Astronomy hw4

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Thuan Nguyen March,13 2023 CHAPTER 4: 7. Explain why there are two high tides and two low tides each day. Strictly speaking, should the period during which there are two high tides be 24 hours? If not, what should the interval be? - The force exerted by the moon creates bulges, resulting in two high tides and two low tides every day. However, it's important to note that these intervals occur approximately every 24 hours. 16. Why does the Moon create tidal bulges on both sides of Earth instead of only on the side of Earth closest to the Moon? - Tidal bulges are formed on both sides of the Earth due to a counterbalance between the gravitational force of the Earth and its inertia, which is caused by the moon's influence. 17. Why do the heights of the tides change over the course of a month? 18. Explain how tidal forces are causing Earth to slow down. - The tides change in height over a month because of the changing positions of the moon and the sun relative to the Earth. When they align, the tides are higher (spring tides), and when they are at right angles, the tides are lower. 19. Explain how tidal forces are causing the Moon to slowly recede from Earth - Tidal forces transfer energy from the Moon's rotation to its orbit, causing the Moon to gradually move away from the Earth by 3.8 cm per year. Chapter 7: 4. Which type of planets have the most moons? Where did these moons likely originate? - Jupiter and Saturn have the highest number of moons among the giant planets, most of which are believed to have been captured from the small-body population during the early formation of the solar system. 5. What is the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? - Objects that enter Earth's atmosphere and collide are referred to as meteors, whereas those that survive and strike the Earth's surface are known as meteorites. 12. Imagine you are a travel agent in the next century. An eccentric billionaire asks you to arrange a “Guinness Book of Solar System Records” kind of tour. Where would you direct him to find the following (use this chapter and Appendix F and Appendix G): A. the least-dense planet - Saturn B. the densest planet - Earth C. the largest moon in the solar system – Jupiter’s Ganymede
D. excluding the jovian planets, the planet where you would weigh the most on its surface (Hint: Weight is directly proportional to surface gravity.) - Jupiter E. the smallest planet - Mercury F. the planet that takes the longest time to rotate - Venus. G. the planet that takes the shortest time to rotate - Mercury. H. the planet with a diameter closest to Earth’s - Venus I. the moon with the thickest atmosphere – Saturn’s Titan J. the densest moon- Io K. the most massive moon – Jupiter’s Ganymede 13. What characteristics do the worlds in our solar system have in common that lead astronomers to believe that they all formed from the same “mother cloud” (solar nebula)? - The giant planets tend to have a shared characteristic of rotating and revolving in the same direction, with their orbits located in a similar plane. Additionally, the chemical composition of the giant planets is like that of the sun. 14. How do terrestrial and giant planets differ? List as many ways as you can think of. - Objects that are closer to the sun tend to have smaller size, higher densities, and a composition of silicates and metals. In contrast, giant planets that are farther from the sun tend to have lower densities, larger sizes, no solid surface, and a higher number of moons . 16. How do asteroids and comets differ? - Asteroids and comets differ in their composition, location, and orbit. Asteroids are made up of rock and metal, are smaller, and have more circular orbits, while comets are made up of ice, dust, and rock, are larger, and have more elliptical orbits. 20. What was the solar nebula like? Why did the Sun form at its center? - The pressure in the core was so great that hydrogen atoms began to combine and form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy. 1. Spring tides occur only when (a) the Sun is near the vernal equinox. (b) the Moon’s phase is near new or full. (c) the Moon’s phase is first quarter or third quarter. (d) it is either spring or fall. 2. Are there any exceptions to the rule that planets rotate with small axis tilts and in the same direction that they orbit the Sun?
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