Version A

Write your name at the top of this quiz as well as on your answer sheet. WRITE YOUR VERSION ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET. Feel free to write or draw on the quiz.

CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER.

1. Eratosthenes is best known for:

a) His observations of the phases of Venus.
b) His support of the heliocentric model of the Universe.
c) His calculation of the diameter of the Earth.
d) His explanation of the phases of the Moon.
e) His book entitled `The Almagest'.

c) His calculation of the diameter of the Earth.

2. The book written by Ptolemy that summarized ancient Greek astronomy is entitled:

a) The Almagest.
b) The Dresden Codex.
c) On the Revolution of the Celestial Sphere.
d) The Wheel of the Heavens.
e) The Universal Revolution of the Stellar Sphere.

a) The Almagest.

3. Why are there 360 degrees in a circle?

a) Aristotle divided the circle into 360 parts because there were 60 teachers in his school, each of which had 60 students.
b) This concept was inherited from the Mayans.
c) Hipparchus's catalog of stars contained 360 stars.
d) The ancient Babylonian calendar had 360 days.
e) This idea was adopted from the ancient Chinese, who found 360 constellations in the sky.

d) The ancient Babylonian calendar had 360 days.

4. Which of the following was the earliest known supporter of a heliocentric model of the Universe?

a) Galileo.
b) Hipparchus.
c) Aristotle.
d) Copernicus.
e) Aristarchus.

e) Aristarchus.

5. The Sun is 3500 times more massive than Saturn. Therefore, the gravitational force that Saturn exerts on the Sun is:

a) the same as the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.
b) 1/(3500)² times the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.
c) 1/(3500) times the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.
d) 3500 times the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.
e) 3500² times the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.

a) the same as the force that the Sun exerts on Saturn.

6. In Kepler's Third Law, P² = a³, the `a' stands for:

a) the eccentricity of the orbit.
b) the semi-major axis of the orbit.
c) the acceleration of the orbit.
d) the velocity of the planet.
e) the weight of the planet.

b) the semi-major axis of the orbit.

7. The first conclusion that planets orbit the Sun in ellipses was based on whose data?

a) Galileo's.
b) Kepler's.
c) Tycho Brahe's.
d) Aristotle's.
e) Newton's.

c) Tycho Brahe's.

8. Aristotle:

a) Argued that the Earth was flat.
b) Supported the geocentric model of the Universe.
c) Wrote the book `the Almagest'.
d) Wrote the book `on the Revolution of the Celestial Sphere'.
e) Measured the diameter of the Earth.

b) Supported the geocentric model of the Universe.

9. Stellar parallax was observed by:

a) Aristotle.
b) Copernicus.
c) Tycho Brahe.
d) Galileo.
e) None of the above.

e) None of the above.

10. Precession of the Earth's poles:

a) was discovered in ancient times in Greece and China.
b) was first discovered by Galileo.
c) was first discovered by Tycho Brahe.
d) was first discovered in the 1800's, when accurate telescopes and measuring devices were first available.
e) was first discovered by Kepler, using Tycho Brahe's data.

a) was discovered in ancient times in Greece and China.

11. `On The Revolution of the Celestial Spheres' is:
a) A book written by Ptolemy that summarized ancient Greek astronomy.
b) An ancient book that describes a very large `wheel' made out of rocks in northern Wyoming.
c) A book that gives the code used to create and interpret horoscopes.
d) A book describing Mayan astronomy.
e) Copernicus' book which promoted a heliocentric Universe.

e) Copernicus' book which promoted a heliocentric Universe.

12. The magnitude system used for estimating the brightness of stars:

a) was invented by Galileo.
b) was invented by Aristotle.
c) was invented by Newton.
d) was invented in the 1800's.
e) gives the brightest stars the smallest magnitudes.

e) gives the brightest stars the smallest magnitudes.

13. Galileo:

a) Came up with the law F = MA.
b) Was the first person to measure stellar parallax.
c) Concluded that falling objects fall at the same rate, in the absence of air resistance.
d) Was the first person to come up with the `modern' explanation of eclipses.
e) Was the first person to measure precession.

c) Concluded that falling objects fall at the same rate, in the absence of air resistance.

14. If the distance between the Earth and the Moon decreased by a factor of 10, how would the gravitational force between them change?

a) It would stay the same.
b) It would increase by a factor of 10.
c) It would decrease by a factor of 10.
d) It would increase by a factor of 100.
e) It would decrease by a factor of 100.

d) It would increase by a factor of 100.

15. In a geocentric model of the Universe, the ancient Greeks explained the retrograde motion of the planets by:

a) elliptical orbits for the planets.
b) the Earth catching up and passing the outer planets in their orbits.
c) epicycles.
d) The equation P² = a³.
e) The equation F = GM₁M₂/R².

c) epicycles.

16. Newton's Second Law of Motion tells us that:
a) P² = a³.
b) F = MA.
c) F = GM₁M₂/R².
d) the line that connects the planets to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time.
e) (M₁ + M₂)P² = a³.

b) F = MA.

17. Halley's comet has a period of 76 years. That means that the semi-major axis of its orbit is:
a) 76² = 5776 A.U.
b) the cube root of 76² = 18 A.U.
c) the square root of 76³ = 663 A.U.
d) the square root of 76 = 8.7 A.U.
e) 76 A.U.

b) the cube root of 76² = 18 A.U.

18. The figure on the left shows a planet's orbit around the Sun. Where in its orbit is the planet moving slowest, in km/s?
a) A.
b) B.
c) C.
d) D.
e) it has a constant speed around its orbit.

d) D.

19. The weight of an object:
a) is the same as its mass.
b) is the same no matter where the object is in the Universe.
c) depends upon the gravitational field the object is in.
d) is measured in units of kilograms.
e) is measured in units of slugs.

c) depends upon the gravitational field the object is in.

20. According to Newton's Laws of Motion, if no force acts on a planet it will:
a) stop moving.
b) move in a straight line at constant speed.
c) move on a circular path at constant speed.
d) slow down.
e) speed up.

b) move in a straight line at constant speed.