of any volcanoes
  on the Earth.
• Lava is much hotter on Venus than on Earth.
• Volcanoes on Venus grow in one spot only because
  the crustal plates do not move, whereas on Earth
  the movement of the crustal plates forms a chain
  of volcanoes.
• Venus is closer to the sun.

Q11.11
23
Why do volcanoes on Venus tend to be fewer and
larger than those on Earth?

• Venus has a much more tectonically active surface
  than the Earth.
• Erosion quickly reduces the size of any volcanoes
  on the Earth.
• Lava is much hotter on Venus than on Earth.
• Volcanoes on Venus grow in one spot only because
  the crustal plates do not move, whereas on Earth
  the movement of the crustal plates forms a chain
  of volcanoes.
• Venus is closer to the sun.

A11.11
24
Compared to Earth, Venus has a very weak magnetic
field. The most likely reason for this is that

• there is no liquid in the core.
• the intense solar radiation destroys the magnetic
  field before it can form.
• Venus rotates so slowly that no electric currents
  are set up in its core.
• the magnetic field is in the process of
  reversing.
• Venus is closer to the Sun.

Q11.12
25
Compared to Earth, Venus has a very weak magnetic
field. The most likely reason for this is that

• there is no liquid in the core.
• the intense solar radiation destroys the magnetic
  field before it can form.
• Venus rotates so slowly that no electric currents
  are set up in its core.
• the magnetic field is in the process of
  reversing.
• Venus is closer to the Sun.

A11.12
26
Which of the following have not been found on
Mars?

• Moving tectonic plates
• Wispy clouds
• Dust storms
• Ancient river beds
• Advancing and receding polar icecaps

Q11.13
27
Which of the following have not been found on
Mars?

• Moving tectonic plates
• Wispy clouds
• Dust storms
• Ancient river beds
• Advancing and receding polar icecaps

A11.13
28
About 4 billion years ago Martian volcanoes were
active. How did these active volcanoes affect
the atmosphere of Mars?

• They supplied large amounts of oxygen to the
  atmosphere.
• They supplied large amounts of carbon dioxide, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
• Their heat kept the surface of Mars warm so that
  water could exist in vapor form.
• They supplied large amounts of nitrogen, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
• They supplied large amounts of methane, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.

Q11.14
29
About 4 billion years ago Martian volcanoes were
active. How did these active volcanoes affect
the atmosphere of Mars?

• They supplied large amounts of oxygen to the
  atmosphere.
• They supplied large amounts of carbon dioxide, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
• Their heat kept the surface of Mars warm so that
  water could exist in vapor form.
• They supplied large amounts of nitrogen, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
• They supplied large amounts of methane, a
  greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.

A11.14
30
We now know that water exists on Mars. This
water is in the form of

• liquid in rivers only.
• atmospheric water vapor only.
• underground reservoirs of liquid water.
• ice in polar icecaps only.
• permafrost, polar icecaps, and a small amount of
  atmospheric vapor.

Q11.15
31
We now know that water exists on Mars. This
water is in the form of

• liquid in rivers only.
• atmospheric water vapor only.
• underground reservoirs of liquid water.
• ice in polar icecaps only.
• permafrost, polar icecaps, and a small amount of
  atmospheric vapor.

A11.15
32
The Mars Pathfinder mission carried a robotic
vehicle, Sojourner, to Mars. Sojourner discovered
rocks that appeared to be layered like
sedimentary rock. This is evidence that

• standing water once existed on Mars.
• flowing water was once present on Mars.
• atmospheric winds operating for millions of years
  deposited many layers of rock.
• volcanoes caused the layering.
• meteors brought sedimentary rocks to Mars.

Q11.16
33
The Mars Pathfinder mission carried a robotic
vehicle, Sojourner, to Mars. Sojourner discovered
rocks that appeared to be layered like
sedimentary rock. This is evidence that

• standing water once existed on Mars.
• flowing water was once present on Mars.
• atmospheric winds operating for millions of years
  deposited many layers of rock.
• volcanoes caused the layering.
• meteors brought sedimentary rocks to Mars.

A11.16
34
On Mars the greenhouse effect is weaker than it
is on Earth and far weaker than it is on Venus.
Which of the following explains this?

• The Martian atmosphere contains large amounts of
  nitrogen, which is not a greenhouse gas.
• Mars is too far from the Sun for the greenhouse
  effect to be important.
• The Martian atmosphere is very thin and traps
  less infrared radiation from the surface.
• There is no plant life on Mars.
• Mars once had water.

Q11.17
35
On Mars the greenhouse effect is weaker than it
is on Earth and far weaker than it is on Venus.
Which of the following explains this?

• The Martian atmosphere contains large amounts of
  nitrogen, which is not a greenhouse gas.
• Mars is too far from the Sun for the greenhouse
  effect to be important.
• The Martian atmosphere is very thin and traps
  less infrared radiation from the surface.
• There is no plant life on Mars.
• Mars once had water.

A11.17
36
The moons of Mars, shown in this photo, are
similar to what other objects in our solar system?

• Comets
• Asteroids
• The Earths Moon
• Small planets like Mercury
• Large planets like Uranus

Q11.18
37
The moons of Mars, shown in this photo, are
similar to what other objects in our solar system?

• Comets
• Asteroids
• The Earths Moon
• Small planets like Mercury
• Large planets like Uranus

A11.18