Practice Test

Please solve the following questions. This is not a real exam, it will not be graded, and you do not need to submit your solutions to anyone. The questions are simply intended to help you practice for the real exam.

These questions will not appear in the exam itself. Students who don't genuinely attempt to solve the questions on their own, and only memorize the solutions, will have a very hard time in the actual exam!

This sample exam is online, but the real exam will be given in person, at a time and place indicated on the course website.

THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL EXAM!
THIS IS JUST A PRACTICE EXAM!
THE REAL EXAM IS IN PERSON!

If you need any clarifications for these questions, you can ask for them on the course Teams channel.

Question 1

What is the purpose of the planned Artemis II mission?

An uncrewed mission to fly to the Moon but not land on it.
A crewed mission to fly to the Moon but not land on it.
A crewed mission to fly to the Moon and land on it.

Question 2

When was planet Earth created?

Several million years ago.
Several thousand years ago.
Several billion years ago.

Question 3

What was the purpose of the Magellan mission?

To explore Venus.
To explore Mars.
To explore Mercury.

Question 4

Which of the following planets has been explored the most by spacecraft?

Mars.
Jupiter.
Neptune.

Question 5

Which state of matter is the Sun in?

Liquid.
Solid.
Plasma.

Question 6

So far, spacecraft sent by humans have explored...

Only planets.
Only planets and moons.
The Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

Question 7

I have 800 g of a radioactive material with a half-life of 6 months. How much mass will remain from the original material after 1 year?

200 g.
700 g.
100 g.

Question 8

Which planets in the solar system do not have moons?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury and Venus.

Question 9

Which planet has the largest orbital eccentricity?

Venus.
Mars.
Mercury.

Question 10

I have 800 g of a radioactive material with a half-life of 4 months. How much mass will remain from the original material after 1 year?

200 g.
100 g.
700 g.

Question 11

When should we expect the most sunspots?

Halfway between a solar maximum and minimum.
During a solar maximum.
During a solar minimum.

Question 12

Which of the following layers of the Sun is the highest?

The chromosphere.
The photosphere.
The corona.

Question 13

What was the purpose of the Cassini-Huygens mission?

To explore Saturn.
To explore Jupiter.
To explore Neptune.

Question 14

What was the purpose of the DART mission?

To change the path of a moon that was a dangerous threat to Earth.
To change the path of an asteroid that was a dangerous threat to Earth.
To change the path of an asteroid that was not a threat to Earth.

Question 15

How close to the Sun will the Parker Solar Probe get?

43.5 million km.
0.7 million km.
7 million km.

Question 16

Where in the solar system have humans visited in person?

Earth, the Moon, and Mars.
Only Earth.
Earth and the Moon.

Question 17

How is a dwarf planet defined by the IAU?

An object that is in direct orbit around the Sun, but not rounded by its own gravity and does not clears its neighborhood.
An object that is in direct orbit around the Sun, rounded by its own gravity, and clears its neighborhood.
An object that is in direct orbit around the Sun and rounded by its own gravity, but does not clear its neighborhood.

Question 18

The last astronauts to walk on the Moon were from...

Apollo 10
Apollo 17
Apollo 11

Question 19

Is the largest planet in the solar system also the most massive?

No.
Depends how the size is measured.
Yes.

Question 20

What are Trans-Neptunian objects?

Another name for dwarf planets.
Planet-like objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Planet-like objects similar to Neptune.

Question 21

What is the fastest human-made spacecraft?

Juno.
The Parker Solar Probe.
DART.

Question 22

Is the most dense planet in the solar system also the most massive?

No.
Depends how the mass is measured.
Yes.

Question 23

Which planets in the solar system have rings?

Jupiter and Saturn.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Question 24

The giant planets are...

Uranus and Neptune.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 25

The inner planets are...

Mercury and Venus.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.