Orbital Resonances — MCQs January 8, 2026August 20, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. What is an orbital resonance? (A) When two bodies collide in space (B) When two bodies exert regular gravitational influence on each other (C) When a planet spins faster than it orbits (D) When a moon escapes its planet 2. Orbital resonances usually involve simple ratios of: (A) Mass (B) Orbital periods (C) Diameters (D) Temperatures 3. Which pair of planets in the Solar System is near a 5:2 resonance? (A) Earth and Mars (B) Jupiter and Saturn (C) Venus and Mercury (D) Uranus and Neptune 4. The Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt are caused by resonances with: (A) Mars (B) Jupiter (C) Saturn (D) Earth 5. The 3:2 orbital resonance exists between Pluto and: (A) Uranus (B) Neptune (C) Jupiter (D) Saturn 6. A 2:1 resonance means one body completes: (A) Twice as many orbits as the other (B) Half as many orbits as the other (C) Equal orbits (D) Four times as many orbits 7. The Laplace resonance involves which moons of Jupiter? (A) Io, Europa, Ganymede (B) Europa, Callisto, Ganymede (C) Io, Callisto, Europa (D) Callisto, Ganymede, Titan 8. The Laplace resonance is an example of a: (A) Two-body resonance (B) Three-body resonance (C) Four-body resonance (D) Non-resonant system 9. Orbital resonances can: (A) Increase orbital stability (B) Cause orbital instability (C) Both A and B (D) Have no effect 10. The resonance that explains Saturn’s ring gaps is mainly due to: (A) Titan (B) Mimas (C) Enceladus (D) Rhea 11. Which moon of Saturn is in resonance with Enceladus? (A) Dione (B) Rhea (C) Titan (D) Tethys 12. Orbital resonances can lead to: (A) Heating of moons (B) Orbital migration (C) Clearing of gaps in disks (D) All of the above 13. Which type of resonance helps explain volcanic activity on Io? (A) 2:1 with Europa (B) Laplace resonance (C) 3:2 with Ganymede (D) 5:2 with Callisto 14. The Hilda asteroids are in a 3:2 resonance with: (A) Mars (B) Earth (C) Jupiter (D) Saturn 15. Mean motion resonance refers to: (A) Resonance between spins (B) Resonance between orbital periods (C) Resonance of inclinations (D) Resonance of eccentricities only 16. Spin-orbit resonance involves: (A) Orbital periods only (B) Rotational and orbital periods (C) Inclinations only (D) Gravitational waves 17. Mercury is in a ___ spin-orbit resonance. (A) 1:1 (B) 2:1 (C) 3:2 (D) 5:2 18. The Trojan asteroids are in a 1:1 resonance with: (A) Saturn (B) Neptune (C) Jupiter (D) Mars 19. A 1:1 orbital resonance means: (A) One body completes one orbit for every two of another (B) Both bodies complete orbits in the same period (C) One body is tidally locked (D) One orbit is circular 20. Resonances in protoplanetary disks may help explain: (A) Planet formation (B) Tidal locking (C) Stellar collapse (D) Supernova explosions 21. The Cassini Division in Saturn’s rings is maintained by a resonance with: (A) Titan (B) Enceladus (C) Mimas (D) Rhea 22. A 4:3 resonance means one body makes: (A) Four orbits for three of another (B) Three orbits for four of another (C) Equal orbits (D) Twice as many orbits 23. Which resonance stabilizes Pluto’s orbit? (A) 2:1 with Neptune (B) 3:2 with Neptune (C) 5:3 with Uranus (D) 1:1 with Neptune 24. In resonance systems, orbital eccentricities often: (A) Stay constant (B) Increase (C) Decrease (D) Disappear 25. Orbital resonance is an example of: (A) Tidal force (B) Gravitational interaction (C) Magnetic force (D) Radiation pressure 26. Which resonance influences Neptune’s outer Kuiper Belt objects? (A) 2:1 (B) 3:2 (C) 5:2 (D) All of the above 27. Resonance can cause moons to experience: (A) Tidal heating (B) Surface volcanism (C) Magnetic field induction (D) All of the above 28. The Great Inequality of Jupiter and Saturn is caused by: (A) 5:2 resonance (B) 2:1 resonance (C) 3:2 resonance (D) 1:1 resonance 29. The concept of libration is associated with: (A) Resonances (B) Solar winds (C) Tidal bulges (D) Planetary rings 30. Moons in resonance often maintain: (A) Circular orbits (B) Eccentric orbits (C) Inclined orbits (D) No orbits 31. Resonant orbits are important in: (A) Celestial mechanics (B) Geology (C) Atmospheric science (D) Biology 32. Which moon pair of Saturn is in a 1:2 resonance? (A) Mimas and Tethys (B) Enceladus and Dione (C) Titan and Rhea (D) Iapetus and Hyperion 33. A resonance chain involves: (A) One planet only (B) Multiple bodies in sequential resonances (C) Tidal locking (D) Orbital decay 34. The Laplace resonance ratio among Io, Europa, and Ganymede is: (A) 1:1:1 (B) 1:2:4 (C) 2:3:5 (D) 3:5:7 35. Which resonance explains orbital migration in exoplanet systems? (A) 2:1 (B) 3:2 (C) 4:3 (D) All of the above 36. Which planet’s moons display multiple resonance relationships? (A) Mars (B) Jupiter (C) Venus (D) Mercury 37. Resonances can clear regions in: (A) Atmospheres (B) Asteroid belts (C) Magnetic fields (D) Radiation zones 38. Which resonance helps explain Neptune’s capture of Pluto? (A) 1:1 (B) 3:2 (C) 5:2 (D) 7:4 39. A resonance overlap can cause: (A) Chaos in orbits (B) More stability (C) Tidally locked states (D) Reduced eccentricity 40. Which of the following is an example of resonance outside the Solar System? (A) Kepler-36 system (B) Earth-Moon system (C) Mars-Phobos system (D) Venus rotation 41. The 2:1 resonance with Jupiter explains the absence of asteroids at: (A) 2.5 AU (B) 3.3 AU (C) 5 AU (D) 1 AU 42. Which is a consequence of resonance? (A) Orbital stability (B) Enhanced eccentricity (C) Tidal heating (D) All of the above 43. A planet in resonance with another may show: (A) Orbital precession (B) Locked inclination (C) Chaotic motion (D) All of the above 44. Spin-orbit resonances are common in: (A) Gas giants (B) Terrestrial planets (C) Moons (D) Asteroids only 45. A 5:2 resonance means: (A) Five orbits of one for two of another (B) Two orbits of one for five of another (C) Equal orbits (D) Resonance instability 46. Resonances can produce orbital inclination changes due to: (A) Gravitational perturbations (B) Magnetic forces (C) Solar radiation (D) Collisions 47. The study of orbital resonance is essential in: (A) Predicting asteroid impacts (B) Designing spacecraft trajectories (C) Understanding planetary systems (D) All of the above 48. Which resonance explains the distribution of Kuiper Belt objects? (A) 3:2 (B) 2:1 (C) 5:2 (D) All of the above 49. Orbital resonance can prevent: (A) Collisions (B) Orbital overlap (C) Chaotic instability (D) All of the above 50. Orbital resonances demonstrate the role of: (A) Electromagnetic radiation (B) Gravitational interactions (C) Magnetic fields (D) Stellar winds