Ch. 1 Essentials of Geology

Aside from the Earth, the terrestrial planets are ____________.

• Mars, Mercury, and Venus

• Mars, Venus, and Jupiter

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

• Mars and Saturn

Differentiation of the core from the mantle early in the Earth's history was possible because the planet was __________ at the time.

• very cold

• very hot

• very small

• the only planet in the Solar System

According to the Big Bang theory, __________.

• the Earth is much older than the rest of the Universe

• the Universe is much older than the Earth

• the Earth and the Universe formed at about the same time

• there is no way of knowing how old the Universe might be

Researchers have determined that the Universe began expanding after the Big Bang. When did the Big Bang event occur?

• 1.38 Ga ago

• 13.8 Ga ago

• 138 Ga ago

• 13.8 Ma ago

According to the Big Bang theory, our Universe is __________.

• expanding

• contracting

• static

• periodically contracting and expanding

Which of the following best describes how the Earth's Moon formed?

• The Earth and Moon formed at the same time.

• Early in the history of our Solar System, an asteroid was captured by the Earth's gravity and became the Moon.

• Early in the history of our Solar System, a protoplanet collided with the Earth, sending debris into orbit that coalesced to form the Moon.

• Early in the history of our Solar System, a group of comets was captured by the Earth's gravity and coalesced to form the Moon.

One of the criteria by which astronomers define an object as a planet is that it __________.

• orbits another planet

• is nearly spherical in shape

• has one or more moons

• shares its neighborhood with other objects

In the heliocentric model, __________.

• the Earth orbits around the Sun

• the Sun orbits around the Earth

• the Earth is a stationary planet

• Mercury and Venus orbit around the Sun, but all other planets orbit around the Earth

The Big Bang theory states that __________.

• all stars will end their lives explosively as supernovas

• the Earth formed through a series of violent collisions

• meteors were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs

• all matter in the Universe was once confined to a single point

The metal alloy that makes up the core of the Earth is __________, as compared with the rocky mantle.

• less dense

• denser

• very similar in chemistry and density

• distinct in chemistry but of very similar density