Unit 1: The Origin of the Universe and the Solar 

System •​ ​ Grade 11/12 

Lesson 1.4: Encounter Theory 
​Worksheet 1 
 

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Instruction: W
​ rite the letter of the correct answer before the number. 
 
1. Encounter  theory  proposes  that  planets  were  formed as a result of the “encounter” between which 
two bodies in the solar system? 
a. asteroids  c. moons 
b. comets  d. stars 
 

2. Which of the following persons is ​not​ associated with the encounter theory? 
a. Forest Moulton  c. Richard Tolman 
b. Harold Jeffreys  d. Thomas Chamberlin 
 

3. In the planetesimal theory, which is believed to have had an encounter with an intruding star?  
a. asteroid  c. protosun 
b. comet  d. Sun 
 

4. According to Chamberlin, what created the planets? 

a. accretion of minute solid particles  c. collision and breaking of protoplanets 
b. contraction of interstellar dust  d. gaseous and liquid condensation 
 

5. In  the  tidal  theory,  what  happened  to  the  hot  gas  of  a  passing  star  when  it  nearly  collided  with 
another star? 
a. caused a cloud collapse  c. condensed into planets 
b. condensed into planetesimals  d. formed a protoplanetary disk 
 

6. What are the two forms of encounter theory? 

a. nebular and big bang  c. protoplanetary disk and nebula 
b. planetesimal and tidal  d. protosun and cloud collapse 
 

7. Which of the following facts is ​not​ considered by the planetesimal theory?   

a. Hot  material  from  the  sun  expands  c. When  fast-moving bodies collide, they 
and dissipates rather than contract.  may break apart.  
b. The  farther  the  planet  from  the  d. The  smaller  planets  closer  to  the  sun 
sun, the less metallic it is.   are also denser.  
 

8. Which theory describes how Earth started from a solid mass smaller than its present size. 
a. encounter  c. planetesimal 
b. nebular  d. tidal 
 

9. What  is  the  reason  why  the  tidal  theory  is  ​wrong  in  proposing  that  the  hot  gas  from  the  passing 
star condensed into planets instead of condensing into planetesimals? 
a. Materials  from  either  star  cannot  c. Accretion  is  the  process  that  forms 
contract.  planetesimal.  
b. As the radius of a gas cloud decreases  d. A  protosun  will  cause  another  star  to 
it spins faster.  collapse.  
 

10. What theory is credited to the English astronomer, James Jeans? 

a. tidal theory  c. nebular theory 
b. planetesimal theory  d. encounter theory