The reason why the categorizing moon by geological activities is helpful.
Answer to Problem 1QP
Option (a) is correct. The geological activities explain the underlying physical process on the moon.
Explanation of Solution
The moons are categorized in several manners in order to have a pattern of their study. The categorizing on the moons in terms of the geological activities occurring on the surface of the moon is considered to be the most efficient way to study the moons.
The geological activities are the activities that occur on the surface of the moons. It includes the volcanic eruptions, the lava flowing on the surface of the moon etc. The amount of geological activities occurring on the surface of the moon provides lot information about the process undergoing beneath the surface of the moon.
Therefore, studying the moons based on the geological activities occurring on the surface makes it much easier to understand the composition and the physical process occurring beneath the surface of the moon.
Conclusion:
Thus, option (a) is correct. The geological activities explain the underlying physical process on the moon.
Option (b) is incorrect. The distance from the sun does not affect the geological activity occurring on the planet.
Option (c) is incorrect. The size and composition of the moon are not explained by the geological activities.
Option (d) is incorrect. The moons vary in size from one another frequently. They are not of same size.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 11 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy (fifth Edition)
- Why would you include the Moon in a comparison of the Terrestrial planets?arrow_forwardWhat evidence is there that Neptune’s moon Triton has been geologically active recently?arrow_forwardWhat is the orbital period of a comet nucleus in the Oort cloud? What is its orbital velocity? (Hints. Use Kepler’s third law in Chapter 4, section 3. The circumference of a circular orbit is 2r . Refer to the text for typical Oort cloud object distances from the Sun.)arrow_forward
- What evidence indicates that plate tectonics does not occur on Venus? On Mars?arrow_forwardImagine that you visit a planet orbiting another star and discover that it is heavily cratered, but its small moon is nearly crater free. Why would that be a surprise? Speculate about what might have happened to those objects.arrow_forwardWhy do astronomers conclude that the crust on Mars must be thicker than Eths crust?arrow_forward
- Venus and Earth are nearly the same size and distance from the Sun. What are the main differences in the geology of the two planets? What might be some of the reasons for these differences?arrow_forwardSummarize the four main hypotheses for the origin of the Moon.arrow_forwardOutline the main events in the Moon’s geological history.arrow_forward
- How can Jupiter have a liquid interior and not have a definite liquid surface?arrow_forwardMeasure the polar and equatorial diameters of Saturn in the photograph in Celestial Profile 8 and calculate the planet’s oblateness using the definition given in this chapter.arrow_forwardWhy are the atmospheres of Venus and Mars mostly carbon dioxide? Why is the atmosphere of Venus very dense but the atmosphere of Mars is very thin?arrow_forward
- Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course ...PhysicsISBN:9781305960961Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage LearningAstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
- Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning