FNU Newtons Laws of Motion and Distance Exercises

1. Newton’s first law of motion.
2. the universal law of gravitation.
3. None of these
4. Newton’s third law of motion.
5. Newton’s second law of motion.

4 PointsWhy is Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law so useful to astronomers?

1. It allows us to calculate distances to distant objects.
2. It can be used to determine the masses of many distant objects.
3. It tells us that more-distant planets orbit the Sun more slowly.
4. It explains why objects spin faster when they shrink in size.

4 PointsAbsolute zero is ________.

1. 0° Celsius
2. 100° Celsius
3. 0 Kelvin
4. 0° Fahrenheit

4 PointsThe energy attributed to an object by virtue of its motion is known as ________.

1. kinetic energy
2. mass-energy
3. radiative energy
4. potential energy

4 PointsNewton’s version of Kepler’s third law states: p2 = × a3In this equation, what does a represent?

1. the orbital period
2. the average distance between the two objects
3. the universal gravitational constant
4. the masses of the two objects

4 PointsConsidering Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc2, which of the following statements is true?

1. One kilogram of mass represents 1 joule of energy.
2. You can make mass into energy if you can accelerate the mass to the speed of light.
3. It takes a large amount of mass to produce a small amount of energy.
4. A small amount of mass can be turned into a large amount of energy.
5. Mass can be turned into energy, but energy cannot be turned back into mass.

4 PointsThe force due to gravity between two objects can be described using the equation Fg = G M1 M2 / d2. In this equation, what does G represent?

1. the density of the smaller object
2. the distance between the two objects
3. the universal gravitational constant

4 PointsNewton’s version of Kepler’s third law states: p2 = × a3In this equation, what does G represent?

1. the masses of the two objects
2. the average distance between the two objects
3. the orbital period
4. the universal gravitational constant

4 PointsWhat do we mean by the orbital energy of an orbiting object (such as a planet, moon, or satellite)?

1. Orbital energy is the object’s kinetic energy as it moves through its orbit.
2. Orbital energy is a measure of the object’s speed as it moves through its orbit.
3. Orbital energy is the sum of the object’s kinetic energy and its gravitational potential energy as it moves through its orbit.
4. Orbital energy is the amount of energy required for the object to leave orbit and escape into space.

4 PointsAt which lunar phase(s) are tides least pronounced (e.g., the lowest high tides)?

1. first quarter
2. full moon
3. new moon
4. both first and third quarters
5. both new and full moons

4 PointsWhich of the following statements expresses what we mean by a scientific theory?

1. an explanation for a physical phenomenon, an explanation that hasn’t been tested yet
2. a simple model that explains a wide variety of phenomena and that has survived repeated tests
3. an educated guess

4 PointsKepler developed his model of elliptical orbits because of an 8-arcminute discrepancy between observations and a model of planetary motion with circular orbits.

1. True
2. False

4 PointsThe great contribution of Nicholas Copernicus was to ________.

1. discover the law of gravity
2. discover the laws of planetary motion
3. prove that the Earth is not the center of the universe
4. create a detailed model of our solar system with the Sun rather than Earth at the center

4 PointsScientific thinking developed only in the past few decades.

1. True
2. False

4 PointsThe great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to ________.

1. discover four moons orbiting Jupiter, thereby lending strong support to the idea that the Earth is not the center of the universe
2. discover that planets orbit the Sun in elliptical orbits with varying speed
3. observe planetary positions with sufficient accuracy so that Kepler could later use the data to discover the laws of planetary motion
4. offer the first detailed model of a Sun-centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of overturning the Earth-centered model of the Greeks

4 PointsCopernicus’s model of the solar system gave much better predictions than the model of Ptolemy.

1. True
2. False

4 PointsThe ancient Greeks get a lot of attention for their contributions to science because ________.

1. they were the first people known to try to explain nature with models based on reason and mathematics, without resort to the supernatural
2. they were the only ancient culture that kept written records of their astronomical observations
3. the books of every other culture were lost in the destruction of the library of Alexandria
4. they were the first people to realize that Earth is a planet orbiting the Sun

4 PointsThe names of the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the members of the solar system that are visible to the naked eye.

1. True
2. False

4 PointsWhat do we mean by a geocentric model of the universe?

1. a model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth located in the center of the universe
2. a model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth orbit the Sun
3. the name given to sphere-shaped models that show all the constellations as they appear in our sky on the celestial sphere
4. a model of the Milky Way Galaxy that has our solar system located at its center

4 PointsThe ancient goal of astrology was to

1. antagonize astronomers.
2. predict human events.
3. make a more accurate model of the universe.
4. predict the passing of the seasons.
5. understand the origin of Earth.

4 PointsSuppose you are in an elevator that is traveling upward at constant speed. How does your weight compare to your normal weight on the ground?

1. You are weightless.
2. It is less.
3. It is greater.
4. It is the same.

4 PointsSuppose you lived on the Moon. Which of the following would be true?

1. Both your weight and your mass would be less than they are on Earth.
2. Both your weight and your mass would be the same as they are on Earth.
3. Your weight would be less than your weight on Earth, but your mass would be the same as it is on Earth.
4. Your mass would be less than your mass on Earth, but your weight would be the same as it is on Earth.

4 PointsNewton’s second law states: sum of forces = mass × acceleration. If a known force was applied to an object with a known mass, how would you predict that object’s acceleration?

1. acceleration = mass / sum of forces
2. Newton’s second law is irrelevant for solving this problem.
3. acceleration = sum of forces / mass
4. acceleration = mass × sum of forces

4 PointsThe fact that Voyager 10 continues to speed out of the solar system, even though its rockets have no fuel, is an example of

1. Newton’s first law of motion.
2. None of these
3. Newton’s second law of motion.
4. Newton’s third law of motion.
5. the universal law of gravitation.

4 PointsSpeed and velocity are the same thing.

1. True
2. False