TPO 16-3 Planets in Our Solar System

According to the passage, each of the following statements comparing terrestrial planets with Jovian planets is true EXCEPT:

• Terrestrial planets travel in a different direction than Jovian planets do.

• Terrestrial planets have smaller diameters than Jovian planets.

• Terrestrial planets are closer to the Sun than Jovian planets.

• Terrestrial planets have smaller masses than Jovian planets.

The word markedly in the passage is closest in meaning to

• Noticeably

• Consistently

• Typically

• Essentially

Paragraph 4 mentions which of the following as a reason why terrestrial planets are dense?

• They are made up of three groups of substances.

• They contain relatively small amounts of water.

• They are composed mainly of rocky and metallic materials.

• They contain more ice than Jovian planets.

Paragraph 4 supports each of the following statements about Saturn EXCEPT:

• It is less dense than any of the terrestrial planets.

• It contains no rocky material.

• It contains a large percentage of gases.

• It contains ices.

The word meager in the passage is closest in meaning to

• Unique

• Thin

• Complex

• Rich

According to paragraph 5, which of the following statements is true of both Jovian and terrestrial planets?

• The thicker the atmosphere, the smaller the planet’s mass

• The more varied the gases in the atmosphere, the higher the temperature

• The higher the surface gravity, the higher the escape velocity

• The less the atmosphere contributes to the total mass, the lower the temperature

According to paragraph 5, what is a major reason that Jovian planets have much thicker atmospheres than terrestrial planets do?

• Jovian planets’ gas molecules have higher average speeds

• Jovian planets have lower escape velocities

• Jovian planets have lower temperatures

• Jovian planets have lower surface gravities

Paragraph 5 supports which of the following statements about the ability of planets to retain gases?

• Planets are more likely to retain heavy gases than light gases.

• Only terrestrial planets have been able to retain carbon dioxide.

• More-massive planets are less able to retain gases than less-massive ones.

• Jovian planets are unlikely to retain the lightest gases.

In calling the cloud of gas and dust from which the Sun and all the planets are thought to have condensed 'primordial,' the author means that the cloud was

• Present at the very beginning of our solar system's formation

• Immense in size

• Composed of similar particles

• Created from a great variety of different materials

The word eventually in the passage is closest in meaning to

• Certainly

• Long ago

• Over time

• Simply