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

When should we expect the most sunspots?

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

Question 2

What is the purpose of the planned Artemis III 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 3

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

The Moon.
The Moon and Mars.
Mars.

Question 4

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?

100 g.
700 g.
200 g.

Question 5

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.
100 g.
700 g.

Question 6

What was the purpose of the Magellan mission?

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

Question 7

Which planets in the solar system do not have rings?

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

Question 8

The inner planets are...

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

Question 9

How is a dwarf planet defined by the IAU?

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

What was the purpose of the Galileo mission?

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

Question 12

The giant planets are...

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

Question 13

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

Apollo 10
Apollo 17
Apollo 11

Question 14

When was planet Earth created?

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

Question 15

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

Yes.
No.
Depends how the mass is measured.

Question 16

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

The corona.
The photosphere.
The chromosphere.

Question 17

Which planets in the solar system do not have moons?

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

Question 18

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

No.
Depends how the size is measured.
Yes.

Question 19

Which state of matter is the Sun in?

Plasma.
Liquid.
Solid.

Question 20

What is the fastest human-made spacecraft?

DART.
The Parker Solar Probe.
Juno.

Question 21

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

Question 22

What are Trans-Neptunian objects?

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

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

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

Neptune.
Mars.
Jupiter.

Question 25

Which planet has the largest orbital eccentricity?

Mercury.
Mars.
Venus.