Understanding Our Universe 2nd Edition Palen Test Bank

Understanding Our Universe 2nd
Edition Palen Test Bank

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CHAPTER 6: Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Based on the number of impact craters observed per square meter on their surfaces, place these
terrestrial planets in order of youngest to oldest surface:
a. Earth, Venus, Mercury c. Mercury, Venus, Earth
b. Venus, Earth, Mercury d. Earth, Mercury, Venus
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 6.1
OBJ: Use the characteristics of craters to determine the history and relative ages of a planet’s or
moon’s surface. MSC: Applying
2. According to studies of impact cratering, which of the terrestrial planets has the oldest surface?
a. Mercury c. Earth
b. Venus d. Mars
moon’s surface. MSC: Applying
3. Younger impact craters tend to be:

a. larger than older craters.
b. smaller than older craters.
c. found on the oldest part of a planet’s surface.
d. superimposed on top of older craters.
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: 6.1
moon’s surface. MSC: Remembering
4. Studies of the amount of cratering at different locations on the Moon indicate that:
a. the rate of cratering in the Solar System has changed dramatically over time.
b. the younger lunar surfaces are hundreds of billions of years younger than the oldest
surfaces.
c. the Moon has never been geologically active at any point in its history.
d. most of the heavy cratering in the Solar System occurred before Earth formed.
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: 6.1
OBJ: Describe how impact cratering changes the surface of a planet or moon.
MSC: Remembering
5. Based on the age of the light- and dark-colored regions of the Moon and the number of craters
observed in these regions, we know that impacts in the inner Solar System:
a. rapidly decreased approximately 3 billion years ago.
b. rapidly decreased approximately 1 billion years ago.
c. were very rare in the past 4.5 billion years.
d. occurred at approximately a constant rate throughout most of the age of the Solar System.
moon’s surface. MSC: Analyzing
6. The age of the Solar System can be determined most accurately by:
a. measuring the number of craters per square meter on Mercury.
b. radioactive dating of rocks retrieved from the Moon.
c. carbon dating of rocks from mountains on Earth.
d. measurement of the magnetic field variations on the seafloor.
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Working It Out 6.1
OBJ: Use abundances of parent and daughter elements to determine the age of a sample of material.
MSC: Applying
7. If a radioactive element has a half-life of 10,000 years, what fraction of it is left in a rock after 40,000
years?
a. one-half c. one-eighth
b. one-fourth d. one-sixteenth
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Working It Out 6.1
MSC: Applying
8. If you obtained a sample of rock from Venus and determined the abundances of 238U and 207Pb in it,
and found that for every one uranium atom there were three lead atoms, then what would the age of
this rock be? Note that 238U decays to 207Pb with a half-life of 700 million years. Assume that there was
no 207Pb in the rock when it originally formed.
a. 1.4 billion years c. 230 million years
b. 2.8 billion years d. 4.5 billion years
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: Working It Out 6.1
MSC: Applying
9. What is the evidence for Earth’s interior being composed of regions of different density?
a. continental drift
b. subduction
c. differences in the propagation of seismic waves
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 6.2
OBJ: Explain how seismology is used to probe the inner structure of a planet.
MSC: Remembering
10. The source or sources of the internal heat of Earth are:

a. tidal stress. c. leftover heat of planetary formation.
b. radioactive decay. d. all of the above
OBJ: Relate the sources of heating and cooling of a planet’s or moon’s interior.
MSC: Remembering
11. What type of wave is depicted in the figure below?

a. longitudinal b. transverse
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 6.2
MSC: Remembering
12. What type of wave is depicted in the figure below?
a. longitudinal b. transverse
MSC: Understanding
13. Roughly how often does a high tide occur?

a. once every 6 hours c. once every 18 hours
b. once every 12 hours d. once every 24 hours
OBJ: Illustrate the causes and effects of tidal heating of a planet or moon.
MSC: Remembering
14. What is the evidence for the Earth’s deep interior being composed of regions of different density?
a. volcanism
b. continental drift
c. subduction
d. differences in the propagation of seismic waves
MSC: Remembering
15. The source or sources of internal heat of the Earth are:

a. tidal stress. c. leftover heat of planetary formation.
b. radioactive decay. d. All of the above.
MSC: Remembering
16. Which of the following has the biggest effect on the tidal distortion of the Earth?
a. the rotation of Earth
b. the size of Earth relative to its distance from the Sun and Moon
c. the mass of Earth relative to the mass of the Sun and Moon
d. the orbit of Earth
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: 6.2
MSC: Understanding
17. Mars, Venus, and Earth are much less heavily cratered than Mercury and the Moon. This is explained
by the fact that:
a. the rate of cratering in the early Solar System was strongly dependent on location.
b. all three have thick, protective atmospheres.
c. Earth and Venus were shielded from impacts by the Moon, and Mars was protected by the
asteroid belt.
d. Mars, Venus, and Earth were geologically active longer than Mercury and the Moon.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: 6.2
OBJ: Interpret geological features on other planets or moons in terms of the four ways in which a
planet’s surface can be changed to deduce the geological history of that object.
MSC: Analyzing
18. The fact that Earth’s interior is differentiated suggests that:

a. it formed first from denser material and then afterward accreted lighter material.
b. it has both a liquid and solid core.
c. it was liquid at some point in the past.
d. only the crust is solid; the rest of Earth’s interior is liquid.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: 6.2
MSC: Remembering
19. In the past, the Moon was closer to Earth, and the differences in the heights of the ocean at high and
low tides were:
a. the same. c. smaller.
b. larger. d. tides were nonexistent in the past
MSC: Analyzing
20. Neap tide occurs when the Moon is in the first or third quarter phase and results in:
a. smaller than usual tides. c. no tides.
b. larger than usual tides.
MSC: Understanding
21. Tidal distortion of the Earth is due to:

a. the rotation of the Earth.
b. the size of the Earth relative to its distance from the Sun and Moon.
c. the mass of the Earth relative to the mass of the Sun and Moon.
d. the orbit of the Earth.
MSC: Remembering
22. Plate tectonics is NOT responsible for the formation of:

a. mountain ranges. c. volcanoes.
b. canyons. d. ocean trenches.
OBJ: Differentiate plate spreading, plate convergence, subduction, and faults.
MSC: Remembering
23. Which of the following are sites of volcanic activity on Earth?

a. local hot spots c. subduction zones
b. spreading centers d. all of the above
MSC: Remembering
24. What is the best explanation for the heating of Earth’s interior today?
a. the tidal effects of the Moon
b. seismic waves that traverse Earth’s core
c. decay of radioactive elements
d. convective motions in the mantle
OBJ: Show how convection of magma leads to plate tectonics. MSC: Remembering
25. Which of the following will NOT be a consequence of Earth’s consumption of the bulk of its
radioactive “fuel” in the future?
a. Earth will spin more slowly on its axis.
b. The interior of the planet will solidify.
c. Volcanic activity will cease.
d. Continental drift will no longer occur.
OBJ: Show how convection of magma leads to plate tectonics. MSC: Analyzing
26. The North American Plate and the Pacific Plate are sliding past one another at a rate of approximately
3 cm/year. San Francisco, which is located on the edge of the North American Plate, is sliding
southward toward Los Angeles, which is located on the Pacific Plate. If they are currently separated by
a distance of 600 km, how many years will it take for the two cities to meet?
a. 3 million years c. 20 million years
b. 300,000 years d. 20,000 years
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3
MSC: Analyzing
27. If the Himalaya mountain range is currently 8,000 meters in height and is rising at a rate of 0.5 meter
per century because of the convergence of two continental plates, how long did it take to create this
mountain range?
a. 1,600 years c. 1.6 million years
b. 160,000 years d. 160 million years
MSC: Analyzing
28. A planet in which volcanism is highly active would likely:

a. have a high density of visible impact craters.
b. have no atmosphere.
c. show relatively little evidence of impacts.
d. have a completely smooth surface.
OBJ: Summarize the evidence for volcanic activity on other planets and moons.
MSC: Remembering
29. The more homogeneous the lava erupting from a volcano is, the more likely that volcano may be:
a. part of a chain of volcanoes. c. a composite volcano.
b. very steep. d. a shield volcano.
OBJ: Explain the differences between a shield volcano and a composite volcano.
MSC: Remembering
30. The current theory is that a planet will have a strong magnetic field if it has:
a. fast rotation and a solid core. c. fast rotation and a liquid core.
b. slow rotation and a liquid core. d. slow rotation and a solid core.
MSC: Applying
31. The largest volcanic mountains in the Solar System are found on:
a. Mercury c. Earth
b. Venus d. Mars
MSC: Remembering
32. Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a planetary magnetic field?
a. rapid rotation
b. solid iron core
c. convective motions
d. electrically conducting liquid in the core
MSC: Analyzing
33. Earth’s innermost core is solid, not liquid, because:

a. the core temperature is too low to melt iron.
b. differentiation caused all of the heavy, solid material to sink to the bottom while Earth was
forming.
c. all the liquid has moved up into the mantle via convection.
d. the pressure is too high for a liquid state.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: 6.4
MSC: Understanding
34. Based on the assumption that a liquid conducting core and rapid rotation are both required for a
magnetic field to operate, which terrestrial planets would you expect to have magnetic fields?
a. Earth only c. Earth and Mars only
b. Earth, Venus, and Mars only d. Earth and Mercury only
MSC: Remembering
35. Which of the following is NOT a factor that helps explain Earth’s lack of craters compared to the
Moon?
a. wind erosion c. higher-density interior
b. larger atmosphere d. liquid water on the surface
OBJ: Identify four causes of weathering of a planet’s or moon’s surface.
MSC: Analyzing
36. How might liquid water exist on Mars where the temperature is routinely below the freezing point of
water?
a. Martian water may contain salts, which lowers the freezing temperature of the water.
b. Ice is melted by the heat of geological activity.
c. Liquid water emerges from martian volcanoes.
d. Water precipitates from the martian atmosphere.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: 6.5
OBJ: Explain why astronomers have great interest in finding evidence of water on other planets or
moons. MSC: Analyzing
SHORT ANSWER
1. What are the four main processes that shape the surfaces of the terrestrial planets?
ANS:
Impact cratering, tectonism, volcanism (or igneous activity), and erosion.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

OBJ: Name the four ways in which a planet’s surface can be changed.
MSC: Remembering
2. Why are impact craters rare on the surface of Earth but plentiful on the Moon?
ANS:
Impact craters on the Moon have been preserved because there is very little erosion and no plate
tectonics, but those have erased the evidence of past cratering on the surface of Earth.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

MSC: Remembering
3. Name the terrestrial planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun. What are the terrestrial
planets in order of increasing geological age of their surfaces?
ANS:
In order of increasing distance from the Sun, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. In order of
increasing geological age of their surfaces, they are Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

moon’s surface. MSC: Evaluating
4. The image below is of a crater on Mars. What evidence does it show about Mars?
ANS:
Impact cratering and water ice on Mars.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

MSC: Remembering
5. Why are impact craters rare on the surface of Earth but plentiful on the Moon?
ANS:
Impact craters on the Moon have been preserved because there is very little erosion and no plate
tectonics, but those have erased the evidence of past cratering on the surface of Earth.
DIF: Medium REF: 6.1

MSC: Remembering
6. If you obtained a sample of martian rock, determined the abundances of 238U and 207Pb in it, and found
that for every one uranium atom there were seven lead atoms, then what would the age of this rock be?
Note that 238U decays to 207Pb with a half-life of 700 million years. Assume that there was no 207Pb in
the rock when it originally formed.
ANS:
The ratio of the original amount of uranium to the final amount of uranium is 1/(1 + 7) = 1/8. The
number of half-lives that have passed, n, is equal to (1/2)n = 1/8, and n = 3. Therefore, the age of this
martian rock is 3 ｴ half-life = 3 ｴ 700 million years = 2.1 billion years.
DIF: Difficult REF: Working It Out 6.1

MSC: Applying
7. How does the radioactive heating of Earth vary from when it was first formed 4.6 billion years ago
until today?
ANS:
Radioactivity in the rocks on Earth (or in any rocky object) decreases with time as more and more of
the radioactive elements decay to daughter elements, which are not radioactive. On Earth, this meant
that heating from radioactivity was at its highest when Earth was young and heated by short-lived
radioactive isotopes. As these were used up, long-lived radioactive isotopes took their place as the
main heat source. These are sufficient to keep Earth’s mantle in a molten state, although in general the
interior is much cooler than it was at its formation. As time continues, the long-lived radioactive fuel
supply decreases, and Earth’s interior continues to cool.

MSC: Analyzing
8. What causes the tides on Earth, and how frequently do high and low tides occur?
ANS:
Tides are caused predominantly by the tidal force of the Moon, but also by the tidal force of the Sun.
They occur because the force of gravity is stronger on the side of Earth facing the Moon or Sun than
on the back side. High tide and low tide each occur about twice every day.

MSC: Remembering
9. Without direct measurements, how can the internal structure of Solar System bodies be estimated?
ANS:
Estimate the mass of bodies from the orbital dynamics of their moons. Compare the density of the
observable materials with the density determined from the mass and the size of the body. Vary the sum
of the densities of observed and candidate materials weighted by volume to fit the mass determined
from orbital dynamics.
DIF: Difficult REF: Working It Out 6.2

OBJ: Calculate the density of an object given its mass and radius.
MSC: Applying
10. Describe one form of tectonic disruption on Mercury, Venus, and Mars, respectively, and how these
disruptions formed.
ANS:
Mercury has evidence of faults due to the core cooling and shrinking. Venus has circular fractures,
which may be due to upwelling plumes of hot mantle material. Mars has Valles Marineris, which may
have been created as mantle convection split the lithosphere apart in the past.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3

OBJ: Show how convection of magma leads to plate tectonics. MSC: Remembering
11. How do we know that Earth’s magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times in the past?
ANS:
Because the direction of Earth’s magnetic field becomes imprinted on iron in the magma as it rises up
and cools to form new rock, where two plates are moving apart from one another on the seafloor. This
results in a magnetic striping of alternate magnetic field directions that we observe in rocks on the
seafloor.
MSC: Analyzing
12. How can a planet or moon that is inactive geologically have incidents of volcanism?
ANS:
Impacts may generate enough heat to melt rock and cause lava flows.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4

MSC: Understanding
13. Whereas volcanic activity usually results in reduced visible evidence of impact cratering on a planet’s
surface, how can visible evidence of both impact cratering AND volcanic activity be reconciled?
ANS:
Volcanic activity can be caused by impacts if the impact energy is sufficient to crack the crust and melt
the mantle at the impact location.

MSC: Analyzing
14. The image below is of Olympus Mons on Mars. How are the volcanoes on Venus and Mars different
from the volcanoes on Earth? What might explain this difference?
ANS:
Venus and Mars have many more shield volcanoes than Earth, and these volcanoes are much higher
than those of Earth. This is probably due to the fact that the hot spots on Earth’s crust move around
because of plate tectonics, while they stay in the same place on Venus and Mars because those planets
currently do not have moving plates.

OBJ: Explain the differences between a shield volcano and a composite volcano.
MSC: Evaluating
15. Which planet would you expect to have a larger molten core, a planet of Earth’s size or a planet that
had half the radius of Earth? Explain why.
ANS:
In equilibrium the heating and cooling rates must be equal. Thus the more massive planet will need to
be hotter to radiate its higher radioactive heating rate and hence more likely to have a larger molten
core. Because the interiors of planets are kept molten by the energy released by radioactivity, the
heating rate of a planet’s core is proportional to the volume of the planet (V  R3). But planets lose
their heat in proportion to their surface area (A  R2). Therefore, a planet with a larger radius will have
a larger molten core. The Earth-size planet will have a larger molten core compared to a planet that has
only half its radius.
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.4

MSC: Evaluating
16. Label the geological processes that create the features in the images below.
ANS:
Top left: impact cratering. Top right: tectonism. Bottom left: volcanism. Bottom right: erosion.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5

OBJ: Identify four causes of weathering of a planet’s or moon’s surface.
MSC: Evaluating
17. What would be the significance of finding water on other planets?
ANS:
Water is necessary for life. The existence of water on other worlds portends the possibility of
extraterrestrial life and the possibility that life in the Solar System may have originated on a planet
other than Earth.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5

OBJ: Explain why astronomers have great interest in finding evidence of water on other planets or
moons. MSC: Remembering

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3. Younger impact craters tend to be:

10. The source or sources of the internal heat of Earth are:

11. What type of wave is depicted in the figure below?

12. What type of wave is depicted in the figure below?

13. Roughly how often does a high tide occur?

15. The source or sources of internal heat of the Earth are:

18. The fact that Earth’s interior is differentiated suggests that:

21. Tidal distortion of the Earth is due to:

22. Plate tectonics is NOT responsible for the formation of:

23. Which of the following are sites of volcanic activity on Earth?

28. A planet in which volcanism is highly active would likely:

33. Earth’s innermost core is solid, not liquid, because:

DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

DIF: Easy REF: 6.1

DIF: Medium REF: 6.1

DIF: Difficult REF: Working It Out 6.1

DIF: Medium REF: 6.2

DIF: Medium REF: 6.2

DIF: Difficult REF: Working It Out 6.2

DIF: Easy REF: 6.3

DIF: Easy REF: 6.4

DIF: Medium REF: 6.4

DIF: Medium REF: 6.4

DIF: Difficult REF: 6.4

DIF: Easy REF: 6.5

17. What would be the significance of finding water on other planets?

DIF: Easy REF: 6.5

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