Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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One
of the planets known to have rings is ____. a. | Venus | c. | Uranus | b. | Mars | d. | Pluto | | | | |
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2.
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Which
of the following is NOT a terrestrial planet? a. | Mercury | c. | Mars | b. | Earth | d. | Jupiter | | | | |
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3.
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The
most obvious difference between the terrestrial and the Jovian planets is ____. a. | color | c. | orbital
velocity | b. | size | d. | length of day | | | | |
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4.
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Which
of the following is NOT characteristic of the Jovian planets? a. | large
size | c. | thin
atmospheres | b. | composed mainly of gases and
ices | d. | located beyond
the orbit of Mars | | | | |
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5.
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The
formation of the solar system from a huge cloud of dust and gases is called the
____. a. | protoplanet
theory | c. | planetesimal
theory | b. | nebular theory | d. | solar theory | | | | |
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6.
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Which
of the following is proportionally more abundant on terrestrial planets than on Jovian
planets? a. | hydrogen | c. | methane | b. | silicate minerals | d. | ammonia ice | | | | |
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7.
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Which
planet shows evidence of water erosion? a. | Mars | c. | Jupiter | b. | Venus | d. | Mercury | | | | |
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8.
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The
planet with the greatest temperature extremes is ____. a. | Earth | c. | Mars | b. | Venus | d. | Mercury | | | | |
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9.
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Which
planet has a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere and high surface temperatures? a. | Venus | c. | Mars | b. | Earth | d. | Mercury | | | | |
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10.
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How
many known satellites does Mars have?
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11.
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The
atmosphere of Venus is composed primarily of ____. a. | water
vapor | c. | hydrogen | b. | oxygen | d. | carbon dioxide | | | | |
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12.
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Which
planet, when viewed through a telescope, appears as a reddish ball interrupted by some permanent dark
regions that change intensity? a. | Mercury | c. | Mars | b. | Earth | d. | Saturn | | | | |
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13.
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Which
features on Mars point to the possibility of liquid water on the planet? a. | mountain ranges
with faults | c. | volcanic cones
with craters | b. | gullies and streamlike channels | d. | impact craters with sharp rims | | | | |
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14.
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Which
planet is second only to the moon in brilliance in the night sky? a. | Mercury | c. | Jupiter | b. | Mars | d. | Venus | | | | |
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15.
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Which
planet has a greater mass than the combined mass of all the remaining planets and their
moons? a. | Venus | c. | Jupiter | b. | Saturn | d. | Pluto | | | | |
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16.
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Which
planet is associated with the Great Dark Spot? a. | Neptune | c. | Mars | b. | Jupiter | d. | Saturn | | | | |
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17.
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Which
planet’s axis of rotation lies nearly parallel with the plane of its orbit? a. | Mercury | c. | Uranus | b. | Earth | d. | Saturn | | | | |
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18.
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What
characteristic distinguishes Neptune from the other planets? a. | Neptune is
blue. | c. | Neptune is the
largest planet. | b. | Neptune is extremely cold. | d. | Neptune is extremely windy. | | | | |
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19.
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Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is believed to be a ____. a. | volcanic
area | b. | large
desert | c. | cyclonic storm | d. | zone of high
ammonia concentration | | |
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20.
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The
relatively small, rocky bodies generally found orbiting between Mars and Jupiter are known
as ____. a. | comets | c. | satellites | b. | asteroids | d. | meteoroids | | | | |
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21.
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Most
asteroids lie between the orbits of ____. a. | Mercury and Venus | c. | Earth and Mars | b. | Venus and
Earth | d. | Mars and
Jupiter | | | | |
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22.
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A
comet’s tail always points ____. a. | away from the sun | c. | sideways | b. | toward the
sun | d. | downward | | | | |
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23.
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The
glowing head of a comet is known as the ____. a. | coma | c. | tail | b. | nucleus | d. | asteroid | | | | |
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24.
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The
small particles that produce a streak of light upon entering Earth’s atmosphere are called
____. a. | comets | c. | satellites | b. | meteors | d. | asteroids | | | | |
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25.
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The
remains of extraterrestrial particles that are found on Earth’s surface are
called ____. a. | comets | c. | meteoroids | b. | asteroids | d. | meteorites | | | | |
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