Kepler's Laws
Water and Oxygen
Jovian vs. Terrestrial
Doppler Effect/Asteroids
Radioactive Decay/Surprise Me
100
Which one of Kepler's law describes the revolution of a planet?
Kepler's Third Law
100
Name one place in our solar system (other than Earth) where scientists have found evidence of water or ice.
Examples: Mars (polar ice caps), Europa (subsurface ice), Enceladus (ice geysers), some comets — any one is acceptable.
100
List two characteristics that typically describe terrestrial planets.
Small size, rocky/metallic composition, thin or no hydrogen/helium atmosphere, solid surface.
100
For light from a star, what does a blueshift indicate about the star's motion relative to the observer?
Blueshift means the source is moving closer to the observer.
100
Give one example of a tool or method scientists use to observe planets or asteroids (e.g., telescope, spacecraft).
Examples: optical telescope, radio telescope, spectrometer, probes/landed spacecraft.
200
Which one of Kepler's Laws describes how the orbit of a planet is around two foci?
Kepler's First Law
200
Why is the presence of liquid water considered important for life as we know it?
Liquid water is required by known life forms for cellular processes and for survival.
200
List two characteristics typical of Jovian planets.
Large size, mostly hydrogen/helium or ices, many moons and ring systems, no solid surface (gas/ice giants).
200
For light from a star, what does a redshift indicate about the star's motion relative to the observer?
Redshift means the source is moving away from the observer.
200
Name one reason why knowing where water exists in the solar system is useful for future human exploration.
Helps locate resources (water for fuel, life support), choose landing sites, and assess habitability potential.
300
Explain the orbital period of Planet Zc compared to the orbital period of Planet Za.
Planet Zc has a shorter revolution and orbital period than Planet Za because Planet Zc is closer to Star Z.
300
Describe one method (observation type) scientists use to detect water or ice on another world.
Liquid water is a solvent for chemical reactions and is required by known life forms for metabolism and cellular processes.
300
Name and Label the 4 terrestrial planets in a drawing.
300
What is an asteroid?
A small rocky body orbiting the Sun.
300
What does the term half-life mean?
A half-life is the time required for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay.
400
Explain how Kepler's First Law differs from the idea of a perfect circular orbit. Use the word "ellipse."
Kepler's First Law says orbits are ellipses, not perfect circles; circles are a special case of ellipses with eccentricity zero.
400
Explain what is meant by "oxygenation" of a planet's atmosphere in simple terms.
Oxygenation: the process by which a planet's atmosphere gains substantial free (molecular) oxygen (O2) over time.
400
Name the four Jovian planets in our Solar System.
400
Where is the main asteroid belt located in our solar system?
Between Mars and Jupiter (main belt).
400
Draw and label a simple diagram showing atoms like Carbon-14 decaying into Nitrogen-14.
500
Set up the equation needed to figure out the Average distance from the Host Star and find an answer.
Ms x T2 = R3
.7 x (.58)2 = 0.406
500
Describe one line of evidence scientists use to argue that Earth's atmosphere became oxygen-rich over time (a short description of oxygenation events).
banded iron formations, changes in sulfur isotope ratios, appearance of oxidized minerals in the rock record.
500
Compare the typical composition (percentages: rock/metal vs gas/ice) of a terrestrial planet and a Jovian planet in a short sentence.
Terrestrial: mostly rock/metal (majority solid mass); Jovian: majority gas/ice with a smaller rocky/metal core.
500
Describe what Apophis is and why scientists are keeping a close eye on it, especially around 2029 and 2036.
Apophis is an asteroid that was supposed to hit Earth in 2029, but because of newer technology and the use of mathematical calculations, it will on flyby Earth in 2029. Scientists believed that Apophis could potentially hit Earth later in 2036 due to Earth pulling/pushing its orbit with gravitational force, but scientists confirmed this will not happen.
500
A whalebone that originally contained 200 grams of radioactive carbon-14 now contains 25 grams of carbon-14. How many carbon-14 half-lives have passed since this whale was alive? Show your work by completing the table below. (Carbon Hallf-life = 5,730 years).
