Multiple Choice Questions

Tycho Brahe's contribution to astronomy included:
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
  • collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
Which of the following is not true about a scientific theory?
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
  • A theory is essentially an educated guess.
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
  • Eris orbits farther than Pluto.
Galileo's contribution to astronomy included:
  • Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.
  • collecting data that enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.
  • making observations and conducting experiments that dispelled scientific objections to the Sun-centered model.
  • in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
In Ptolemy's Earth-centered model for the solar system (not shown), Venus always stays close to the Sun in the sky and, because it always stays between Earth and the Sun, its phases range only between new and crescent. The following statements are all true and were all observed by Galileo. Which one provides evidence that Venus orbits the Sun and not Earth?
  • We sometimes see gibbous (nearly but not quite full) Venus.
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
  • full whenever it is on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, although we cannot see the full Venus because it is close to the Sun in the sky
In the Greek geocentric model, the retrograde motion of a planet occurs when:
  • in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
  • Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.
What is Eris's (orbits the Sun every 557 years) average distance (semimajor axis) from the Sun?
  • At noon
  • 67.7 AU
  • Never
  • Eris orbits farther than Pluto.
Earth is closer to the Sun in January than in July. Therefore, in accord with Kepler's second law:
  • Eris orbits farther than Pluto.
  • Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
When Einstein's theory of gravity (general relativity) gained acceptance, it demonstrated that Newton's theory had been
  • Never
  • Eris orbits farther than Pluto.
  • 67.7 AU
  • incomplete.
Which of the following is not true about scientific progress?
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
Which of the following was not a major advantage of Copernicus's Sun-centered model over the Ptolemaic model?
  • in some parts of its orbit it is much closer to the Sun than in other parts.
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
  • Earth travels faster in its orbit around the Sun in January than in July.
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
According to Kepler's 3rd Law:
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • Jupiter orbits the Sun at a faster speed than Saturn.
  • Science advances only through the scientific method.
  • Eris orbits farther than Pluto.
Imagine that Venus is in its full phase today. If we could see it, at what time would the full Venus be highest in the sky?
  • At noon
  • The planet actually goes backward in its orbit around Earth.
  • 67.7 AU
  • It made significantly better predictions of planetary positions in our sky.
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Multiple Choice Questions
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