Reaves
Dr. Willie Richard Williamon
PHYS 116
30 August 2011
Assignment #1 - Example Test Questions
1. What exactly is Jupiters Great Red Spot?
a. A combination of mercury and hydrogen gas that produces a reddish color
b. A high-pressure storm not unlike an earthly hurricane (CORRECT ANSWER)
c. An optical illusion experienced from terrestrial telescopes; the spot is actually
green in color
d. A dwarf planet that was absorbed into Jupiters atmosphere long ago and has
since been reduced to a reddish gas
2. In less than 100 words, please describe the astronomical significance of the leap year
tradition.
Since a solar year the length of time the earth requires to orbit around the sun in the
Gregorian calendar is approximately 365 days, we have leap years every four years to
offset the inaccuracy of that extra day. However, a solar year is about 11 minutes short
of 365 days. To make up for incongruity, this we forego a leap year three times every
400 years.
3. Which of the following is not required for a celestial body to be classified as a planet?
a. It must orbit a star.
b. It must have cleared most other objects from its orbital path
c. It must be large enough for its own gravity to make it round
d. It must have at least one moon rotating around it (CORRECT ANSWER)
4. In less than 50 words, explain why the phrase, It will be light-years before we devise a
new method, does not make sense.
A light-year is the distance that light can travel at one year, which is approximately 9.5
trillion kilometers. Light-years are units of distance and not of time. Therefore, one
cannot properly measure any time period using light-years.
5. What is the name of the star system that is closest to our own?
a. Milky Way
b. Alpha Centauri (CORRECT ANSWER)
c. Beta Max
d. Alpha Supercluster I