STUDY SHEET FOR MIDTERM, ASTR305V, September 27, 2018

This includes Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4

The test will be about 20 questions, about 50/50 multiple choice and short written answers required. You do not need a scan-tron. Test answers are written on the exam sheets. You can get some idea of the type of questions from the Clicker questions that we did in class. I am also attaching example test questions at the bottom of this document. You will have the entire class period for the test. Please contact me with any questions (rwalterb@nmsu.edu).
To study, use lecture notes on web pages as the main guide to follow-up reading relevant sections in the book. Also, review the home works. Depending on your background and familiarity with science in general and astronomy in particular, you may need to spend more or less time studying the book. The list below includes the main topics we have discussed. I may have missed one or two but the notes will make that clear.

Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Make sure you understand the following concepts, ideas, fact points:

• A mental image of the distance scale in the solar system

• A mental image of the distance scale in the Milky Way and the Universe. Don't mix this up with the much smaller scales in the solar system. The Milky Way is MUCH bigger than the solar system, the universe MUCH bigger than the Milky Way.

• Stars, planets, moons. What are the differences between them?

• What is a light year? A light minute? What does it measure? Why do we use it?

• Look-back time.

• What is the age of the Earth and Sun?

• The eight major planets in the solar system and the one dwarf planet.

• Terrestrial planets

• Jovian planets

• most likely planets/moons in solar system to search for life

• Big Bang

• Evidence for Big Bang (3 pieces of evidence, find them all)

• Structure of matter: protons, neutrons, electrons, atoms, ions, isotopes, molecules, compounds

• nuclear fusion, what is it, where does it happen and why.

• E = Mc², what does it have to  do with nuclear fusion? What about nuclear fission?

• What are most common elements that make up the Sun? What other elements are present?

• What is a "theory" in scientific sense?

• Early models of our solar system: geocentric, Ptolemy, retrograde motion, epicycles, what was wrong with it?

• Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo, Kepler, Newton. What were their roles?

• heliocentric model, explanation for retrograde motion

• eclipses of Sun and moon, explanations for them in various models

• phases of the moon.

• rough time line of major developments in our understanding of solar system

• Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion

• Newton's laws of motion and the law of gravity. What are they, how do they apply?

• what is being weightless? How can we achieve that situation? How is weight defined?

• Principle of rocket flight

• Dependence of gravity on mass and distance

• Orbital motion of objects in the solar system

Chapter 4

• the age of the Earth

• early development of earth: formation, cooling down

• Earth's geology: sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, catastrophic changes versus uniformitarianism

• What is the evidence that shows the earth is old?

• what is plate tectonics, continental drift, what is the origin of plate tectonics?

• what is the age and origin of the moon?

• craters on the moon: why so many? what is their origin?

• radio-metric dating of rocks: how does it work? what is half life?

• isotopes: what are they? In what context did we talk about them?

• plate tectonics, continental drift

• the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect, know some greenhouse gasses?

• difference between ozone hole and greenhouse effect

If you have questions before the exam, mail them to me and I will answer you by e-mail asap. (rwalterb@nmsu.edu)

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Two important comments before you look at these:

A. This is NOT an all inclusive list of what you need to know. These are sample questions. Answering these will not replace studying for the test.

B. The best use of these sample questions is to FIRST STUDY and then try them. Not the other way around.

1. Describe the important contribution by Copernicus to our understanding of the solar system.

2. True or false?: Ptolemy's geocentric model of the universe did not have a good explanation to account for solar and lunar eclipses?

3. Arrange from smallest to largest.

a. Star b. distance Sun-Pluto c. Milky Way d. Solar System

4. What is meant with concept of "look-back time"?

5. If the half life of a radio-active isotope is 10,000 years, how much of the original amount will be left after 20,000 years?

a. nothing b. 50% c. 12.5% d. 25%

6. We have several pieces of strong evidence that the Universe was created in the Big Bang. Give at least two of those.

7. Which of the following kinds of light has the shortest wavelength?

a. infrared waves b. X-ray waves c. optical waves d. radio waves

8. Is it good for planets to have a greenhouse effect, or not? Explain.

9. According to Kepler's laws, a planet that orbits the Sun will move slower in its elliptical orbit when it is:

a. at it furthest point from the Sun

b. at it closest point to the Sun

c. Somewhere in-between closest and furthest point

d. The planet always moves at constant speed in its orbit

10. A lunar eclipse can only happen during:

a. full moon b. first quarter moon c. new moon d last quarter moon

11. As explained by Newton's laws, an object that is in a circular orbit in space around Earth:

a. experiences no net force since it is moving at constant speed in its orbit.

b. will crash on earth unless kept in its orbit by continuously firing a rocket engine.

c. would be incompatible with his theories.

d. has the force of gravity acting on it which keeps it in its orbit.

12. Describe how the greenhouse effect works in the Earth's atmosphere. What is "trapped" that causes the warming? What would Earth be like without a greenhouse effect? What is "global warming" and how is it related to the greenhouse effect?

13. Why do you think our eyes are best at seeing optical light and not the other types of EM waves?

14. You are hiking down the Grand Canyon, from the top of the mesa to the Colorado river. As you look around, you see many different layers of rock. Where are the oldest rocks?

a. near the river b. near the middle c. near the top d. all the same age