Question 1

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the lowest energy per photon?

Accepted Answer

A)  X-rays 
B)  ultraviolet light 
C)  gamma rays 
D)  infrared radiation 
A)  X-rays 
B)  ultraviolet light 
C)  gamma rays 
D)  infrared radiation

Question 2

Space telescope A has a diameter of 2.4 metres; space telescope B has a diameter of 6.5 metres. If they take pictures with the same wavelength of light, which telescope will be better able to make separate images of two stars close together on the sky?

Accepted Answer

A)  Telescope A will do better. 
B)  Telescope B will do better. 
C)  Neither one; if they work at the same wavelength, they will give the same results. 
D)  Neither one; even in space, telescopes cannot separate objects that are near each other. 
A)  Telescope A will do better. 
B)  Telescope B will do better. 
C)  Neither one; if they work at the same wavelength, they will give the same results. 
D)  Neither one; even in space, telescopes cannot separate objects that are near each other.

Question 3

Which of the following types of radiation from a star cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground?

Accepted Answer

A)  ultraviolet 
B)  visible 
C)  infrared 
D)  nuclear 
A)  ultraviolet 
B)  visible 
C)  infrared 
D)  nuclear

Question 4

A telescope has a primary with a focal length of 1500 mm and an eyepiece with a focal length of 15 mm. What is the magnifying power of the telescope?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.01 
B)  15 
C)  100 
D)  1500 
A)  0.01 
B)  15 
C)  100 
D)  1500

Question 5

What is the most important reason why optical telescopes are often built on mountaintops?

Accepted Answer

A)  The air is thinner. 
B)  The atmosphere is more steady. 
C)  The view of the horizon is not obscured. 
D)  The air is drier. 
A)  The air is thinner. 
B)  The atmosphere is more steady. 
C)  The view of the horizon is not obscured. 
D)  The air is drier.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes the wavelength of a wave?

Accepted Answer

A)  the measure of how strong the wave is 
B)  the distance between two adjacent peaks of the wave 
C)  the measure of how fast the wave is 
D)  the distance between a peak of the wave and the next trough 
A)  the measure of how strong the wave is 
B)  the distance between two adjacent peaks of the wave 
C)  the measure of how fast the wave is 
D)  the distance between a peak of the wave and the next trough

Question 7

What is a similarity between radio and optical telescopes?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both can observe from the Earth's surface. 
B)  Both are usually located on mountaintops. 
C)  Both are usually made as refracting telescopes. 
D)  Both can detect radiation with charge-coupled devices. 
A)  Both can observe from the Earth's surface. 
B)  Both are usually located on mountaintops. 
C)  Both are usually made as refracting telescopes. 
D)  Both can detect radiation with charge-coupled devices.

Question 8

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a measure of the telescope's ability to reveal fine detail. 
B)  It is a measure of the amount of light that the telescope can gather in one second. 
C)  It is the separation between the primary and the image. 
D)  It is a measure of how blurry objects appear in the telescope. 
A)  It is a measure of the telescope's ability to reveal fine detail. 
B)  It is a measure of the amount of light that the telescope can gather in one second. 
C)  It is the separation between the primary and the image. 
D)  It is a measure of how blurry objects appear in the telescope.

Question 9

The Earth's atmosphere blocks most forms of electromagnetic radiation from entering, except for _______________ ___________ and ______________ _____________.

Accepted Answer

visible light; radio

Question 10

One of the advantages of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) over photographic plates is that a CCD can record bright and faint objects on the same exposure.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What is the diameter of the largest radio dish in the world?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 m 
B)  50 m 
C)  100 m 
D)  500 m 
A)  10 m 
B)  50 m 
C)  100 m 
D)  500 m

Question 12

Which feature(s) of a telescope determine its magnifying power?

Accepted Answer

A)  diameter of the primary only 
B)  focal length of the primary only 
C)  primary diameter and focal length of the eyepiece 
D)  focal length of the primary and eyepiece 
A)  diameter of the primary only 
B)  focal length of the primary only 
C)  primary diameter and focal length of the eyepiece 
D)  focal length of the primary and eyepiece

Question 13

What feature of a telescope is a measure of its ability to show fine detail and depends on the diameter of the objective?

Accepted Answer

A)  light-gathering power 
B)  focal length 
C)  magnifying power 
D)  resolving power 
A)  light-gathering power 
B)  focal length 
C)  magnifying power 
D)  resolving power

Question 14

300 nanometre light has a lower frequency than 500 nanometre light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What is a photon?

Accepted Answer

A)  a type of electromagnetic radiation 
B)  a particle within the atmospheric window 
C)  a particle produced when light interacts with vacuum 
D)  a particle of light 
A)  a type of electromagnetic radiation 
B)  a particle within the atmospheric window 
C)  a particle produced when light interacts with vacuum 
D)  a particle of light

Question 16

The amount of energy a photon carries depends on its wavelength.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

X-rays easily penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground from space.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

What is "false" about false-colour images?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are images created by computer simulations. 
B)  The colours do not represent the colours humans can see. 
C)  The colours are exaggerated for visual effect. 
D)  They are images created by artists, not astronomers. 
A)  They are images created by computer simulations. 
B)  The colours do not represent the colours humans can see. 
C)  The colours are exaggerated for visual effect. 
D)  They are images created by artists, not astronomers.

Question 19

An astronomer takes two pictures of the same object using the Hubble Space Telescope. One picture is taken with red light and one with blue light. Which one would you expect to show finer details?

Accepted Answer

A)  Blue light will show finer details. 
B)  Red light will show finer details. 
C)  Both should be the same. 
D)  The amount of detail depends on the distance to the object. 
A)  Blue light will show finer details. 
B)  Red light will show finer details. 
C)  Both should be the same. 
D)  The amount of detail depends on the distance to the object.

Question 20

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are longer than the wavelengths of visible light?

Accepted Answer

A)  gamma rays 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  infrared 
D)  X-rays 
A)  gamma rays 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  infrared 
D)  X-rays

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the lowest energy per photon?

Space telescope A has a diameter of 2.4 metres; space telescope B has a diameter of 6.5 metres. If they take pictures with the same wavelength of light, which telescope will be better able to make separate images of two stars close together on the sky?

Which of the following types of radiation from a star cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground?

A telescope has a primary with a focal length of 1500 mm and an eyepiece with a focal length of 15 mm. What is the magnifying power of the telescope?

What is the most important reason why optical telescopes are often built on mountaintops?

Which of the following statements best describes the wavelength of a wave?

What is a similarity between radio and optical telescopes?

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

The Earth's atmosphere blocks most forms of electromagnetic radiation from entering, except for _________ _ and ___.

One of the advantages of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) over photographic plates is that a CCD can record bright and faint objects on the same exposure.

What is the diameter of the largest radio dish in the world?

Which feature(s) of a telescope determine its magnifying power?

What feature of a telescope is a measure of its ability to show fine detail and depends on the diameter of the objective?

300 nanometre light has a lower frequency than 500 nanometre light.

What is a photon?

The amount of energy a photon carries depends on its wavelength.

X-rays easily penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground from space.

What is "false" about false-colour images?

An astronomer takes two pictures of the same object using the Hubble Space Telescope. One picture is taken with red light and one with blue light. Which one would you expect to show finer details?

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are longer than the wavelengths of visible light?

The Scale of the Cosmos: Space and Time

Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

The Sun: the Closest Star

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

Planet Formation and Exoplanets

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Solar System

Life on Other Worlds

Filters

Exam 4: Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments: Extending Humanitys Vision

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the lowest energy per photon?

Space telescope A has a diameter of 2.4 metres; space telescope B has a diameter of 6.5 metres. If they take pictures with the same wavelength of light, which telescope will be better able to make separate images of two stars close together on the sky?

Which of the following types of radiation from a star cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground?

A telescope has a primary with a focal length of 1500 mm and an eyepiece with a focal length of 15 mm. What is the magnifying power of the telescope?

What is the most important reason why optical telescopes are often built on mountaintops?

Which of the following statements best describes the wavelength of a wave?

What is a similarity between radio and optical telescopes?

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

The Earth's atmosphere blocks most forms of electromagnetic radiation from entering, except for _______________ ___________ and ______________ _____________.

One of the advantages of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) over photographic plates is that a CCD can record bright and faint objects on the same exposure.

What is the diameter of the largest radio dish in the world?

Which feature(s) of a telescope determine its magnifying power?

What feature of a telescope is a measure of its ability to show fine detail and depends on the diameter of the objective?

300 nanometre light has a lower frequency than 500 nanometre light.

What is a photon?

The amount of energy a photon carries depends on its wavelength.

X-rays easily penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground from space.

What is "false" about false-colour images?

An astronomer takes two pictures of the same object using the Hubble Space Telescope. One picture is taken with red light and one with blue light. Which one would you expect to show finer details?

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are longer than the wavelengths of visible light?

The Scale of the Cosmos: Space and Time

Users Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

The Sun: the Closest Star

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

Planet Formation and Exoplanets

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Solar System

Life on Other Worlds

Filters

The Earth's atmosphere blocks most forms of electromagnetic radiation from entering, except for _________ _ and ___.