prelim 2

Question 1

what causes the tides on Earth

Answer 1

gravitational pull from the moon
- sun adds a bit

Question 2

how many tides are there a day

Answer 2

2 per day on both sides of the Earth

Question 3

is the moon moving

Answer 3

the moon moves a couple of centimeters a year
- Earths rotation is slowing

Question 4

what was ancient Earth like

Answer 4

1.2 bilion years ago, there were 5 hr days
- the moon only covered 11 degrees in the sky

Question 5

whats a spring tide

Answer 5

when the sun and the moon align
- highest range

Question 6

whats a neap tide

Answer 6

when the moon and the sun are at 90 degrees
- lowest range

Question 7

Mercury mass, density and eccentricity

Answer 7

• mass is small (smallest planet)
• density is around 5 (has an iron core)
• has the largest eccentricity

Question 8

Mercurys surface

Answer 8

lots of craters (not as dense as our moon)
- caloris basin and scarps

Question 9

Mercurys atmosphere

Answer 9

thin atmosphere (Na, H, He)
- solar wind
- energy is dumped from the sun and then lost as heat (not a lot of internal heat bc its small)

Question 10

exploration of Mercury

Answer 10

mariner 10, messenger

Question 11

Mercury moons

Answer 11

has none

Question 12

Venus’s mass, density and eccentricity

Answer 12

• mass is small (3rd smallest planet)
• density around 5
• almost a circle

Question 13

Venus atmosphere

Answer 13

• mostly CO2
• has H2SO4 clouds (sulfuric acid)
• huge greenhouse effect
• energy is dumped from the sun then lost as heat (not a lot of internal heat)
• no mag field (may have liquid core)

Question 14

Venus surface

Answer 14

• very volcanic with no water features
• very few craters because of dense atmosphere and lava flow

Question 15

Venus albedo

Answer 15

very high albedo
- lots of clouds

Question 16

Venus’s relation to Earth

Answer 16

close in size
- Earths twin even though the surface is different

Question 17

Venus moons

Answer 17

has none

Question 18

Mars mass and density

Answer 18

• 2nd smallest planet
• density around 4

Question 19

Mars atmosphere

Answer 19

• thin atmopshere with mostly CO2
• has a pink sky because of red dust
• no global mag field

Question 20

Mars surface

Answer 20

• volcanoes (tharsis ridge/olympus mons)
• valles marineris canyon
  polar caps of CO2 and H2O
• water used to flow (now ice/permafrost)

Question 21

Mars relation to Earth

Answer 21

has similar seasons/times
- we could survive on Mars!

Question 22

Mars moons

Answer 22

phobos and deimos
- they are oddly shaped (potatoes)

Question 23

Phobos (Mars moon)

Answer 23

-largest moon of Mars
- rises west, sets east (no other moons do this)
- orbits very fast

Question 24

Mars energy

Answer 24

• dumped from the sun then lost as heat (not a lot of internal heat)
• doesn’t has fossil heat because its a smaller planet

Question 25

Jupiter mass and density

Answer 25

- largest planet - density around 1

Question 26

Jupiter atmosphere

Answer 26

mostly H, some He (also CH4 and NH3)

Question 27

Jupiter features

Answer 27

belts and zones (band clouds) - Great Red Spot - very powerful mag field (because of rocky core) - we can't see the surface!

Question 28

Jupiter interior

Answer 28

1. liquid H2 2. metallic H 3. rocky core

Question 29

Jupiter moons

Answer 29

has 67 total - all are close to size to either our moon or Mercury

Question 30

Jupiter rings

Answer 30

they are thin and dusty

Question 31

Jupiter layers

Answer 31

- water ice layer is thin - just outside the core there is a layer of ice and water (thin compared to Neptune)

Question 32

Jupiters rotation

Answer 32

sidereal day is different from the equator or the poles - rotating at different speeds

Question 33

Jupiter albedo and energy

Answer 33

- emits 2 times amount of solar energy, slow contraction - high albedo (lots of clouds that reflect sunlight)

Question 34

Io (Jupiter galilean moon)

Answer 34

- closest galilean moon - volcanic (hottest) - surface is being repaved all the time because of lava - very dense (like a rock) - gravity is strong

Question 35

Europa (Jupiter galilean moon)

Answer 35

- 2nd galilean moon - ice ocean (tidal flexing and heat) (might have life) - little less dense - flat because of ice surface

Question 36

Ganymede (Jupiter galilean moon)

Answer 36

- 3rd galilean moon - biggest of all the moons - has water under the ice (new discovery) - even less dense than Europa

Question 37

Callisto (Jupiter galilean moon)

Answer 37

- 4th galilean moon - very dead (ancient ice) - even less dense than ganymede - half rock/half ice - bullseye crater feature from frozen wave pattern

Question 38

Saturn mass and density

Answer 38

- 2nd largest planet - density less than water (could float)

Question 39

Saturn atmosphere

Answer 39

mostly H2 some He - has helium rain (releases energy, contracting) - also has fossil heat - powerful mag field

Question 40

Saturn rings

Answer 40

- A-G sets - rock, ice, and dust - cassini division

Question 41

Saturns core

Answer 41

1. liquid hydrogen 2. metallic hydrogen

Question 42

Saturns albedo

Answer 42

high (lots of clouds with reflecting sun)

Question 43

Saturn rotation

Answer 43

sidereal day is different from equator or poles (rotating at different speeds)

Question 45

Saturns oblateness

Answer 45

spins very fast so its bugles the most (centrifugal force) - "fluffy ball"