Astronomy 1010 Clemson Final Exam - Questions With Solutions What causes the seasons? Correct Ans - The tilt of the Earth's rotation axis to its orbit around the Sun causes parts of the Earth to experience more direct illumination from the Sun and longer days during the summer than the winter.What part of the Earth spins the fastest? Correct Ans - the equator If you were standing at Earth's North Pole, where would you see the north celestial pole relative to your zenith? Correct Ans - at the zenith If the star Polaris has an altitude of 35°, then we know that Correct Ans - our latitude is 35° north.What phase occurs directly after a new moon? Correct Ans - waxing crescent A lunar eclipse occurs when the ________ shadow falls on the ________.Correct Ans - Earth's; Moon Assume that you and your sister can both throw a baseball at a speed of 60 km/h. If you are in an airplane traveling at 700 km/h and play catch with your sister who is near the front of the plane (you being toward the rear), how fast would the ball be traveling as seen by an observer on the ground when you throw the ball? Correct Ans - 760 km How fast would the ball be traveling as seen by an observer on the ground when your sister throws the ball back to you? Correct Ans - 640 km When Earth catches up to a slower-moving outer planet and passes it in its orbit, in the same way that a faster runner overtakes a slower runner in an outside lane, the outer planet Correct Ans - exhibits retrograde motion An inferior planet is one that is Correct Ans - closer to the sun than the earth 1 / 2
How did the ancients know the planets were different from the stars?Correct Ans - They saw that the planets move with respect to the stars over the course of many nights.How often do Mars solar conjunctions occur? Correct Ans - every 2.14 years, which is once every Mars synodic period Kepler's second law states that Correct Ans - planets move fastest when they are closest to the sun The planet Uranus will be observed in retrograde motion when Correct Ans - Earth overtakes Uranus in its orbit Why is a conjunction a bad time to view Mars? Correct Ans - Because Mars is behind the Sun and therefore not visible What is an inferior conjunction? Correct Ans - when an inferior planet
is on the near side of the Sun at an elongation of 0 degrees (order: Earth,
planet, Sun) What is a superior conjunction? Correct Ans - when an inferior planet
is on the far side of the Sun at an elongation of 0 degrees (order: Earth, Sun,
planet) How does the heliocentric model explain the retrograde motion of Mars?Correct Ans - Mars only appears to move backward as Earth passes it in its orbit around the Sun.What is a synodic period? Correct Ans - The time it takes for a planet to come back to the same position relative to the Sun When a ball is tossed in the air and reaches the top of its arc, which of the following quantities are zero? Correct Ans - speed and velocity If you use the same force to push on two different cars, which will have the bigger acceleration? Correct Ans - the less massive one
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