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Quiz 4 - Sarah Miller
Our Solar System (ESCI 420)
University of New Hampshire
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Quiz 4:
1. If the moon were twice as massive as it presently is, its orbital period around Earth
would: a. Remain uncharged
2. Rank the following in terms of decreasing semi-major orbital axis:
a. Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury
3. If the moon was twice as distant from the Earth as it presently is, its gravitational
attraction to Earth would: a. Be quartered
4. Which orbital property is most strongly responsible for Earth's seasons?
a. Axial tilt
5. The Doppler shift method for detecting the presence of exoplanets is best able to detect
a. Massive planets near the star
6. Let's try an escape velocity problem - what velocity would Earth's moon need to attain in
order to break free from orbiting Earth? Note: this is not the same calculation as what velocity an object on the surface of the Moon would need to escape the gravitational force of the Moon. Also, we are not considering also escaping the Sun (which would require more speed and a more complex equation.. would be called escape from the Earth-Sun system). Just free the Moon from the Earth. Use these numbers: Moon orbital period: 27 days Moon orbital path length: 2,418,000 km (assume it's circular for convenience)
Quiz 4:
Hint: first calculate the orbital speed of the Moon in km/s a. 1 km/s
7. Kepler's third law:
a. Relates the duration of a planet’s orbit to the size of its orbit
8. Which of Kepler's laws explains why comets on high eccentricity orbits spend most of
their orbital period far from the Sun? a. Second law
Quiz 4 - Sarah Miller
Course: Our Solar System (ESCI 420)
University: University of New Hampshire
