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1 | |
Which of the following statements about space science is NOT true?
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| | A) | Space science is one of the oldest sciences. |
| | B) | Space science includes the study of all celestial bodies in the universe. |
| | C) | Space science does not have any relationship to other fields of science. |
| | D) | The study of space science has led to remarkable achievements during the latter part of the twentieth century. |
| | E) | Space scientists hope to gain a better understanding of Earth’s creation. |
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2 | |
Which of the following is the best description of the solar system?
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| | A) | The Sun is at the center, and the planets and asteroids orbit around it. |
| | B) | Earth is at the center, and the Moon, Sun, and other planets orbit around it. |
| | C) | The Moon is at the center, and Earth, the Sun, and other planets orbit around Earth. |
| | D) | The Sun is at the center of the solar system, and Earth and the other planets are stationary in the sky at a fixed distance from it. |
| | E) | The planets are in a group at the center of the solar system, and the Sun orbits the entire group. |
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3 | |
What is a galaxy?
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| | A) | a group of planets that are in orbit around the Sun |
| | B) | a distant star that has planets in orbit around it |
| | C) | two stars that are in orbit around one another |
| | D) | a large group of stars that are located together in one part of the universe |
| | E) | the empty space between large groups of stars |
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4 | |
What is the main force that holds the universe together?
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| | A) | gravity |
| | B) | electrostatic force |
| | C) | magnetic force |
| | D) | mechanical force |
| | E) | friction |
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5 | |
How is a star created?
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| | A) | The leftovers of an exploding blue star collapse due to gravitational force. |
| | B) | A comet melts while approaching another star. |
| | C) | Two planets collide and break apart. |
| | D) | A planet overheats due to radioactive substances in its core. |
| | E) | A cloud of interstellar dust and gas contracts due to gravitational force. |
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6 | |
About how old is the solar system?
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| | A) | 1.5 million years |
| | B) | 70 million years |
| | C) | 4.6 billion years |
| | D) | 15 billion years |
| | E) | 2 trillion years |
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7 | |
How are chemical elements distributed throughout the solar system?
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| | A) | Planets close to the Sun tend to be made up of heavier elements, while planets farther away tend to be made up of lighter elements. |
| | B) | Large planets tend to be made up of the heaviest elements. |
| | C) | Small planets tend to be made up of the lightest elements. |
| | D) | Planets closest to the Sun tend to be made up of the lightest elements. |
| | E) | Planets with the greatest number of moons tend to be made up of the lightest elements. |
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8 | |
According to scientists, what is most likely to be the ultimate fate of Earth?
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| | A) | Earth will eventually leave its present orbit around the Sun and move off into space. |
| | B) | Earth will be engulfed by an expanding Sun as the Sun goes through its life cycle. |
| | C) | Earth will heat up because of radioactive material in its own core and become a star. |
| | D) | Earth will slowly move farther away from the Sun until it becomes a frozen planet near the edge of the solar system. |
| | E) | Earth will slowly move closer to the Sun until, at last, it moves into the Sun and melts. |
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9 | |
What is the big bang theory?
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| | A) | a description of the cycles of expansion and contraction of the universe that may occur as the universe goes through its life cycle |
| | B) | a description of the formation of planets around stars, which explains how Earth and other planets formed around the Sun |
| | C) | a theory about universes that may exist outside of our own |
| | D) | a theory about the birth of the universe in which the universe began as a very compact mass of material that exploded and rapidly expanded |
| | E) | the belief that each time a star explodes, a big bang is heard throughout the universe |
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10 | |
What is the flat universe model?
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| | A) | a model in which the universe never changes |
| | B) | a model in which gravitational force becomes weaker over time, eventually disappearing as the universe nears the end of its life cycle |
| | C) | a model in which most objects in the universe are actually flat in shape and not spherical in shape like Earth, the Moon, and the Sun |
| | D) | a model in which the universe is mainly made up of empty space between large groups of stars |
| | E) | a model in which the expanding universe will eventually reach a size and then stay at that size, neither expanding nor contracting |
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education