Choose the best answer.

1		Which statement best characterizes the nature of science?
			A)	the laws and theories of science are based on belief and speculation
			B)	science is a living body of knowledge, not a set of unchanging ideas
			C)	science has done a poor job of explaining physical phenomena and has failed to improve the quality of human life
			D)	science is superior to other aspects of human culture such as religion, art, and music
2		A scientific law or theory is valid __________.
			A)	forever
			B)	for a certain number of years, after which it is retested
			C)	as long as a committee of scientists says so
			D)	as long as it is not contradicted by new experimental findings
3		The object in the sky that apparently moves least in the course of time is _________________.
			A)	Polaris
			B)	Venus
			C)	the sun
			D)	the moon
4		The stars in a constellation are ______________.
			A)	about the same age
			B)	about the same distance from the earth
			C)	members of the solar system
			D)	unrelated except for proximity in the sky as seen from the earth
5		A planet not visible to the naked eye is _____________.
			A)	Mercury
			B)	Saturn
			C)	Neptune
			D)	Jupiter
6		The planet closest to the sun is _________________.
			A)	Earth
			B)	Venus
			C)	Mars
			D)	Mercury
7		The ptolemaic system fulfilled the requirements of a scientific theory because _______________.
			A)	its explanations of celestial motions, based on observations, resulted in testable predictions
			B)	it was presented openly for public inspection when included in Ptolemy's Almagest
			C)	it was believed to represent an accurate view of the universe and solar system by religious leaders and learned scholars of the time
			D)	it provided a "common sense" explanation concerning the observed motions of heavenly bodies
8		Kepler modified the copernican system by showing that the planetary orbits are ______________.
			A)	ellipses
			B)	circles
			C)	combinations of circles forming looped orbits
			D)	the same distance apart from one another
9		The time it takes a planet to make one complete trip around the sun is called the planet's ____________.
			A)	revolution
			B)	orbit
			C)	rotation
			D)	period
10		The modern version of the copernican system is considered to be correct because ______________.
			A)	most people believe that the copernican system is correct, and the majority viewpoint rules
			B)	predictions of planetary motions based on the copernican system proved to be correct
			C)	there is direct evidence that the earth rotates and the planets revolve around the sun
			D)	a committee of scientists has certified that the copernican system is correct
11		The speed of a planet in its elliptical orbit around the sun ________________.
			A)	is constant
			B)	is highest when the planet is closest to the sun
			C)	is lowest when the planet is closest to the sun
			D)	varies, but not with respect to the planet's distance from the sun
12		According to Kepler's third law, the time needed for a planet to complete an orbit around the sun _________________.
			A)	is the same for all the planets
			B)	depends on the planet's size
			C)	depends on the planet's distance from the sun
			D)	depends on how fast the planet spins on its axis
13		Newton's discovery of the law of gravity was dependent upon __________________.
			A)	the discovery of the planet Neptune
			B)	an understanding of the shape of the earth
			C)	the development of the copernican system of the solar system
			D)	the law that states what goes up must come down
14		The law of gravity _________________.
			A)	applies only to large bodies such as planets and stars
			B)	accounts for all known forces
			C)	holds only in the solar system
			D)	holds everywhere in the universe
15		The earth bulges slightly at the equator and is flattened at the poles because __________________.
			A)	it spins on its axis
			B)	it revolves around the sun
			C)	of the sun's gravitational pull
			D)	of the moon's gravitational pull
16		The longitude of Greenwich, England, is ________________.
			A)	0°
			B)	90°E
			C)	90°W
			D)	180°
17		A latitude of 0° corresponds to ________________.
			A)	the north pole
			B)	the south pole
			C)	the equator
			D)	the prime meridian
18		The usual tidal pattern in most parts of the world consists of __________________.
			A)	a high tide one day and a low tide on the next
			B)	one high tide and one low tide daily
			C)	two high tides and two low tides daily
			D)	three high tides and three low tides daily
19		Tides are caused ________________.
			A)	only by the sun
			B)	only by the moon
			C)	by both the sun and the moon
			D)	sometimes by the sun and sometimes by the moon
20		High tide occurs at a given place ___________________.
			A)	only when the moon faces the places
			B)	only when the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the place
			C)	both when the moon faces the place and when the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the place
			D)	when the place is halfway between facing the moon and being on the opposite side of the earth from the moon