Question 1

Based on the idea of "spaceship Earth," write one or two paragraphs explaining why it is not the case that we are "just sitting here."

Accepted Answer

Far from just sitting still, we on Earth

Question 2

One light- minute is the distance light travels in one minute. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 5 light- minutes?

Accepted Answer

A) 5)4 billion km (5,400,000,000, or 5.4 × 109 km) 
B) 1)5 million km (1,500,000, or 1.5 × 106 km) 
C) 90 million km (90,000,000, or 9 × 107 km) 
D) 47.3 trillion km (47,300,000,000,000, or 4.73 × 1013 km) 
A) 5)4 billion km (5,400,000,000, or 5.4 × 109 km) 
B) 1)5 million km (1,500,000, or 1.5 × 106 km) 
C) 90 million km (90,000,000, or 9 × 107 km) 
D) 47.3 trillion km (47,300,000,000,000, or 4.73 × 1013 km)

Question 3

Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like?

Accepted Answer

A) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are within about 20 meters of the Sun, while the rest planets are spread much farther apart. 
B) The planets range in size from about the size of a marble to the size of a baseball. They are spread out over a region about the size of a football field. 
C) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun and are spread out evenly over a distance about the length of a large classroom. 
D) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are located within a few centimeters of the Sun, and four planets are located at distances ranging up to about a meter. 
A) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are within about 20 meters of the Sun, while the rest planets are spread much farther apart. 
B) The planets range in size from about the size of a marble to the size of a baseball. They are spread out over a region about the size of a football field. 
C) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun and are spread out evenly over a distance about the length of a large classroom. 
D) The planets are all much smaller than the Sun. Four planets are located within a few centimeters of the Sun, and four planets are located at distances ranging up to about a meter.

Question 4

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

Accepted Answer

A) a star near the center of the Milky Way 
B) Pluto 
C) a star in the Andromeda Galaxy 
D) the Sun 
A) a star near the center of the Milky Way 
B) Pluto 
C) a star in the Andromeda Galaxy 
D) the Sun

Question 5

In a ten- billion to one scale model, the Sun and the Earth are about the size of

Accepted Answer

A) a grape and a grain of sand. 
B) a grapefruit and a grape. 
C) a grapefruit and a grain of sand. 
D) a basketball and a grape. 
A) a grape and a grain of sand. 
B) a grapefruit and a grape. 
C) a grapefruit and a grain of sand. 
D) a basketball and a grape.

Question 6

What is the Sun mainly made of?

Accepted Answer

A) hydrogen and oxygen 
B) nearly equal portions of all the elements 
C) carbon and nitrogen 
D) oxygen and carbon 
E) hydrogen and helium 
A) hydrogen and oxygen 
B) nearly equal portions of all the elements 
C) carbon and nitrogen 
D) oxygen and carbon 
E) hydrogen and helium

Question 7

Earth is always precisely 1 AU from the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did this material come from?

Accepted Answer

A) It was made by nuclear fission of uranium and other radioactive materials. 
B) It was produced by nuclear fusion in stars. 
C) It was made by our Sun. 
D) It was produced in the Big Bang. 
E) It was created by chemical reactions in interstellar space. 
A) It was made by nuclear fission of uranium and other radioactive materials. 
B) It was produced by nuclear fusion in stars. 
C) It was made by our Sun. 
D) It was produced in the Big Bang. 
E) It was created by chemical reactions in interstellar space.

Question 9

Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A) roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy 
B) very near the center of the galaxy 
C) at the far edge of the galaxy's visible disk 
D) in the halo of the galaxy 
A) roughly halfway between the center and the edge of the visible disk of the galaxy 
B) very near the center of the galaxy 
C) at the far edge of the galaxy's visible disk 
D) in the halo of the galaxy

Question 10

One light- year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- year?

Accepted Answer

A) 18 million km (18,000,000, or 1.8 × 107 km) 
B) 9)46 trillion km (9,460,000,000,000, or 9.46 × 1012 km) 
C) 1)08 billion km (1,080,000,000, or 1.08 × 109 km) 
D) 300 thousand km (300,000, or 3 × 105 km) 
A) 18 million km (18,000,000, or 1.8 × 107 km) 
B) 9)46 trillion km (9,460,000,000,000, or 9.46 × 1012 km) 
C) 1)08 billion km (1,080,000,000, or 1.08 × 109 km) 
D) 300 thousand km (300,000, or 3 × 105 km)

Question 11

What is the diameter of the galaxy, in km?

Accepted Answer

A) about 1 million trillion km (1018 km) 
B) about 1 billion trillion km (1021 km) 
C) about 10 trillion km (1013 km) 
D) about 100,000 km (105 km) 
A) about 1 million trillion km (1018 km) 
B) about 1 billion trillion km (1021 km) 
C) about 10 trillion km (1013 km) 
D) about 100,000 km (105 km)

Question 12

No galaxies existed before the Big Bang.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

How are galaxies important to our existence?

Accepted Answer

A) Without galaxies, there could not have been a Big Bang. 
B) Deep in their centers, galaxies created the elements from which we are made. 
C) Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding. 
D) Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling we could not exist. 
A) Without galaxies, there could not have been a Big Bang. 
B) Deep in their centers, galaxies created the elements from which we are made. 
C) Without galaxies, the universe could not be expanding. 
D) Galaxies recycle material from one generation of stars to the next, and without this recycling we could not exist.

Question 14

By studying distant galaxies in the 1920s, Hubble made the following important discovery that led us to conclude that the universe is expanding.

Accepted Answer

A) All galaxies were born at the same time, and all will die at the same time. 
B) All galaxies outside the Local Group are moving away from us, and the farther away they are, the faster they're going. 
C) All galaxies outside the Local Group are moving away from us, and all are moving away at nearly the same speed. 
D) All galaxies outside the Local Group are orbiting the Local Group. 
E) All galaxies contain billions of stars, and all galaxies have spiral shapes. 
A) All galaxies were born at the same time, and all will die at the same time. 
B) All galaxies outside the Local Group are moving away from us, and the farther away they are, the faster they're going. 
C) All galaxies outside the Local Group are moving away from us, and all are moving away at nearly the same speed. 
D) All galaxies outside the Local Group are orbiting the Local Group. 
E) All galaxies contain billions of stars, and all galaxies have spiral shapes.

Question 15

The total number of stars in the observable universe is about _.

Accepted Answer

A) the same as the number of grains of sand in a school sandbox 
B) 100 billion 
C) the same as the number of atoms that make up the Earth 
D) the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth 
A) the same as the number of grains of sand in a school sandbox 
B) 100 billion 
C) the same as the number of atoms that make up the Earth 
D) the same as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth

Question 16

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A) several days 
B) several weeks 
C) several thousand years 
D) several years 
A) several days 
B) several weeks 
C) several thousand years 
D) several years

Question 17

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

Accepted Answer

A) a vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth 
B) The universe is another name for our Milky Way Galaxy. 
C) the sum total of all matter and energy 
D) all the galaxies in all the superclusters 
A) a vast collection of stars that number as many as the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth 
B) The universe is another name for our Milky Way Galaxy. 
C) the sum total of all matter and energy 
D) all the galaxies in all the superclusters

Question 19

Suppose we look at a photograph of many galaxies. Assuming that all galaxies formed at the same time after the Big Bang, which galaxy appears to us as the youngest?

Accepted Answer

A) the galaxy that is furthest from us 
B) the galaxy that appears bluest to us 
C) the galaxy that appears largest to us 
D) the galaxy that is closest to us 
E) All galaxies would appear to have the same age. 
A) the galaxy that is furthest from us 
B) the galaxy that appears bluest to us 
C) the galaxy that appears largest to us 
D) the galaxy that is closest to us 
E) All galaxies would appear to have the same age.

Question 20

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

Accepted Answer

A) less than one meter from the Sun. 
B) about 15 meters from the Sun. 
C) about 75 meters from the Sun. 
D) about a kilometer from the Sun. 
A) less than one meter from the Sun. 
B) about 15 meters from the Sun. 
C) about 75 meters from the Sun. 
D) about a kilometer from the Sun.

Based on the idea of "spaceship Earth," write one or two paragraphs explaining why it is not the case that we are "just sitting here."

One light- minute is the distance light travels in one minute. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 5 light- minutes?

Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like?

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

In a ten- billion to one scale model, the Sun and the Earth are about the size of

What is the Sun mainly made of?

Earth is always precisely 1 AU from the Sun.

Earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did this material come from?

Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy?

One light- year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- year?

What is the diameter of the galaxy, in km?

No galaxies existed before the Big Bang.

How are galaxies important to our existence?

By studying distant galaxies in the 1920s, Hubble made the following important discovery that led us to conclude that the universe is expanding.

The total number of stars in the observable universe is about _.

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy?

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

Suppose we look at a photograph of many galaxies. Assuming that all galaxies formed at the same time after the Big Bang, which galaxy appears to us as the youngest?

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

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Exam 1: A Modern View of the Universe

Based on the idea of "spaceship Earth," write one or two paragraphs explaining why it is not the case that we are "just sitting here."

One light- minute is the distance light travels in one minute. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 5 light- minutes?

Suppose we make a scale model of our solar system, with the Sun the size of a grapefruit. Which of the following best describes what the planets would look like?

Which object has aged the most since it emitted the light we see today?

In a ten- billion to one scale model, the Sun and the Earth are about the size of

What is the Sun mainly made of?

Earth is always precisely 1 AU from the Sun.

Earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did this material come from?

Where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy?

One light- year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is about 300,000 km/s (3 × 105 km/s). How far is 1 light- year?

What is the diameter of the galaxy, in km?

No galaxies existed before the Big Bang.

How are galaxies important to our existence?

By studying distant galaxies in the 1920s, Hubble made the following important discovery that led us to conclude that the universe is expanding.

The total number of stars in the observable universe is about _.

If you could count stars at a rate of about one per second, how long would it take to count all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy?

The observable universe is the same size today as it was a few billion years ago.

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the universe?

Suppose we look at a photograph of many galaxies. Assuming that all galaxies formed at the same time after the Big Bang, which galaxy appears to us as the youngest?

Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun. In a ten billion to one scale model, Jupiter is

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters