Use these questions to test your understanding of the material for the first
exam. If you get them wrong, you will be linked back to the relevant part of the notes. Use these questions to test your understanding of the material for the first
exam. If you get them wrong, you will be linked back to the relevant part of the notes.
Be sure you study them thoroughly (don't just get a quick fix for your mistake) so your overall understanding is improved.
1. People often refer to the side of the moon away from the earth as the "dark side". Is this term correct?
2. What is the seasonal event for us when the sun is highest in the sky at noon for people in Sydney Australia?
a. summer solstice b. autumnal (fall) equinox c. winter solstice d. vernal (spring) equinox
3. If you were on the moon, could you observe total eclipses of the sun by the earth?
4. If you were on the moon, could you observe annular eclipses of the sun?
5. If the moon is rising during sunset, what phase is it in?
a. new b. first quarter c. full d. last quarter
6. If the moon is rising during sunset, what phase will it be one week later?
a. new b. first quarter c. full d. last quarter
7. If you were on the moon and the moon were full as viewed from earth, what phase would the earth be at?
a. new b. first quarter c. full d. last quarter
8. Why doesn't a total lunar eclipse occur every month?
b. Because we are not necessarily pointed toward the moon when they occur
c. Because of the tilt of the orbit of the moon relative to the orbit of the earth around the sun
d. Because some of them occur on the far side of the moon
9. A month was set to be the time for
a. the earth to rotate on its axis
c. the sun to rotate on its axis
e. the moon to orbit the earth
10. When it is winter in Tucson, it is
b. summer in Australia (southern hemisphere)
11. The seasons are primarily due to
a. the earth getting closer to and farther away from the sun as it goes arount its orbit
d. changes in the output of the sun
e. large scale movements of air
12. An ad claiming that a product is light-years ahead of its time does not make sense because
a. a light-year is so large that a product could not possibly be so advanced.
b. light-years only apply to light.
c. it doesn’t say the number of light-years.
d. it uses “light-years” to talk about time, but a light-year is a unit of distance.
e. it gives no comparison with similar products
13. When we look at a galaxy that is 100 million light years away, the light we see
a. was created 100 million years ago, in the heyday of the dinosaurs
b. is as it was 100 million light-years ago
c. has dimmed by 100 million times in reaching us
d. will be spread over the next 100 million years
e. looks the same as it would have 100 million years ago
14. If you were on the moon observing eclipses by the earth, what kind could you see?
15. 4.7293 X 102 = 47.293 X 103; 47.293 X 101; 472.93 X 101; 4729.3 X 10-3; 472.93 X 102
16. 92538 = 9.2538 X 102; 9.2538 X 103; 9.2538 X 104; 9.2538 X 105; 9.2538 X 106
17. 827091.3 = 8.270913 X 102; 8.270913 X 103; 8.270913 X 104; 8.270913 X 105; 8.270913 X 106
18. 482.3873563 = 4.82 X 102; 4.82 X 103; 4.82 X 104; 4.82 X 105; 4.82 X 106
19. 0.00023 = 2.3 X 100; 2.3 X 10-1; 2.3 X 10-2; 2.3 X 10-3; 2.3 X 10-4
20. 0.00428 = 4.28 X 100; 4.28 X 10-1; 4.28 X 10-2; 4.28 X 10-3; 4.28 X 10-4
21. 2.34 x 100 is
22. 5.63 x 10-2 is
a. -5.635
b. 563000
c. 0.0563
d. 0.0000563
e. 0.000563
23. Scientists
a. work only to apply old theories to new observations
b. test theories against new observations
24. The most persuasive reason ancient astronomers thought the earth was fixed in space and did not orbit the sun was
a. the earth is different from bodies in space, which are just bright points of light
b. space is unchanging while the earth changes all the time
c. their gods placed the earth at the center of the solar system
d. observations of eclipses of the moon showed that the earth stood still
e. the directions toward the stars did not change over the year (there was no parallax)
25. The most important contribution of the Greeks to science was
a. to determine the underlying nature of matter
b. to introduce and develop a scientific pattern of thought
c. to measure the distance to the stars
d. to invent scientific terminology
e. to develop sophisticated machines for experiments
26. Aristarchus' ideas about the soar system
a. were accepted by the other Greek scientists
b. were rejected because they were wrong
c. were rejected because he was judged not to be qualified
d. were rejected because they contradicted other observations and theories
27. The Maya
a. made accurate observations they used mostly for astrology-like activities
b. were comparable in astronomical science to the Greeks
c. were far behind the Babylonians in astronomy
d. had little interest in astronomy
e. left no evidence one way or the other regarding their interest in astronomy
28. People like the Celts and Maya built huge monuments to illustrate astronomy (like Stonehenge or the snake shadow on Chichen Itza)
a. to awe the populace with their skill and power
b. to educate the people in astronomical theory
c. to improve the accuracy of their observations
e. to provide the people with something to do while the government paid them welfare
29. The retrograde motions of the planets
a. were not noticed by ancient astronomers
b. were completely explained by ancient astronomers
c. posed a scientific puzzle that engaged astronomers for many centuries
d. were not real, but just predicted by some ancient religions
e. only started in recent times
30. Creation myths
a. are examples of scientific thought
b. evolved into advanced science
c. were the result of the work of scientists, made more interesting for the masses
d. do not lend themselves to scientific probing
e. have generally been proven eventually by scientists
31. Our modern calendar
a. Is inherited from the Egyptians
b. Was adjusted by Pope Gregory when Julius Caesar's version got out of synchronization
c. Is still not well tuned to the mismatch of the day to the year and will need adjustment soon
d. Was brought down unchanged from the Babylonian astronomers
e. Is based entirely on recent observations and concepts.
32. ________________ had an immense influence on the calendar
a. Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome
b. Alexander the Great, conquerer of the ancient world
d. Hipparchus, great Greek astronomer
e. Aristarchus, Greek astronomer who proposed a correct model of the solar system
33. North of the equator, the stars rise in the east and set in the west and revolve in a counter-clockwise direction around the north celestial pole. South of the equator, they
a. rise in the east, set in the west, and revolve counter-clockwise around the south celestial pole
b. rise in the east, set in the west, and revolve clockwise around the south celestial pole
c. rise in the west, set in the east, and revolve clockwise around the south celestial pole
d. rise in the west, set in the east, and revolve counter-clockwise around the south celestial pole
34. To see the greatest possible number of stars over the course of a year, you should live at the
a. north pole b. equator c. south pole d. it does not really matter
35. Ancient civilizations that had a strong interest in astronomy
a. were more advanced than any others
b. were ruled in enlightened ways
c. tended to develop sophisticated number systems and mathematics as part of their astronomy
d. lived in desert areas where the sky was clear
e. also developed excellent science in other areas
36. Most early cultures had some interest in astronomy because
a. they used it to synchronize their farming with the seasons
b. they found it an interesting application of the scientific method
c. it provided a common topic they could discuss with other cultures
d. it was a way to probe their origins
37. The Greeks
a. Only developed very simple machines
b. Designed and built a sophisticated machine to track the planetary motions
c. Bought their machines from the Egyptians
d. Developed no machines at all because they had plenty of slaves
e. Only built machines of wood because they could not make delicate parts of metals
38. The ________ had interest in astronomy as a science rather than just as a way to do practical things like plant crops and predict the future
c. Anasazi and other cultures in what is now Arizona
39. Stonehenge was
b. An astronomical observatory
40. The ancient Egyptians
a. Were primarily interested in astronomy as a science
b. Had virtually no interest in astronomy
c. Used their knowledge of astronomy for ceremonial purposes and to synchronize their calendar
d. Built major observatories for exclusive use of their astronomers
e. Learned their astronomy from the Romans
41. Ancient navigators used astronomy
a. To find their location east-west
b. To find their location north-south
c. To find their location both east-west and north-south
d. Just as something awesome to look at on long voyages
e. They could not find any particular use for it
42. The best ancient astronomers were able to
a. Only get very approximate values for the apparent periods of planetary motions
b. Use their clocks to get accurate timings for astronomical events
c. Got accurate apparent periods for planetary motions by making records of them over a long time (centuries)
d. Could not get accurate measures of the planetary motions because they did not have good number systems
e. Could not observe the planetary motions well because they did not have telescopes
43. The Greeks did not adopt the picture that the sun was at the center of the Solar System because
b. It contradicted their religion
c. It had been proposed by the Egyptians, with whom they felt a very strong rivalry
d. It violated their ideas of physics
e. They believed that Hercules held up the world
44. The motions of the planets were important in the development of quantitative science because
a. They appeared the same all over the earth
b. Many ancient religions worshiped the planets and their motions were part of the religious doctrine
c. Chinese astronomers came over the Silk Road to teach Europeans about the theory of the motions
d. The planets required a lot of crystal spheres to account for their motions
e. The planetary motions posed a complex mathematical puzzle that stimulated scientific thinking
45. Ptolemy's solar system model
b. provided a good fit to the available observations
c. made no reference to observations - was just a theoretical construct
d. was not quantitative - it just gave a general description of the planetary motions
e. had obvious flaws that worried ancient astronomers
46. Ptolemy and previous astronomers assumed that the earth was surrounded by celestial spheres that
a. rotated from east to west every day
c. rotated around the earth in a year
d. changed shape as the planets moved on them
47. Ptolemy's work was preserved by
a. burying it in dry desert sands
d. Copernicus
e. because it was carved into stone
48. Medieval scientists
b. only recovered the Greek scientific writings
d. made progress that set the stage for the Renaissance
e. there were no real Medieval scientists
49. Aristotle became the foundation for much of Medieval science because
a. He was the only Greek scientist whose writings survived
b. He was the only Greek scientist who got anything right
c. His views were endorsed by the Romans
d. He collected a lot of Greek science into a convenient summary
e. His writings anticipated the teachings of the Church
50. Progress in astronomy was particularly difficult during Medieval times because
a. a long period of cloudy weather made observations difficult
b. Aristotle's theories were particularly advanced on astronomy, making improvements difficult
c. Aristotle's views were adopted and codified as part of the Catholic religion
d. Ptolemy's writings had been lost
e. the calendar was out of synchronization with the seasons
51. The central underlying assumption(s) in Ptolemy's model were
a. planets move along only circular paths
b. planets move always at the same speed
c. planets undergo retrograde motion
52. An indication that Ptolemy's model was seriously flawed was
a. It was completely nonmathematical
b. Astrologers found it difficult to use for predictions
c. It tended to get out of adjustment and had to be reset from time to time
d. It did not fully incorporate the wisdom of the ancient Greek scientists
e. It was contradicted by Aristotle's writings
53. Aristotle's ideas about physics and astronomy were
a. a good summary of the best thinking of the ancient Greek scientists
b. not even phrased in a scientific way that allowed testing them
c. substantially ahead of the ideas of the other Greek scientists
d. contained deep insights that assisted Ptolemy in formulating his theory of planetary motions
e. based on experimentation and hence of some use although they were later improved
54. Theories of the solar system were severely challenged for centuries by
a. errors in predicting the motions of the planets
c. changes in brightness of the planets as they get closer or farther away from the earth
d. why the planets all seemed to move along the same zone in the sky
55. Two planets are observed going around a star. Planet Xoron has an orbital period that is twice as long as Planet Krypton. Which planet has a shorter average orbital radius?
a. Xoron b. Krypton c. They will both be the same d. Not enough information to tell
56. Kepler's "music of the spheres" theory
a. was a hopelessly bad fit to the planetary orbital periods
b. was an impressively good fit to the motions of the stars
c. was an impressively good fit to the planetary orbital periods
d. was an impressively good fit to the eccentricity of the orbits of the planets
e. related the day to the month and year
57. Copernicus' theory for the solar system
a. made much more accurate predictions than previous theories
b. was much simpler than previous theories
c. was obviously a big improvement over previous theories
d. was attractive initially for aesthetic reasons only
e. introduced new physical principles to understand the motions of the planets
58. Suppose two comets, comet A and comet B, were orbiting the sun, having the same average orbital radii. If comet A had a higher orbital eccentricity than comet B, which comet would, during some portion of its orbit, have the higher orbital speed?
a. A b. B c. both would be the same d. impossible to tell
59. Copernicus developed his theory of the solar system because
a. he wanted to try new orbital shapes to improve the predictions
b. he just wanted to try something different
c. he was disturbed by the complexities being used to fit the planet motions
d. he had a mystical vision one night that the sun was at the center of the solar system
e. his measurements of the sizes of the earth, moon, and sun argued that the sun was at the center
60. During the period each year when we see Mars undergoing apparent retrograde motion in our sky, what is really going on in space?
a. The Earth and Mars are getting closer together.
c. Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the Sun.
d. Earth is catching up with and passing by Mars in their respective orbits.
e. Mars is going around on an epicycle
61. The period-radius relationship analogous to Kepler's third law but for the wheel of your bicycle would be
a. the period of revolution goes in proportion to the radius
b. the period of revolution goes in proportion to the square of the radius
c. the square of the period of revolution goes as the cube of the radius
d. the period of revolution is independent of the radius
e. there is no fixed relation between the period of revolution and the radius
62. Kepler's three laws of planetary motion did NOT
a. provide an underlying physical cause for the planetary motions
b. correctly predict the speed with which a planet goes at different places around its orbit
c. correctly state the shapes of the orbits of the planets
63. Parallax was difficult to observe because
a. astronomers did not know where to look
b. the distances to the nearest stars are huge compared with the orbit of the earth
c. astronomers measured the wrong stars
d. parallax is only obvious in earth-centered solar systems
e. it is just one of those things that no one thought was important
64. Tycho showed that comets
a. interact with the atmosphere of the earth
c. are part of the solar system and not associated only with the earth
d. are not the cause of plagues, and other troubles on earth
e. move on orbits shaped differently from those of the planets
65. Kepler's great breakthrough in explaining the motions of the planets came because
a. For the first time, he put the sun at the center of the system
c. he realized that gravity could hold the planets in their orbits
d. he was the first to use mathematics to calculate planet orbits
e. he realized that the planet orbits are ellipses, not combinations of circles
66. It was very convincing that Kepler's concept of planetary motions was more correct that Ptolemy's because
a. Kepler's was simpler without becoming less accurate
b. Kepler's was more accurate without becoming more complex
c. Kepler's was both simpler and more accurate
d. Kepler's was backed up by physics that explained the motions on basic principles
e. Kepler had a convincing theory for the relative sized and ellipticities of the planetary orbits
67. Tycho substantially increased the accuracy of measuring the positions of planets and stars by
a. using telescopes and clocks
b. observing the motions for longer than had been done before
c. building huge, accurate instruments that were used like gun sights
d. building on the knowledge of the Greek astronomers
e. making all the observations by himself so there were no variations due to personal eccentricities
68. Tycho's model for the motions of the planets
a. improved the accuracy of the knowledge of their orbits
b. solved the parallax problem while adopting some of Copernicus's ideas
c. inspired Kepler by giving him the basic idea that made his concept work
d. was a substantial advance over Ptolemy's model
e. was essential to explain his observations
69. Newton explained Kepler's Laws
a. by a more sophisticated version of Kepler's "music of the spheres"
b. by giving them a sound religious foundation
c. by making them consistent with Aristotle's works
e. by developing an explanation of Kepler's works that could be more easily understood
70. Newton’s laws were a "simple" explanation for the motions of the planets because
a. once they were published, it was obvious that they did the job
c. although it required calculus to prove it, they fit the facts with a minimum of assumptions
d. they were based on everyday experience
e. they were just common sense
71. At the time of Copernicus and Kepler, all but one of the following was a weakness in Ptolemy’s theory. Which item was not fairly considered to be a weakness?
a. it had gotten more and more complex
b. it could not make accurate predictions
c. there was no underlying physical explanation for it
d. it needed constant updating
e. it could not explain parallax
72. Galileo’s discovery of the phases of Venus proved that
a. Venus orbits the earth, like the moon
b. Tycho's model for the solar system was wrong
d. Venus comes between the earth and sun on its orbit
73. Ptolemy’s model of the system was scientific in approach except that
a. it started from simple assumptions
b. it was based on observations
c. it was later shown to be wrong
d. it was developed before people thought scientifically
e. it was not based on broad principles that could be applied in other situations
74. If a planet is in a circular orbit at a distance of 1 AU (earth orbit) from a star, compare the force of gravity on it with another planet in a circular orbit twice as big (2 AU)
a. twice as big b. four times less c. two times less d. four times more
e. cannot determine from the facts given
75. Galileo's dispute with the Church
a. was purely a case of a hard-working scientist being persecuted for his views
b. reflected deep and fundamental philosophical differences about science and what it could do
c. was trumped up by the Church with no provocation from Galileo
d. should never have occurred because Galileo had absolute proof of all of his claims
76. Galileo dropped objects from the leaning tower of Pisa to show
a. That heavy and light objects fall at the same rate
b. How air resistance slows the fall of objects
c. To see if freely falling objects behaved like those he had studied on inclined planes
d. He did not drop things from the tower - some one else did to attack Galileo's theories
e. To determine the local vertical and hence measure how far the tower was leaning
77. Galileo's greatest contribution to science was
b. he showed that science was superior to religion
c. he wrote his results up in books and had them published for general circulation
e. he proved that the Copernican system was correct
78. Newton got the idea for gravity as the force that keeps the planets in their orbits
a. by carefully considering all the alternatives and rejecting them
b. by mathematically demonstrating that such a force was necessary
d. it came to him while relaxing in a garden and watching an apple fall
e. because he needed some way to apply his newly invented branch of mathematics - calculus
79.According to Newton, the force that keeps the planets from slowing down in their orbits is
80. Newton's laws
a. are stated very simply but nonetheless are very general and powerful
b. are cloaked in mathematics that makes them hard to understand
c. are simple, but the real motion of everyday objects requires much more complex ones
d. are specialized to the motion of the planets
e. were not that big a deal - they should have been obvious to anyone
81. Galileo's telescopes
a. had really good lenses that allowed him to see fine details
b. were limited in resolution by poor lenses and the need to reduce their apertures
c. were the first ones ever made
d. were really no better than those made by others
82. Scientists
a. work only to apply old theories to new observations
b. test theories against new observations
83. Scientists
a. always progress steadily toward improved theories
c. usually depend almost entirely on the writings of past authorities
d. get theories by studying concepts revealed in religious books and activities
e. work in ways that other people have no chance of understanding
84. Jupiter is about 5 times farther away from the sun than the earth is, and about 325 times more massive. Compare the gravitational forces holding the earth and Jupiter on their orbits.
a. there is not enough information to tell
b. the force on the earth is greater than that on Jupiter
d. the force on Jupiter is 13 times greater than the one on the earth
e. the force on Jupiter is 325 times greater than the one on the earth
85. "Conservation of Energy" means that
a. Laws should be passed to preserve energy for future generations
c. Energy can be converted into matter
d. An object in motion tends to retain the motion in the same direction and at the same speed.
e. Energy must be supplied to keep the planets moving in their orbits
86. Tides arise because
b. The gravity of the moon pulls the oceans outward
e. Friction between the ocean floors and the water interacts with tidal forces
87. When mass is annihilated
a. It disappears into another universe
c. It is converted into energy, as shown by E = mc2
e. We don't know what happens, since we have never annihilated mass
88. When an object is about to fall and is high above the ground,
a. Its potential energy is at a maximum and its kinetic energy is at a minimum
b. Both its potential and kinetic energies are at a maximum
c. Both its potential and kinetic energies are at a minimum
d. Its potential energy is at a minimum and its kinetic energy is at a maximum
e. There is no fixed relation between its kinetic and potential energies
89. Which controls accelerate a car, according to Newton's Laws?
90. You live by the seashore on a planet with three moons in orbit around it. You will see
d. a complicated pattern of tides depending on the relative locations of the moons
e. an unpredictable tide pattern
91. An object completely at rest may have some energy
a. because of its position relative to the earth
b. because of its kinetic energy
c. because energy is present everywhere
d. if it has no electrical charge
e. only if light is shining on it
92. An astronaut on the moon dropped a hammer and a feather from a height of 1.5 meters.
a. the hammer hit the surface first
b. the feather hit the surface first
c. they hit the surface at the same time
d. which hit first depends on the type of feather
e. which hit first cannot be predicted
93. Suppose you go outside and look at three stars. Star A is blue, star B is white, and star C is red. Which star is the hottest and which is the coldest?
a. A is hottest and B is coldest b. C is hottest and A is coldest c. B is hottest and C is coldest d. A is hottest and C is coldest
94. If a star is moving away from you at constant speed, how do the wavelengths of the absorption lines change as the star gets farther and farther?
c. they stay shifted the same amount to the red
95. If the emission lines in one object are more strongly blueshifted than those from a second object, then the first object is moving
b. toward us faster then the second object is
c. we cannot tell how it is moving just from its emission lines
96. An object which emits light with a peak wavelength at 500nm has a temperature _____ that of an object whose emission peaks at 250nm. ( 1nm = 10-9 meters)
a. the same as b. 4 times c. 2 times d. one half
e. Cannot be computed from the information given.
97. Two stars are identical in all respects but one: Star A is three times further away from us than Star B. What are the relative brightnesses of these two stars?
a. Star A is three times fainter than Star B
b. Star B is three times fainter than Star A
c. Star A is nine times fainter than Star B
d. Star B is nine times fainter than Star A
e. The stars appear equally bright
98. A box contains a collection of molecules (for example, the box might be full of air). We have a gauge that records how much force is exerted on the walls of the box by molecules. We take data for awhile and then notice that the force increased. What happened?
99. If you know the wavelength of a photon, you can compute
a. its position b. its frequency c. its energy d. its position, frequency, and energy e. its frequency and energy
100. At what temperature does an object produce radiation?
a. 212 F or 100 C b. 32 F or 0 C c. 5500 K d. at no temperature e. at any temperature above absolute zero
101. Which of the following moves the fastest?
a. blue photons b. red photons c. x-rays d. radio waves e. all of the above move at the same speed
102. Visible light comprises
a. nearly the entire electromagnetic spectrum
b. only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
c. the lowest energy portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
d. the highest energy portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
103. The number of visible emission lines with different wavelengths that an atom can produce
a. is always one b. is always two c. is always three d. is always four
e. depends on the numbers and arrangements of electrons in the atom
104. Electrons have a wave character which means that
a. they can only exist in selected orbits within atoms
c. they cannot have an electrical charge
105. Hydrogen absorption lines in the spectrum of the source indicate that
a. there is a cloud of hydrogen behind the source
b. there is a cloud of hydrogen in front of the source
c. the source is exciting nearby hydrogen
d. the source is made of hydrogen
e. the source is shining on a cloud of hydrogen off to one side
106. When we say photons and electrons have "wave-particle duality", it meansa. some of them act like waves, some act like particles
c. any photon and any electron can act like a wave or a particle depending on the circumstances
d. they are all particles but they move up and down like waves
e. a photon and an electron can interfere with each other
107. The "luminosity" of a source is
a. how bright it appears to be
c. its average temperature times its area
d. the energy it emits in the visible spectral range
e. the energy of the photons at the peak of its output
108. When you are listening to the radio, you are hearing
a. sound waves b.radio waves c. amplitude modulation d. frequency modulation
109. These days, astronomers depend on ____________ for obtaining new observations of photons from the stars
a. their eyes b. refracting telescopes c. electronic detectors d. discovering notebooks of previous astronomers
110. Astronomers like big telescopes because
a. big telescopes make them feel important
b. big telescopes can see smaller details (have higher resolution)
c. they actually prefer small ones because they are easier to move around
d. big telescopes can carry heavier instruments than small ones
111. Observatories are put in in space
a. to get them closer to the stars
b. so they can observe night and day
c. because they can be pointed more accurately there
d. to get above bad weather so observations are not interrupted by clouds
e. to get above the atmosphere and its absorption of photons
112. The granules visible on the Sun's surface are evidence of
a. large amounts of iron b. magnetic storms c. convection d. gas escaping into space
e. electromagnetic radiation from the Sun
113. The Sun's corona has a temperature of more than a million degrees. What wavelength regime would be most useful for studying the corona?
a. visible light b. radio waves c. infrared light d. x-rays e. long wavelengths
114. The term "solar cycle" refers to
a. periodic changes in the Sun's brightness b. the 22 year pattern in sunspots and magnetic field direction
c. a solar-powered bicycle d. the length of time it takes the Sun to orbit the center of the Milky Way
115. The major constituents of the Sun are
a. iron and nickel b. hydrogen and helium c. oxygen and carbon d. water and salt e. neon and krypton gas
116. The danger to astronauts from solar flares and coronal mass ejections is greatest when
a. Sun is at a sunspot maximum b. the magnetic field is least tangled
c. more granules are formed d. Sun rotates faster
e. danger is the same all the time
117. The underlying cause of the solar cycle is
a. winding up of the sun's magnetic field due to differential rotation
b. oscillations in the center of the sun
c. changes in the temperature of the sun
d. the sunspots appear at different latitudes on the sun
e. changes in the rate of coronal mass ejections
118. Sunspots are
a. regions where strong absorption lines reduce the output of the sun
b. regions where a strong magnetic dipole interferes with the outward transport of energy
c. bodies above the surface of the sun that block some of its light
d. where cool bodies have recently fallen into the sun
e. where solar storms bring cooling flows
119. If the earth were further from the Sun than it actually is, the parallax angle for stars would be
a. larger b. smaller c. the same
120. Which two things are needed to determine an object's distance from the Earth if it is too distant to use trigonometric parallaxes?
a. velocity and luminosity b. velocity and apparent brightness
c. apparent brightness and luminosity d. apparent brightness and size
121. Two stars, X and Y, have the same luminosity but star X is a very blue star while Y is a red star. Which star has the larger radius?
a. Star X b. Star Y c. Not enough information has been provided to choose.
122. You are living 200 years ago and want to discover parallax. Your best bet is to choose
a. bright stars b. dim stars c. stars with large proper motions d. stars with small proper motions
123. The sequence of spectral types that Miss Cannon discovered is actually a sequence
a. of percentage of hydrogen in a star b. of velocity through space c. of apparent magnitudes
d. of temperatures e. of numbers of sunspots
124. If you want to measure the mass of a star, you must
a. look for a pair of stars orbiting each other b. use Kepler's 3rd Law c. measure the star's temperature
d. measure the star's radius e. do both a and b
125. In the figure above, which star has the largest surface area?
126. Which one has the smallest surface area?
127.Two stars both have spectral type A. One has a luminosity that is 1000 times larger than the other. What parameter differs the most between these two stars?
a. temperature b. color c. radius d. composition e. distance
128. Star A has a parallax of 0.5" while Star B has a parallax of 0.15".
a. Star A is closer than Star B. b. Star A is 2 parsecs away.
c. Star B is closer than Star A. d. Both a. and b. are correct.
e. More information is needed to know anything about these stars.
129. Grand unified theories suggest that, at extremely high temperature and pressure,
a. all the forces of physics can be explained in a single physical law
b. all the elements are unified into a single type of matter
c. fundamental particles like quarks unify into protons and neutrons
e. matter falls into a black hole
130. Gravity is an important force in shaping the Universe because
a. it is the strongest force we know
b. it works well over long distances and there is no antigravity
c. actually, it does not play much of a role off the surface of the earth
d. it holds the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
e. it is the only inverse r squared force
131. The "strong nuclear force"
a. affects the motions of the planets because it is the strongest force
b. is actually the second strongest force
c. has little direct effect on the motions of the planets because it is so short range
d. holds the electrons in orbit around the atom nucleus
e. holds atoms together to make large objects like planets
132. "anti matter"
a. is repelled by the gravitational field of the earth
b. is a prediction of physics that has not been found yet
c. is the material some of the other planets might be made of
e. is an invention in science fiction stories
133. The most basic building blocks of matter that we know about are
a. protons, neutrons, and electrons b. photons c. quarks d. antiprotons and antineutrons e. neutrinos
134. The electromagnetic force does not dominate interactions between celestial bodies because
a. it is too weak b. it acts only over short distances c. it needs magnetic materials to be effective
d. positive charges largely cancel the effects of negative ones e. actually, it does dominate such interactions