Moon

1.         The fact that the mean density of the Moon is about equal to the mean density of the Earth’s mantle indicates that

a.         the Earth’s mantle formed from lunar material

b.         the Moon has a hollow interior

c.         the Moon has a magnetic field

d.         the Moon does not have a large iron core*

e.         none of these

2.         If the mass of the Moon is 1/81 that of the Earth, why is the gravity at the Moon's surface as great as 1/6 that at the Earth's surface?
Because the mass of the Moon/the mass of the Earth varies approximately as (RMoon/REarth)3 whereas surface gravity of the Moon/the surface gravity of the Earth varies approximately as

a.         (RMoon/REarth)˝

b.         (RMoon/REarth)1 *

c.         (RMoon/REarth)2

d.         (RMoon/REarth)4

e.         None of the above.

3.         The reason there is no dense atmosphere on the Moon is that

a.         it simply never had one to begin with

b.         the high temperature and low mass allowed it to escape*

c.         the gravitational tidal forces from the Earth stripped it away

d.         when the Moon formed by breaking away from the Earth the powerful forces involved stripped away all gases.

4.         The Earth and the Moon are both about the same distance from the Sun, yet the Earth (on the average) is much warmer than the Moon.  Why?

a.         The Moon is smaller than the Earth.

b.         The Moon's night is longer than the Earth's.

c.         The Moon has almost no atmosphere compared to the Earth.*

d.         The surface of the Moon is, on the average, darker than the surface of the Earth.

5.         The Moon

a.         rotates on its axis with the same period as its revolution about the Earth*

b.         does not rotate

c.         was formed from material identical in chemical composition to the Earth's crust

d.         always points the same face toward the Sun.

6.         The Moon's tidal forces cause the Earth's rotation to slow and the Moon to

a.         increase its distance and decrease its orbital speed*

b.         decrease its distance and decrease its orbital speed

c.         slow its rotation

d.         do nothing (no effect).

7.         Based on the Apollo results, which of the following is probably the best description of the Moon’s core?

a.         hot, perhaps molten, made of non-metals*

b.         hot, and partially molten, made of metals

c.         cool, made of non-metals

d.         cool, made of metals

e.         none of these

8.         Seismometers placed on the Moon by Apollo astronauts indicated that the Moon

a.         has more quakes than the Earth

b.         has a liquid metal core like Earth

c.         is more active internally than Earth

d.         has a solid mantle much like Earth’s*

e.         none of these

9.         The lunar maria are

a.         the lava plains of the lunar lowlands.*

b.         the smooth plateaus of the lunar highlands.

c.         less than one billion years old.

d.         moving plates of lunar crust.

e.         older than the lunar highlands.

10.      Which lunar surface feature is an indication of past fluid flow

a.         craters

b.         scarps

c.         rays

d.         rilles*

e.         mountain ranges

11.      Consider a crater with a well-formed ejecta blanket.  Where originally was the material on the surface of the ejecta blanket (i.e. before the impact)?

a.         on the lunar surface

b.         just underneath the surface

c.         underneath the surface by an amount nearly equal to the crater depth*

d.         no statement about its original position can be made.

12.      If you see a smaller crater on the Moon overlaid on a larger one, you can conclude that

a.         the smaller crater is older than the larger one

b.         the smaller crater is younger than the larger one*

c.         both craters are the same age

d.         both craters are very old

13.      Compared with the side of the Moon facing the earth, the lunar backside has

a.         more mare

b.         substantially fewer craters

c.         substantially fewer mountain ranges

d.         a thicker crust*

e.         one active volcano, while the near side has none.

14.      Below are statements concerning lunar formation.  Place them in chronological order from the time of formation:
    I          coalesced from orbiting debris
    II          cooling of interior
   III          mare formed
  IV          surface melting by heavy bombardment

a.         II, III, IV, I

b.         III, II, IV, I

c.         I, II, III, IV

d.         IV, III, II, I

e.         I, IV, III, II*

15.      Which of the following describes the formation of the lunar maria?

a.         melting and solidification followed by impact

b.         volcanism

c.         impact followed by volcanism*

d.         volcanism followed by impact.

16.      Which of the following describes the formation of the lunar highlands?

a.         melting, solidification of the crust followed by impact*

b.         impact followed by widespread volcanism and solidification of the crust

c.         solidification of the crust immediately after lunar formation

d.         tectonic activity followed by large scale fluid flows and erosion.

17.      The fact that some crater walls are sharply defined while others are more rounded is evidence for

a.         a volcanic origin for all craters

b.         differing ages of craters*

c.         differing sizes of impact bodies

d.         seismic activity on the Moon

18.      The fact that the lunar maria are less cratered than the highlands tells us that

a.         they formed after the highlands*

b.         they formed before the highlands

c.         the highlands attract more meteorites

d.         erosion is stronger on the maria

e.         none of these

19.      Why is the heat flow rate on the Moon related to the radioactive material content in the lunar crust?

a.         The lunar crust acts like a nuclear generator.

b.         Radioactive material absorbs sunlight very efficiently which then flows out of the crust.

c.         Radioactive material produces hot lava, which flows out onto the lunar surface.

d.         Energy is given off in the radioactive decays and this energy accumulates in the interior and then flows out gradually.*

e.         None of the above.

20.      Why are we more likely to learn about the early history of the Earth by studying the rocks from the Moon than those on the Earth?

a.         Because we find the same kind of rocks on both bodies.

b.         Because lunar rocks are easier to study than rocks from the Earth.

c.         Because oceans on the Earth cover up too many of the rocks.

d.         Because the earliest rocks on the Earth have been eroded away and are no longer available for study.*

e.         None of the above.

21.      The presence of breccias among the lunar rock samples shows that

a.         volcanism did not occur on the moon.

b.         molten lava once flowed over the lunar surface.

c.         the crust must have been made of anorthosite.

d.         water once existed on the moon in the form of small lakes and streams

e.         the lunar surface was fragmented by meteorite impacts. *

22.      Which of the following theories for the origin of the Moon is most favored by scientists today?

a.         It was separated from the Earth by a collision with a Mars-sized body. *

b.         It formed somewhere else in the solar system, perhaps near the planet Mercury or in an eccentric orbit, and was captured by the Earth in some yet unknown event.

c.         It accreted from planetesimals at a distance of about 1 A.U. from the Sun as a smaller co-planet with Earth.

d.         It was thrown out from the Sun after a comet hit the Sun.

e.         None of the above.