Question

Copernicus was the first person to suggest that the Sun is at the center of our solar system.

  

True

   

False

How did Copernicus figure out which planets were closer to the Sun and which were further?

  

the small angle equation

   

sidereal and synodic periods

  

shadows on the Earth

   

Newton's Law of Gravity

If it takes a planet 5 years to orbit the Sun, how long (in years) will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

Suppose a balloon is slowly letting out air (and becoming smaller), at the same time it is being brought closer to an observer. According to the small angle equation, the angular size of the balloon will ...

  

stay the same

   

increase

   

there's not enough information to say for sure

  

descrease

What is the angular diameter (in arcseconds) of an object that has a linear diameter of 23 meters and a distance of 1.5 km?

The time it takes a planet to orbit the Sun once and return to the same location in space is called the ...

  

synaptic period

   

synoptic period

   

synodic period

  

sidereal period

The size of the Earth could be measured accurately in ancient times by using ...

  

observations of the planets

   

lunar eclipses

   

shadows on Earth

   

solar eclipses

If it takes a planet 0.8 years to orbit the Sun, how long (in years) will it take the planet to go all the way around our sky once?

The concept in science that the simpler ideas are preferred to the more complex ones is known as ...

  

modeling

   

Occam's razor

  

special relativity

   

the scientific method

In the heliocentric model of the solar system, one planet passing another in its orbit gives rise to ...

  

greatest elongation

   

a superior conjunction

   

a solar eclispe

   

retrograde motion

Answer 1

1. True, Copernicus did.

2. He determined these things by measuring angle of elongation. Elongation is the angle between the sun and a planet as seen by an observer on earth

Question: What is the angular diameter (in arcseconds) of an object that has a linear diameter of 23 meters and a distance of 1.5 km?

angluar diameter = angle subtended at the eye = linear diameter / distance = 23 m /1.5 km = 23 /1500 =

= 0.0153 radian = 0.88 degree = 1.5 kilo arc second

Question: The size of the Earth could be measured accurately in ancient times by using ...

answer: shadows on Earth:

Question: In the heliocentric model of the solar system, one planet passing another in its orbit gives rise to ...

answer: retrogate motion