Indiana Science Grade 8

Chapter 15: The Solar System

The Solar System

1.
Why do planets closer to the Sun orbit the Sun faster than planets farther away do?
A)because of their size
B)because of the Sun's gravity
C)because of the way the planets are lined up with each other in space
D)because of each planet's individual gravitational pull
2.
How can Saturn be the second largest planet, as well as the lowest in density?
A)It is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.
B)It is made of a large, rocky core.
C)It is made mostly of water vapor.
D)It is composed mostly of methane and ammonia.
3.
Who developed the sun-centered model of the solar system?
A)Johannes Kepler
B)Galileo Galilei
C)Clyde Tombaugh
D)Nicholas Copernicus
4.
Why does Mercury have such a thin atmosphere?
A)because of its small size and gravitational pull
B)because of its rocky cliffs
C)because of its extreme temperatures
D)because of its iron core
5.
Why is Venus often called Earth's twin?
A)because of similar temperatures
B)because of its similar size
C)because of its similar topography
D)because life also existed there at one time
6.
Which planet did the Viking probes explore?
A)Mercury
B)Jupiter
C)Venus
D)Mars
7.
When atoms combine to form heavier atoms, _________ occurs.
A)friction
B)refraction
C)fission
D)fusion
8.
How many planets are in our solar system?
A)ten
B)unknown
C)eight
D)nine
9.
Scientists theorize that Jupiter's core is __________.
A)made of hydrogen and helium
B)rocky
C)made of ammonia and methane
D)made of water vapor
10.
What causes Mars to appear reddish?
A)its distance from the Sun
B)its position in the solar system
C)the iron oxide surface
D)the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
11.
Which of Jupiter's four largest moons is the most volcanically active?
A)Io
B)Ganymede
C)Europa
D)Callisto
12.
How many known moons orbit Jupiter?
A)17
B)10
C)16
D)7
13.
Why is Venus hot?
A)because of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
B)because of the volcanoes
C)because of its closeness to the Sun
D)because of its position in the solar system
14.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is __________.
A)a volcano
B)a mountain range
C)an ocean of liquid hydrogen
D)a tremendous storm
15.
Which of Jupiter's four largest moon's oceans do scientists hope to explore in the near future?
A)Io
B)Ganymede
C)Europa
D)Callisto
16.
Mars and Earth have similar tilts. What other similarity does this cause the two planets to have?
A)seasons
B)life-forms
C)land forms
D)temperatures
17.
One of the main differences between the outer and inner planets is __________.
A)the outer planets have rings, and the inner planets don't
B)the inner planets are all terrestrial
C)the outer planets are gas planets
D)the inner planets are much bigger than the outer planets
18.
What caused the dense cloud scientists hypothesize created our solar system to increase in temperature as it condensed?
A)increasing density
B)increasing mass
C)increasing speed
D)increasing friction
19.
Why do scientists think is the cause of Uranus's titled orbit?
A)The temperatures out in space caused the planet to tilt.
B)It's a result of its distance from the Sun.
C)It collided with another object in space.
D)It was created that way.
20.
One astronomical unit is approximately equal to __________.
A)250 million km
B)the distance from Pluto to the sun
C)75 million km
D)the distance from Earth to the Sun
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