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 was the purpose of the Magellan mission?

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

Question 2

What was the purpose of the Cassini-Huygens mission?

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

Question 3

What was the purpose of the DART mission?

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.
To change the path of a moon that was a dangerous threat to Earth.

Question 4

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?

100 g.
200 g.
700 g.

Question 5

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

Apollo 10
Apollo 11
Apollo 17

Question 6

The giant planets are...

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

Question 7

When should we expect the most sunspots?

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

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

What is the main purpose of the Parker Solar Probe?

To test whether the Sun's energy is produced by nuclear fusion in its core.
To collect samples of material from the Sun and return them to Earth.
To study the Sun's corona and solar wind from closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft.

Question 10

The inner planets are...

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

Question 11

Is the smallest planet in the solar system also the least massive?

No.
Depends how the size is measured.
Yes.

Question 12

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?

700 g.
100 g.
200 g.

Question 13

Which planets in the solar system have moons?

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

Question 14

Which state of matter is the Sun in?

Solid.
Liquid.
Plasma.

Question 15

When was planet Earth created?

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

Question 16

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

Neptune.
Jupiter.
Mars.

Question 17

What is the fastest human-made spacecraft?

The Parker Solar Probe.
Juno.
DART.

Question 18

How is a dwarf planet defined by the IAU?

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, but not rounded by its own gravity and does not clear 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 19

What is the purpose of the planned Artemis II mission?

A crewed mission to fly to the Moon and land on it.
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.

Question 20

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

Depends how the mass is measured.
No.
Yes.

Question 21

Which planet has the largest orbital eccentricity?

Venus.
Mercury.
Mars.

Question 22

What are Trans-Neptunian objects?

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

Question 23

Which planets in the solar system have rings?

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

Question 24

Where in the solar system have humans visited in person, other than Earth?

The Moon.
Mars.
The Moon and Mars.

Question 25

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

The chromosphere.
The corona.
The photosphere.