Question 1

The value of $\lambda$max in the spectrum given off by a heated blackbody depends on the object's

Accepted Answer

A)  size. 
B)  color. 
C)  temperature. 
D)  chemical composition. 
A)  size. 
B)  color. 
C)  temperature. 
D)  chemical composition.

Question 2

One isotope of iron has an atomic number of 26. How many protons are there in its nucleus?

Accepted Answer

A)  The atomic number is not related to the number of protons in the nucleus, which could be any number between 1 and 26. 
B)  1 less than 26, or 25 
C)  26 
D)  56 
A)  The atomic number is not related to the number of protons in the nucleus, which could be any number between 1 and 26. 
B)  1 less than 26, or 25 
C)  26 
D)  56

Question 3

The temperature scale most often used by scientists is the

Accepted Answer

A)  Kelvin scale. 
B)  Richter scale. 
C)  Fahrenheit scale. 
D)  Celsius scale. 
A)  Kelvin scale. 
B)  Richter scale. 
C)  Fahrenheit scale. 
D)  Celsius scale.

Question 4

The temperature at the top of the clouds on Jupiter is about 165 K. In degrees Celsius, this temperature is

Accepted Answer

A)  0°C. 
B)  -165°C. 
C)  -108°C. 
D)  438°C. 
A)  0°C. 
B)  -165°C. 
C)  -108°C. 
D)  438°C.

Question 5

The series of spectral absorption lines in the infrared part of the spectrum that result from atomic transitions in hydrogen atoms in which electrons are lifted from the n = 3 level to all other atomic energy levels is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  ionization transitions. 
B)  the Lyman series. 
C)  the Paschen series. 
D)  the Balmer series. 
A)  ionization transitions. 
B)  the Lyman series. 
C)  the Paschen series. 
D)  the Balmer series.

Question 6

The wavelength at which the spectrum emitted from a blackbody is most intense is proportional to what power of the blackbody's Kelvin temperature?

Accepted Answer

A)  T 
B)  1/T 
C)  T2 
D)  T4 
A)  T 
B)  1/T 
C)  T2 
D)  T4

Question 7

Compared to the mass of an electron, the mass of a proton is

Accepted Answer

A)  almost 2000 times greater. 
B)  about twice as large. 
C)  about the same. 
D)  about 1/2000 as large. 
A)  almost 2000 times greater. 
B)  about twice as large. 
C)  about the same. 
D)  about 1/2000 as large.

Question 8

When an atom of the radioactive carbon isotope 14C decays into 14N (nitrogen), what happens in the nucleus of the atom?

Accepted Answer

A)  The nucleus of the carbon atom captures a nucleus of a hydrogen atom (a proton). 
B)  A proton is ejected from the nucleus. 
C)  A neutron becomes a proton. 
D)  A neutron is ejected from the nucleus. 
A)  The nucleus of the carbon atom captures a nucleus of a hydrogen atom (a proton). 
B)  A proton is ejected from the nucleus. 
C)  A neutron becomes a proton. 
D)  A neutron is ejected from the nucleus.

Question 9

What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the fissionable isotope of uranium used in nuclear weapons, 235U, which has an atomic number of 92?

Accepted Answer

A)  235 
B)  92 
C)  143 
D)  327 
A)  235 
B)  92 
C)  143 
D)  327

Question 10

In a simple atom, the electrons making transitions between the outermost energy levels and the innermost energy levels give rise to photons with the

Accepted Answer

A)  reddest colors. 
B)  highest speeds. 
C)  longest wavelengths. 
D)  highest energies. 
A)  reddest colors. 
B)  highest speeds. 
C)  longest wavelengths. 
D)  highest energies.

Question 11

What will be the peak wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a piece of iron that is just melting at a temperature of 1808 K? (Use Wien's law, which relates the peak wavelength $\lambda$max emitted by a body to its temperature T, and see Figure 4-2) (1 $\mu$m = 10-6 m).

Accepted Answer

A)  16 $\mu$m, intermediate infrared 
B)  1.89 $\mu$m, near infrared 
C)  1.6 $\mu$m, near infrared 
D)  1.04 $\mu$m, very near infrared 
A)  16 $\mu$m, intermediate infrared 
B)  1.89 $\mu$m, near infrared 
C)  1.6 $\mu$m, near infrared 
D)  1.04 $\mu$m, very near infrared

Question 12

A small particle of interplanetary material is heated by friction from a temperature of 400 K to 4000 K as it falls into the atmosphere of Earth and produces a meteor or a shooting star in the sky. If this object behaves like a perfect blackbody over this short time, how will its emitted radiation change as it is heated?

Accepted Answer

A)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 100, while the peak wavelength of emitted light will become shorter by a factor of 100, moving from the infrared to the ultraviolet. 
B)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10,000, while its peak wavelength will become longer by a factor of 10, moving from the visible to the infrared of heat radiation. 
C)  The emitted intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10,000, while its peak wavelength will become shorter by a factor of 10, from infrared to red visible light. 
D)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10, while its peak wavelength will become shorter by a factor of 10, moving from the infrared to red visible light. 
A)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 100, while the peak wavelength of emitted light will become shorter by a factor of 100, moving from the infrared to the ultraviolet. 
B)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10,000, while its peak wavelength will become longer by a factor of 10, moving from the visible to the infrared of heat radiation. 
C)  The emitted intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10,000, while its peak wavelength will become shorter by a factor of 10, from infrared to red visible light. 
D)  The intensity of the radiation will rise by a factor of 10, while its peak wavelength will become shorter by a factor of 10, moving from the infrared to red visible light.

Question 13

The Doppler effect is the change in the wavelength of light caused by the source

Accepted Answer

A)  being in a high gravitational field. 
B)  being embedded in a cloud of dust and gas. 
C)  being in an intense magnetic field. 
D)  moving with respect to the observer. 
A)  being in a high gravitational field. 
B)  being embedded in a cloud of dust and gas. 
C)  being in an intense magnetic field. 
D)  moving with respect to the observer.

Question 14

Which of these items is considered to be the BEST one to use in a spectrograph to disperse light into its spectrum of colors?

Accepted Answer

A)  CCD array 
B)  diffraction grating 
C)  glass prism 
D)  two-element achromatic lens 
A)  CCD array 
B)  diffraction grating 
C)  glass prism 
D)  two-element achromatic lens

Question 15

What evidence exists that the Sun contains the element iron?

Accepted Answer

A)  Solar spectra show absorption in spectral lines that are characteristic of iron and are unique to it. 
B)  The peak wavelength of the continuum spectrum of sunlight is characteristic of the emission spectrum of iron, as seen when a piece of iron is heated in the laboratory. 
C)  Scientists have collected meteorites composed of almost pure iron that originated in the Sun. 
D)  Magnetic fields exist in sunspots and on the Sun, and they must be produced by iron in the same way that Earth's magnetic field is generated. 
A)  Solar spectra show absorption in spectral lines that are characteristic of iron and are unique to it. 
B)  The peak wavelength of the continuum spectrum of sunlight is characteristic of the emission spectrum of iron, as seen when a piece of iron is heated in the laboratory. 
C)  Scientists have collected meteorites composed of almost pure iron that originated in the Sun. 
D)  Magnetic fields exist in sunspots and on the Sun, and they must be produced by iron in the same way that Earth's magnetic field is generated.

Question 16

If the human eye has evolved over time so that its peak wavelength sensitivity is about 0.5 $\mu$m (1 $\mu$m = 10-6 m), what will be the temperature of a blackbody to which the eye will be MOST sensitive?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.58 K 
B)  580 K 
C)  5800 K 
D)  14,240 K 
A)  0.58 K 
B)  580 K 
C)  5800 K 
D)  14,240 K

Question 17

Which very significant fact concerning the spectra produced by hot gases, such as elements heated on the solar surface (Fraunhofer, with the solar spectrum) or in a flame (Bunsen and Kirchhoff, with laboratory spectra), was discovered in the 1800s?

Accepted Answer

A)  Each chemical element produces its own characteristic pattern of spectral lines that remains fixed as the temperature increases. 
B)  Chemical elements emit spectral lines that move continuously toward the blue end of the spectrum as the gas temperature increases. 
C)  The higher the temperature, the greater the redshift of the emitted spectral lines. 
D)  Every chemical element produces the same set of spectral emission or absorption lines as every other chemical element, but their relative emission intensities differ. 
A)  Each chemical element produces its own characteristic pattern of spectral lines that remains fixed as the temperature increases. 
B)  Chemical elements emit spectral lines that move continuously toward the blue end of the spectrum as the gas temperature increases. 
C)  The higher the temperature, the greater the redshift of the emitted spectral lines. 
D)  Every chemical element produces the same set of spectral emission or absorption lines as every other chemical element, but their relative emission intensities differ.

Question 18

How many electrons surround the nucleus of a neutral atom of the isotope 18O of oxygen? Oxygen has an atomic number of 8.

Accepted Answer

A)  18 
B)  7 
C)  10 
D)  8 
A)  18 
B)  7 
C)  10 
D)  8

Question 19

An astronomer plots the blackbody curve for an object at 8000 K and then raises the temperature of the object to 12,000 K and plots the blackbody curve again. These curves

Accepted Answer

A)  intersect at a point that depends on the mass of the object. 
B)  intersect at a point that depends on the atomic structure of the object. 
C)  intersect at several points. The number of crossings can be used to find the chemical composition of the object. 
D)  will not intersect. 
A)  intersect at a point that depends on the mass of the object. 
B)  intersect at a point that depends on the atomic structure of the object. 
C)  intersect at several points. The number of crossings can be used to find the chemical composition of the object. 
D)  will not intersect.

Question 20

In what units does one measure luminosity L?

Accepted Answer

A)  joule per square meter per second 
B)  joule per second 
C)  joule per square meter per second per Kelvin degree 
D)  joule times square meter per second 
A)  joule per square meter per second 
B)  joule per second 
C)  joule per square meter per second per Kelvin degree 
D)  joule times square meter per second

The value of $\lambda$ _max in the spectrum given off by a heated blackbody depends on the object's

One isotope of iron has an atomic number of 26. How many protons are there in its nucleus?

The temperature scale most often used by scientists is the

The temperature at the top of the clouds on Jupiter is about 165 K. In degrees Celsius, this temperature is

The series of spectral absorption lines in the infrared part of the spectrum that result from atomic transitions in hydrogen atoms in which electrons are lifted from the n = 3 level to all other atomic energy levels is known as

The wavelength at which the spectrum emitted from a blackbody is most intense is proportional to what power of the blackbody's Kelvin temperature?

Compared to the mass of an electron, the mass of a proton is

When an atom of the radioactive carbon isotope ¹⁴C decays into ¹⁴N (nitrogen), what happens in the nucleus of the atom?

What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the fissionable isotope of uranium used in nuclear weapons, ²³⁵U, which has an atomic number of 92?

In a simple atom, the electrons making transitions between the outermost energy levels and the innermost energy levels give rise to photons with the

The Doppler effect is the change in the wavelength of light caused by the source

Which of these items is considered to be the BEST one to use in a spectrograph to disperse light into its spectrum of colors?

What evidence exists that the Sun contains the element iron?

If the human eye has evolved over time so that its peak wavelength sensitivity is about 0.5 $\mu$ m (1 $\mu$ m = 10^-6 m), what will be the temperature of a blackbody to which the eye will be MOST sensitive?

Which very significant fact concerning the spectra produced by hot gases, such as elements heated on the solar surface (Fraunhofer, with the solar spectrum) or in a flame (Bunsen and Kirchhoff, with laboratory spectra), was discovered in the 1800s?

How many electrons surround the nucleus of a neutral atom of the isotope ¹⁸O of oxygen? Oxygen has an atomic number of 8.

An astronomer plots the blackbody curve for an object at 8000 K and then raises the temperature of the object to 12,000 K and plots the blackbody curve again. These curves

In what units does one measure luminosity L?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 4: Atomic Physics and Spectra

The value of λ\lambdaλ max in the spectrum given off by a heated blackbody depends on the object's

One isotope of iron has an atomic number of 26. How many protons are there in its nucleus?

The temperature scale most often used by scientists is the

The temperature at the top of the clouds on Jupiter is about 165 K. In degrees Celsius, this temperature is

The series of spectral absorption lines in the infrared part of the spectrum that result from atomic transitions in hydrogen atoms in which electrons are lifted from the n = 3 level to all other atomic energy levels is known as

The wavelength at which the spectrum emitted from a blackbody is most intense is proportional to what power of the blackbody's Kelvin temperature?

Compared to the mass of an electron, the mass of a proton is

When an atom of the radioactive carbon isotope 14C decays into 14N (nitrogen), what happens in the nucleus of the atom?

What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the fissionable isotope of uranium used in nuclear weapons, 235U, which has an atomic number of 92?

In a simple atom, the electrons making transitions between the outermost energy levels and the innermost energy levels give rise to photons with the

What will be the peak wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a piece of iron that is just melting at a temperature of 1808 K? (Use Wien's law, which relates the peak wavelength λ\lambdaλ max emitted by a body to its temperature T, and see Figure 4-2) (1 μ\muμ m = 10-6 m).

The Doppler effect is the change in the wavelength of light caused by the source

Which of these items is considered to be the BEST one to use in a spectrograph to disperse light into its spectrum of colors?

What evidence exists that the Sun contains the element iron?

If the human eye has evolved over time so that its peak wavelength sensitivity is about 0.5 μ\muμ m (1 μ\muμ m = 10-6 m), what will be the temperature of a blackbody to which the eye will be MOST sensitive?

Which very significant fact concerning the spectra produced by hot gases, such as elements heated on the solar surface (Fraunhofer, with the solar spectrum) or in a flame (Bunsen and Kirchhoff, with laboratory spectra), was discovered in the 1800s?

How many electrons surround the nucleus of a neutral atom of the isotope 18O of oxygen? Oxygen has an atomic number of 8.

An astronomer plots the blackbody curve for an object at 8000 K and then raises the temperature of the object to 12,000 K and plots the blackbody curve again. These curves

In what units does one measure luminosity L?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

The value of $\lambda$ _max in the spectrum given off by a heated blackbody depends on the object's

When an atom of the radioactive carbon isotope ¹⁴C decays into ¹⁴N (nitrogen), what happens in the nucleus of the atom?

What is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the fissionable isotope of uranium used in nuclear weapons, ²³⁵U, which has an atomic number of 92?

If the human eye has evolved over time so that its peak wavelength sensitivity is about 0.5 $\mu$ m (1 $\mu$ m = 10^-6 m), what will be the temperature of a blackbody to which the eye will be MOST sensitive?

How many electrons surround the nucleus of a neutral atom of the isotope ¹⁸O of oxygen? Oxygen has an atomic number of 8.