Planet Formation Theories — MCQs January 8, 2026August 20, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. The nebular hypothesis of planet formation was first proposed by? (A) Laplace (B) Newton (C) Hubble (D) Copernicus 2. According to the nebular hypothesis, planets formed from? (A) Fragments of asteroids (B) Collapse of a molecular cloud (C) Remnants of comets (D) Captured stars 3. Which theory suggests planets formed from the Sun’s material pulled out by another star? (A) Nebular hypothesis (B) Tidal theory (C) Planetesimal hypothesis (D) Capture theory 4. The planetesimal hypothesis was developed by? (A) Chamberlin and Moulton (B) Hubble and Sandage (C) Newton and Kepler (D) Hoyle and Bondi 5. In the modern solar nebula model, planetesimals form by? (A) Gas accretion directly (B) Dust grains sticking together (C) Stellar winds (D) Nuclear fusion 6. The process by which small bodies collide and grow into planets is called? (A) Differentiation (B) Accretion (C) Erosion (D) Evaporation 7. The core accretion model is most successful in explaining formation of? (A) Gas giant planets (B) Terrestrial planets (C) Kuiper Belt objects (D) Binary stars 8. The disk instability model suggests gas giants form by? (A) Gravitational collapse of parts of the disk (B) Slow accretion of rocky cores (C) Capture of comets (D) Magnetic field compression 9. Which planet formation theory explains “hot Jupiters”? (A) Capture theory (B) Migration after formation (C) Tidal theory (D) Collision theory 10. Protoplanetary disks are mainly composed of? (A) Metals (B) Gas and dust (C) Plasma (D) Ices only 11. The snow line in planet formation marks the distance where? (A) Water and volatile compounds condense (B) Hydrogen freezes (C) Planetesimals stop forming (D) Rocky planets cannot exist 12. Which theory is no longer accepted due to lack of supporting evidence? (A) Nebular hypothesis (B) Tidal theory (C) Core accretion model (D) Disk instability model 13. Which planets likely formed inside the snow line? (A) Gas giants (B) Ice giants (C) Terrestrial planets (D) Dwarf planets 14. The angular momentum problem in early planet formation models refers to? (A) Sun’s low angular momentum compared to solar system (B) Planets rotating too fast (C) Stars collapsing too quickly (D) Lack of stellar winds 15. Differentiation in planets occurs when? (A) Heavy elements sink and lighter rise (B) Planets migrate inward (C) Stars eject gas (D) Comets strike planets 16. Which mechanism explains gaps in protoplanetary disks? (A) Supernova explosions (B) Planet formation clearing paths (C) Tidal theory (D) Magnetic instabilities only 17. The Nice model explains? (A) Migration of outer planets (B) Formation of terrestrial planets (C) Birth of the Moon (D) Origin of comets 18. Which event likely led to the Late Heavy Bombardment? (A) Outer planet migration (B) Sun’s strong winds (C) Nearby supernova (D) Loss of the solar nebula 19. The capture theory suggested planets formed? (A) From material pulled off the Sun (B) Directly from nebula collapse (C) Inside the snow line only (D) As ejected stars 20. Which modern theory combines core accretion with migration? (A) Pebble accretion model (B) Capture model (C) Tidal disruption model (D) Catastrophic hypothesis 21. Exoplanet discoveries strongly support which model? (A) Static nebula model (B) Core accretion with migration (C) Tidal theory (D) Capture theory 22. Why do gas giants have massive atmospheres compared to terrestrial planets? (A) They formed beyond the snow line where gas was abundant (B) They migrated inward after forming (C) They formed from stellar explosions (D) They trapped gases via volcanism 23. Which planet formation process explains asteroid belts? (A) Failed planet formation due to Jupiter’s gravity (B) Direct collapse of gas (C) Capture of comets (D) Star formation leftovers 24. Which planets are believed to have migrated significantly after formation? (A) Mercury and Venus (B) Jupiter and Saturn (C) Uranus and Neptune (D) Mars and Earth 25. In-situ formation of hot Jupiters is considered unlikely because? (A) No gas exists near the star (B) High temperatures prevent gas accumulation (C) Stars eject planets quickly (D) Tidal forces remove gas 26. The oligarchic growth stage of planet formation refers to? (A) Planetesimals colliding randomly (B) Few large bodies dominating growth (C) Gas collapsing instantly (D) Disk completely evaporating 27. Which theory explains Earth’s Moon formation? (A) Fission theory (B) Capture theory (C) Giant impact hypothesis (D) Double planet theory 28. Which evidence supports the giant impact hypothesis? (A) Similar isotopic composition of Earth and Moon (B) Moon’s strong magnetic field (C) Presence of water on the Moon (D) Moon’s massive iron core 29. Why do terrestrial planets have thin atmospheres compared to gas giants? (A) Closer to the Sun, lighter gases escaped (B) They formed from icy planetesimals (C) They absorbed less solar wind (D) They formed later in time 30. Which model explains how gas giants quickly gain mass before disk dissipation? (A) Pebble accretion model (B) Capture theory (C) Catastrophic hypothesis (D) Tidal disruption model 31. Which planets likely underwent atmospheric loss due to solar wind stripping? (A) Jupiter and Saturn (B) Venus and Mars (C) Uranus and Neptune (D) Earth and Mercury 32. The Grand Tack hypothesis suggests Jupiter? (A) Migrated inward then outward (B) Collided with Saturn (C) Formed beyond Neptune (D) Remained static in orbit 33. Which planet’s tilted axis may be due to giant impacts during formation? (A) Venus (B) Uranus (C) Jupiter (D) Mars 34. Chondrules found in meteorites provide evidence for? (A) Early solar nebula processes (B) Supernova explosions nearby (C) Late-stage planet migration (D) Moon capture 35. The primary challenge for disk instability model is? (A) Explaining terrestrial planets (B) Forming stable gas giants at correct distances (C) Explaining the Kuiper Belt (D) Accounting for asteroid belt 36. The exoplanet population suggests? (A) Planet formation is rare (B) Planet formation is common and diverse (C) All planets form by the same process (D) No planets form beyond the snow line 37. Which observational evidence supports migration of planets? (A) Hot Jupiters close to stars (B) Cold dust rings far out (C) Irregular moons of gas giants (D) Double star systems 38. Which factor determines whether a forming body becomes a planet or remains an asteroid? (A) Mass and ability to clear orbit (B) Distance from the Sun only (C) Composition only (D) Presence of atmosphere 39. Which exoplanet discovery method has revealed most planets so far? (A) Direct imaging (B) Radial velocity (C) Transit method (D) Gravitational microlensing 40. Why are super-Earths common in exoplanet systems but absent in our solar system? (A) Formation conditions vary (B) Migration cleared them (C) Jupiter’s influence disrupted growth (D) All of the above 41. Which model explains Uranus and Neptune forming far from the Sun despite low material density? (A) Pebble accretion model (B) Disk instability model (C) Tidal theory (D) Capture model 42. The process of runaway growth in planet formation means? (A) Larger bodies grow faster due to stronger gravity (B) Smaller bodies evaporate (C) Planets are ejected from system (D) Gas collapses instantly 43. The gas capture phase for giant planets begins when? (A) Rocky core reaches critical mass (B) Disk dissipates (C) Stellar winds stop (D) Ice melts completely 44. Why do many exoplanetary systems show resonant orbits? (A) Planets migrated and locked into resonance (B) They formed simultaneously (C) Random orbital capture (D) Strong stellar winds 45. Which evidence indicates that giant planet migration influenced small body populations? (A) Kuiper Belt structure (B) Asteroid belt gaps (C) Trojan asteroids (D) All of the above 46. What prevents gas giant formation very close to stars? (A) High temperatures prevent gas accumulation (B) Strong stellar winds (C) Small feeding zones (D) All of the above 47. Which feature of Earth suggests violent impacts during formation? (A) Tilted rotation axis (B) Presence of the Moon (C) Core-mantle differentiation (D) All of the above 48. Which mechanism explains irregular moons of giant planets? (A) Capture of planetesimals (B) In-situ formation in disk (C) Gas accretion collapse (D) Resonance only 49. Protoplanetary disks are usually observed around? (A) Young stars (B) Red giants (C) Neutron stars (D) Black holes 50. Which combination is currently favored in explaining planet formation? (A) Nebular collapse + accretion + migration (B) Tidal disruption + capture (C) Catastrophic theory only (D) Fission theory only