Study Island
Copyright © 2013 Study Island - All rights reserved.
Generation Date: 02/01/2013
Generated By: Bill Wieners
1.
Although outer space can be extremely cold, spacecraft must also be able to release excess heat. Different parts of a spacecraft may need to be heated or cooled in different situations. Since outer space is a near perfect vacuum, the main way that heat is expelled is
/ A. / with large vats of water that freeze into ice./ B. / with radiators that release electromagnetic radiation into space.
/ C. / with metal plates that conduct heat to outer space.
/ D. / with powerful fans that expel heat through convection.
2. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It mostly consists of gases and liquids, not solids and liquids like Earth. It is massive, but not very dense, and contains a lot of hydrogen and helium. Scientists have not yet found evidence for clouds of water on Jupiter.
The temperature of Jupiter increases as one travels farther beneath the clouds. The core of Jupiter may be hotter than the surface of the Sun, but the topmost parts of the planet are extremely cold.
Which of the following features necessary for the support of life does Jupiter have in at least certain parts of the planet?
/ B. / an appropriate temperature
/ C. / abundant organic chemicals
/ D. / Earth-like gravity
3. Which of the following is true about organisms on Earth?
/ A. / Only aquatic animals depend on water for survival./ B. / Only photosynthetic plants depend on water for survival.
/ C. / All organisms on Earth depend on water for survival.
/ D. / Only mammals and fish depend on water for survival.
4.
Image by NASA, ESA, The Hubble Key Project Team
and The High-Z Supernova Search Team.
The first generation of stars that formed in the universe were made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with virtually no heavier elements. Most of the heavier elements in the universe were made by these large, powerful early stars. Relatively young stars, such as the Sun, formed from the material left behind by the deaths of the first stars. This leftover material also went into forming the planets.
Which natural resource necessary in many space flight technologies is widely available on Earth because the Sun-Earth system is so young?
/ B. / wind energy
/ C. / helium
/ D. / aluminum
5.
When humans started launching rockets into outer space, they needed to make certain the rockets had enough power to escape Earth's gravitational field. Which of these would have made it much more difficult for humans to design rockets capable of reaching outer space?
/ A. / if the Moon was much more massive than it is/ B. / if the Earth was much more massive than it is
/ C. / if the Moon spun on its axis more quickly
/ D. / if the Earth was much less massive than it is
6. The Sun and Earth's region of the Milky Way Galaxy is a relatively friendly place. Cosmically violent events, such as supernovae, are fairly distant. The remnants of a distant supernova are shown below.
This image is courtesy of NASA and the ESA.
What do distant supernova explosions release that is extremely dangerous to astronauts in outer space?
/ A. / light/ B. / asteroids
/ C. / comets
/ D. / cosmic rays
7. Which of the following features of the solar system helped humans to master the process of landing on a solid object in outer space and then returning safely to Earth?
/ A. / the nearby existence of large, rocky asteroids/ B. / the distant existence of a large, gaseous planet
/ C. / the nearby existence of a small, terrestrial planet
/ D. / the nearby existence of a large, terrestrial moon
8. Which natural resource has made manned space exploration possible?
/ A. / uranium/ B. / cadmium
/ C. / fossil fuels
/ D. / gold
9. Temperatures on Mars are generally cooler than on Earth, but they are warm enough to potentially support life. The atmosphere of Mars is much thinner than Earth's and is composed mainly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon. Which of the following is a reason that Mars' atmosphere cannot support human life?
/ A. / The atmosphere on Mars cannot support human life because it does not contain abundant carbon monoxide./ B. / The atmosphere on Mars cannot support human life because it does not contain abundant oxygen.
/ C. / The atmosphere on Mars cannot support human life because it contains argon.
/ D. / The atmosphere on Mars cannot support human life because it contains carbon dioxide.
10.
This image is courtesy of NASA.
One of the processes that early manned space flights worked to perfect was known as "reentry." This was the process by which the space capsule (the black object above) broke away from the module and boosters and streaked through the Earth's atmosphere until landing back on the surface.
Reentry would have been much more dangerous if
/ B. / the Moon was farther away than it is.
/ C. / outer space was slightly colder than it is.
/ D. / the Earth's atmosphere was much denser than it is.
11.
Which of the following is a unique feature of the Earth's environment that aerospace engineers needed to imitate on a spacecraft in order to make manned spaceflight possible?
/ A. / The Earth has an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen./ B. / The Earth has a strong gravitational field.
/ C. / The Earth has an atmosphere rich in nitrogen and oxygen.
/ D. / The Earth has a strong magnetic field.
12. Astronauts have been exploring outer space in manned spacecraft since 1961. Which of the following would have made it very dangerous for people to explore outer space?
/ A. / if there were fewer cosmic rays passing through the solar system/ B. / if the Earth's orbit was more circular than Venus' orbit
/ C. / if the asteroid belt was farther from the Sun
/ D. / if the Earth's orbit passed through dense meteoroid fields
13. Europa is one of Jupiter's moons. Its surface is covered with frozen water. It is far from the sun and has only a very thin atmosphere, so its surface is considered to be too cold to support life. Beneath the ice, there are probably liquid oceans rich in oxygen, kept warm by heat that escapes from Europa's core.
Which of the following facts supports the idea that life could exist on Europa?
/ A. / On Earth, whole ecosystems exist deep in the ocean that use volcanic vents, not sunlight, as a source of energy./ B. / On Earth, penguins live and breed in the coldest part of the Earth—Antarctica, on the southern polar ice cap.
/ C. / On Earth, most producers get their energy from sunlight and form the base of entire food webs.
/ D. / In order to support life, an environment must contain nutrients in a form that organisms can use.
14. Which of the following are future goals of space travel?
/ A. / finding a way to travel to other solar systems/ B. / creating a permanent base on Earth's Moon
/ C. / finding other Earth-like planets
/ D. / all of these
15. An increase in human skin cancer rates is a potential problem that could result from loss of ______high in the atmosphere.
/ A. / methane/ B. / ozone
/ C. / carbon dioxide
/ D. / water vapor
16. Which of the following goals of space exploration are we most capable of accomplishing with our current technology?
/ A. / finding Earth-like planets/ B. / terraforming Mars
/ C. / traveling to other solar systems in reasonable amounts of time
/ D. / establishing a Moon base
17. The Earth is located about 1 au (astronomical unit) from the Sun. Suppose astronauts from Earth travel to another star system. This star is about the same size and temperature as the Sun. Where should the astronauts start looking to see if the star has a planet they could live on?
/ A. / between 0 au and 1 au from the star/ B. / between 1 au and 10 au from the star
/ C. / between 1 au and 2 au from the star
/ D. / between 2 au and 3 au from the star
18. Planets are continually being bombarded by extremely energetic particles from space known as cosmic radiation. The Earth's magnetic field traps many of these particles and keeps them from reaching the Earth's surface.
How is the existence of cosmic radiation related to how hospitable a planet is to life?
/ B. / Cosmic radiation would decrease the amount of time it takes for life to first develop on a planet by causing mutations.
/ C. / Cosmic radiation can hurt or kill living things, so a hospitable planet needs to be protected from it.
/ D. / Cosmic radiation can serve as an energy source, allowing life to exist far from the Sun.
19. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. It has frozen water on its poles, and it has an extremely thin atmosphere. During the day, the temperature reaches 850°F. At night, its temperature can drop to -275°F. Could life from Earth survive on Mercury? Why or why not?
/ A. / No, because life can only exist in the place where it first evolved./ B. / Yes, because Mercury has water and sunlight.
/ C. / No, because the temperatures are too extreme.
/ D. / Yes, because Mercury has an atmosphere
20. Space suits allow astronauts to maneuver in outer space away from their spacecraft.
This image is courtesy of NASA.
Since there is no air in outer space, space suits must
/ A. / release air into space./ B. / be pressurized.
/ C. / use solar energy.
/ D. / be white.
21. A major benefit of the ozone layer is that it absorbs______, which can be harmful to living organisms on Earth.
/ A. / ultraviolet light/ B. / acid rain
/ C. / carbon dioxide
/ D. / water vapor
22. The planet Venus is similar to Earth in size and is the closest planet to Earth. It is a hard, rocky planet like Earth.
No one can live on Venus because it has sulfuric acid clouds and high levels of______, which traps heat in the atmosphere and causes the temperature on Venus to average about 854°F.
/ B. / carbon dioxide
/ C. / oxygen
/ D. / methane
23. Which of the following is a discovery that supports the theory that there was once, or may still be, liquid water on planets other than Earth?
/ A. / Jupiter experiences daily rainfall and has several small rivers./ B. / There are large ponds and lakes present on the surface of Mars.
/ C. / There are river-like channels and rocks with an eroded appearance on Mars.
/ D. / Life is present on Saturn and Mars, so therefore water must exist on those planets.
24. Consider carefully how photosynthesis works and what its products are. Which of the following best describes the relationship between life on a planet and oxygen in the planet's atmosphere?
/ A. / Certain living organisms add oxygen to the atmosphere./ B. / Only planets capable of supporting life have any oxygen in the atmosphere.
/ C. / Oxygen in the atmosphere causes life to develop.
/ D. / Only planets with oxygen in the atmosphere are capable of supporting life.
25. Comets are made up of rocks, dust, gas, and ice. Many comets orbit the Sun, but their orbits take them both much closer to and much farther from the Sun than planets' orbits. Why are comets unlikely to be able to support life?
/ A. / A comet's environment is not stable./ B. / A comet does not have an atmosphere.
/ C. / A comet does not have a reliable energy source.
/ D. / all of these
26. How many objects in the solar system have been confirmed to currently support life?
/ A. / one/ B. / two
/ C. / four
/ D. / three
27. On which body in the Solar system would some life forms from Earth be most likely to survive?
/ A. / the moon, because it is the closest to Earth/ B. / Saturn, because its surface gravity is most similar to Earth's
/ C. / Venus, because its size is most similar to that of Earth
/ D. / Mars, because its environment is most similar to Earth's
28.Terraforming is the processes of changing an uninhabitable planet or moon into a habitable one by changing the atmosphere and ecosystem through artificial means.
Which of the following bodies in our solar system will most likely be terraformed in the future?
/ B. / Europa
/ C. / Venus
/ D. / The Moon
29. What is the main way that scientists determine which conditions can support life?
/ A. / by running computer simulations/ B. / by studying life on Earth
/ C. / by studying other planets
/ D. / by studying life on other planets
30. Titan is one of the moons of Saturn. It has a thick atmosphere rich in organic compounds. The following image shows a lake and channels on the surface of Titan.
Titan is one of the coldest places in the solar system. Its lakes are probably made of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, which is a liquid at low temperatures. Unexpected chemical reactions taking place on Titan have led some scientists to hypothesize that life may have evolved there.
How would finding life on Titan change scientific ideas about what conditions are necessary to support life?
/ B. / It would prove that nutrients are not necessary for life.
/ C. / It would prove that liquid water is not necessary for life.
/ D. / all of these