Question 1

The radiation our eyes are most sensitive to lies in the color:

Accepted Answer

A)  red at 6563 Angstroms. 
B)  yellow-green at about 550 nm. 
C)  violet at 7,000 Angstroms. 
D)  blue at 4,321 nanometers. 
E)  black at 227 nm. 
A)  red at 6563 Angstroms. 
B)  yellow-green at about 550 nm. 
C)  violet at 7,000 Angstroms. 
D)  blue at 4,321 nanometers. 
E)  black at 227 nm. B

Question 2

According to Wein's Law,if the surface temperature is increased by a factor of 2,its peak wavelength will:

Accepted Answer

A)  increase by a factor of 2. 
B)  decrease by a factor of 2. 
C)  increase by a factor of 4. 
D)  decrease by a factor of 4. 
E)  not change; Wein's law has nothing to do with peak wavelength. 
A)  increase by a factor of 2. 
B)  decrease by a factor of 2. 
C)  increase by a factor of 4. 
D)  decrease by a factor of 4. 
E)  not change; Wein's law has nothing to do with peak wavelength. B

Question 3

How can the Doppler Effect be used to determine if a storm is forming into a tornado?

Accepted Answer

Radar can determine the distance to a storm cloud.Since a tornado rotates (very rapidly)Doppler radar will measure the difference in velocity between the two sides of the storm to determine if it is rotating.

Question 4

Increasing the temperature of a blackbody by a factor of 3 will increase its energy by a factor of:

Accepted Answer

A)  3. 
B)  6. 
C)  9. 
D)  12. 
E)  81. 
A)  3. 
B)  6. 
C)  9. 
D)  12. 
E)  81.

Question 5

The product of the wavelength times the frequency of a wave is its ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The product of the wavelength times the...

Question 6

Consider this diagram.Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The wavelength is 4. 
B)  The wavelength is 6. 
C)  The wavelength is 8. 
D)  The wavelength is 12. 
E)  The wavelength cannot be determined from this diagram. 
A)  The wavelength is 4. 
B)  The wavelength is 6. 
C)  The wavelength is 8. 
D)  The wavelength is 12. 
E)  The wavelength cannot be determined from this diagram.

Question 7

Per unit area (such as a square centimeter),a B star whose surface temperature is 10,000 K will put out how much radiation compared to an O star whose surface temperature is 30,000 K?

Accepted Answer

A)  81 times as much 
B)  9 times as much 
C)  1/81 as much 
D)  1/9 as much 
E)  1/3 as much 
A)  81 times as much 
B)  9 times as much 
C)  1/81 as much 
D)  1/9 as much 
E)  1/3 as much

Question 8

The wavelength at which a blackbody radiates most depends on its:

Accepted Answer

A)  radius. 
B)  mass. 
C)  magnetic fields. 
D)  temperature. 
E)  direction of motion. 
A)  radius. 
B)  mass. 
C)  magnetic fields. 
D)  temperature. 
E)  direction of motion.

Question 9

As they move through space,the vibrating electrical and magnetic fields of a light wave must move perpendicular to each other.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The number of waves passing the observer per second is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the wavelength in angstroms. 
B)  the amplitude in nm. 
C)  the frequency in Hertz. 
D)  the period in seconds. 
E)  the energy in milliwatts. 
A)  the wavelength in angstroms. 
B)  the amplitude in nm. 
C)  the frequency in Hertz. 
D)  the period in seconds. 
E)  the energy in milliwatts.

Question 11

The Earth's ionosphere partially blocks which form of electromagnetic radiation?

Accepted Answer

A)  gamma rays 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  visible light 
D)  infrared 
E)  radio 
A)  gamma rays 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  visible light 
D)  infrared 
E)  radio

Question 12

X-ray telescopes are located in orbit around the Earth because:

Accepted Answer

A)  X-ray telescopes on Earth would have to be too big. 
B)  X-ray telescopes are cheap and easy to launch into space. 
C)  there are too many X-ray telescopes on Earth, so now they are put in space. 
D)  X-rays don't reach the surface of Earth. 
E)  the X-rays that come out of the telescopes are dangerous to humans. 
A)  X-ray telescopes on Earth would have to be too big. 
B)  X-ray telescopes are cheap and easy to launch into space. 
C)  there are too many X-ray telescopes on Earth, so now they are put in space. 
D)  X-rays don't reach the surface of Earth. 
E)  the X-rays that come out of the telescopes are dangerous to humans.

Question 13

In blackbody radiation,the energy is radiated uniformly in every region of the spectrum,so the radiating body appears black in color.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

No one can hear you scream (or fire a weapon)in space,regardless of the Hollywood special effects.Explain why.

Accepted Answer

Sound waves must travel though

Question 15

As white light passes through a prism,the red (longer)wavelengths bend less than the blue (shorter)wavelengths,so forming the rainbow of colors.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

If a beam of blue light has a wavelength of 400 nm is emitted by an object moving away from you at 1% of the speed of light,what wavelength would you see from this light?

Accepted Answer

A)  396 nm 
B)  399 nm 
C)  400 nm 
D)  401 nm 
E)  404 nm 
A)  396 nm 
B)  399 nm 
C)  400 nm 
D)  401 nm 
E)  404 nm

Question 17

There are no X-ray telescopes on Earth because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they are too expensive to build. 
B)  no one has yet invented an X-ray telescope that works. 
C)  we can't figure out how to direct an X-ray beam through space. 
D)  X-rays don't penetrate Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  there are no astronomical objects that emit X-rays. 
A)  they are too expensive to build. 
B)  no one has yet invented an X-ray telescope that works. 
C)  we can't figure out how to direct an X-ray beam through space. 
D)  X-rays don't penetrate Earth's atmosphere. 
E)  there are no astronomical objects that emit X-rays.

Question 18

As the Sun evolves into a red giant in the distant future,then according to Wien's Law:

Accepted Answer

A)  most of its energy must become shorter in wavelength. 
B)  its peak on the Planck curve will move into the infrared. 
C)  its total luminosity must decrease. 
D)  it will disappear from the universe of visible light. 
E)  its light will be slowed down by its increasing mass. 
A)  most of its energy must become shorter in wavelength. 
B)  its peak on the Planck curve will move into the infrared. 
C)  its total luminosity must decrease. 
D)  it will disappear from the universe of visible light. 
E)  its light will be slowed down by its increasing mass.

Question 19

If a new wave arrives on shore every two seconds,then its frequency is 2 Hz.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The two forms of electromagnetic radiation that penetrate the atmosphere best are:

Accepted Answer

A)  X-rays and gamma rays. 
B)  ultraviolet and visible light. 
C)  visible and infrared light. 
D)  visible and radio waves. 
E)  infrared and microwaves. 
A)  X-rays and gamma rays. 
B)  ultraviolet and visible light. 
C)  visible and infrared light. 
D)  visible and radio waves. 
E)  infrared and microwaves.

Exam 3: Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

The radiation our eyes are most sensitive to lies in the color:

According to Wein's Law,if the surface temperature is increased by a factor of 2,its peak wavelength will:

How can the Doppler Effect be used to determine if a storm is forming into a tornado?

Increasing the temperature of a blackbody by a factor of 3 will increase its energy by a factor of:

The product of the wavelength times the frequency of a wave is its ________.

Consider this diagram.Which statement is true?

Per unit area (such as a square centimeter),a B star whose surface temperature is 10,000 K will put out how much radiation compared to an O star whose surface temperature is 30,000 K?

The wavelength at which a blackbody radiates most depends on its:

As they move through space,the vibrating electrical and magnetic fields of a light wave must move perpendicular to each other.

The number of waves passing the observer per second is:

The Earth's ionosphere partially blocks which form of electromagnetic radiation?

X-ray telescopes are located in orbit around the Earth because:

In blackbody radiation,the energy is radiated uniformly in every region of the spectrum,so the radiating body appears black in color.

No one can hear you scream (or fire a weapon)in space,regardless of the Hollywood special effects.Explain why.

As white light passes through a prism,the red (longer)wavelengths bend less than the blue (shorter)wavelengths,so forming the rainbow of colors.

If a beam of blue light has a wavelength of 400 nm is emitted by an object moving away from you at 1% of the speed of light,what wavelength would you see from this light?

There are no X-ray telescopes on Earth because:

As the Sun evolves into a red giant in the distant future,then according to Wien's Law:

If a new wave arrives on shore every two seconds,then its frequency is 2 Hz.

The two forms of electromagnetic radiation that penetrate the atmosphere best are:

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants,Dwarfs,and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae,Supernovae,and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

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