Quiz 1

1. Gold isotopes that formed by R-process nucleosynthesis formed in: Ans:D

a.Big Bang
b.Sun-like stars
c.Molecular clouds
d.Supernova explosions
2. The Solar System
a.4.5 billion years
b.4.5 million years
c.Shortly after Big
d.5.5 billion years

formed:Ans:A
ago
ago
Bang, 13.8 billion years ago
ago

3.Chondrites contain the oldest solids that we can date. Calcium-Aluminium-rich

Inclusions (CAIs) formed 4567,3 million years ago. Since we do not know of any o
lder objects from the Solar System, this age defines the age of the Solar System
. Where and how did the CAIs form? Where and how did the CAIs form? Ans:b
a.They formed during large impacts on the growing planets.
b.They condensed out of the gas close to the Sun.
c.They formed in asteroids that were heated to temperatures where they began t
o melt.
4.Some asteroids melted whereas other asteroids never came close to melting temp
eratures. The heating was primarily due to the decay of a radioactive isotope. W
hich isotope caused these asteroids to melt?Ans: C
a.60-Fe
b.14C
c.26-Al
d.182-Hf
5. When a meteorite enters the Earth atmosphere it creates a brilliant fireball.
A large fraction of the meteorite melts during this phase. The interior of the
meteorite remains cold and, therefore, preserve the structures that formed durin
g the birth of our Solar System. Why is the interior not heated? C
a.The upper atmosphere is very cold and, therefore, keeps the meteorite cold as
it enters the atmosphere.
b.The interior of the meteorite contains ice and, therefore, remains cold.
c.It stays cold because the heat generated in the fireball does not have time to
heat the interior during the brief atmospheric passage.
6.What is the most commonly accepted model for the formation of our Moon form?A
a.It formed as the result of a Giant impact between the Earth and a Mars-sized b
ody.
b.As a result of the accretion process, the Earth was initially spinning very ra
pidly. The Moon was ejected from the Earth during this phase.
d.It accreted from a disk of material orbiting the young, growing Earth.
e.The Moon accreted from the disk around the Sun and was later captured by the E
arth.
7. If 1000 pieces of Martian rock are ejected from Mars during an impact, how ma
ny of those will likely fall on Earth as meteorites?C
a.No more than one.
b.5-10.

c.Approximately 250.
d.Almost all of them.
8. Iron meteorites are: A
a.Samples of the iron-rich cores of massive stars.
b.Fragments of the metallic cores of asteroids.
c.Samples of Mercury.
d.Samples of the Martian core.
9. We have a collection of meteorites from Mars here at the Museum. All of them
are igneous (volcanic) rocks. How do we know that they are from Mars? There may b
e more than one correct answer.C
a.Most of them are too young to come from asteroids.
b.They have the same oxygen isotope compositions as Martian samples, brought bac
k by space missions to Mars.
c.They contain gas vesicles with a composition similar to the Martian atmosphere
.
d.They have a distinct red color.
10. R-Process nucleosynthesis occurs in supernovae events and forms:A
a.Nuclides with the highest number of neutrons relative to protons.
b.Nuclides with the highest number of protons relative to neutrons.
c.Nuclides with the highest number of electrons in the outer orbital shell.
d.Only radioactive nuclides.
11. The nuclide 56Fe lies at the approximate dividing point on the chart of the
nuclides between:A
a.Lighter isotopes that are mainly formed by fusion reactions in stars and heavi
er isotopes that are formed by p, s and r nucleosynthesis.
b.Heavy isotopes that are radioactive and lighter isotopes that are stable.
c.Elements with high melting temperatures and those with lower melting temperatu
res.
d.Elements that prefer to form oxides and those that prefer to form sulphides.
Verify 8 and 9 is wrong!