Solar System Formation
What event most likely caused a cloud of gas and dust to begin collapsing to form our solar system?
Nearby Supernova Explosion
Which orbit would be considered the most eccentric?
Highly stretched ellipse
What primarily determines how long a star will live?
Mass
Where are elements heavier than iron created?
Supernova explosions
Planets generally form:
Shortly after stars form
Which stage of solar system formation happened immediately AFTER the nebula began collapsing?
Formation of a rotating disk
Which law explains why planets move faster when closer to the Sun?
Second law
Why can spectroscopy be used to study planets?
Planets reflect starlight
The heavy elements that make up Earth originally came from:
Supernovae
How did the planets of our solar system form relative to each other?
All at roughly the same time
Solar Nebula Condensation Theory
Which statement is NOT a Kepler’s Law?
Objects resist changes in motion
Why are meteorites useful for determining the age of the solar system?
They contain radioactive isotopes
The planets formed from:
The same cloud that formed the Sun
The Earth revolves around the Sun at an approximate rate of
1 degree/day
What cleared remaining gas and dust from the early solar system?
Solar wind
A planet with a semi-major axis of 9 AU would have an orbital period of approximately:
81 years
Where would rocky, dense planets most likely form?
Near the central star
Why did Jovian planets keep thick atmospheres?
Cold temperatures and strong gravity
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Which object is NOT part of the solar system?
A. Comet
B. Asteroid
C. Galaxy
D. Dwarf planet
C. Galaxy
Kepler’s Third Law shows a relationship between:
Distance from the Sun and orbital period
A star begins to "shine" when _____ begins to occur.
Nuclear fusion
A planet with a semi-major axis of 9 AU would have an orbital period of approximately:
81 years
Why do outer planets have more moons than inner planets?
They have stronger gravity