Physics Self Assessment #91

[sanguinee]

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**You have to have read the passage to understand the question**

Did anyone else get this question wrong? It doesn't make sense and the explanation is very weak.

"Because comets shine predominantly by reflected sunlight, what one sees when viewing a comet is:
a. coma gas
b. coma dust
c. the tail gas
d. the ices.

I picked C, but the right answer is apparently B.
Explanation: Sunlight does not reflect from gases significantly, Nuclear ices are concealed by the coma. Only the coma dust is visible in the sunlight.

 

[erythrocyte666]

I got that wrong too. I think we just have to realize that solids (dust) can reflect better than gases I guess because gas particles scatter light more because they're farther apart while solid particles won't scatter the light as much