Deck 19: The Universe Galaxies

Question 1

The stars in globular clusters

A) are relatively close together.
B) have an average spacing like that of stars in the galactic disk.
C) are relatively far apart.
D) form spiral arms.

Answer 1

are relatively close together.

Question 2

The individual stars we can see with the unaided eyes

A) are all members of our galaxy.
B) include members of other galaxies.
C) are all giant stars.
D) are all members of the main sequence.

Answer 2

are all members of our galaxy.

Question 3

Our galaxy is

A) one of the smallest known.
B) average in size.
C) one of the largest known.
D) impossible to compare with others because they are so far away.

Answer 3

one of the largest known.

Question 4

A source of radio waves from space is

A) cosmic rays.
B) dark matter.
C) fast electrons that move through magnetic fields.
D) white dwarfs.

Question 5

All spiral galaxies apparently

A) are rotating.
B) are contracting.
C) are expanding.
D) consist entirely of Population II stars.

Question 6

Emissions of various kinds from near the center of the Milky Way galaxy suggests the presence of a

A) quasar.
B) globular cluster.
C) black hole.
D) galactic nebula.

Question 7

Compared with the Population I stars in the disk of our galaxy, the Population II stars in globular clusters

A) are generally younger.
B) have about the same age distribution.
C) are generally older.
D) Any of these choices may be correct in a particular cluster.

Question 8

The ratio of dark matter to ordinary matter in our galaxy is about

A) 1:1.
B) 2:1.
C) 6:1.
D) 25:1.

Question 9

The number of galaxies in the universe seems to be about

A) 200.
B) 200,000.
C) 200 million.
D) 200 billion.

Question 10

Dark matter

A) apparently occurs only in our galaxy.
B) apparently occurs in all galaxies.
C) consists of antimatter.
D) consists of cosmic rays.

Question 11

Interstellar space in our galaxy

A) is completely empty.
B) is completely empty except for clouds of gas and dust.
C) contains about 1 atom or molecule per cm³.
D) contains about 1 atom or molecule per cm³between denser clouds of gas and dust.

Question 12

Globular clusters of stars

A) are uniformly distributed throughout the universe.
B) are uniformly distributed throughout our galaxy.
C) are located above and below the central disk of our galaxy.
D) are located in the central disk of our galaxy.

Question 13

The Milky Way is a

A) globular duster.
B) nearby galaxy.
C) galaxy with the sun at its center.
D) galaxy with the sun some distance from its center.

Question 14

Galaxies

A) have a variety of shapes.
B) are evenly distributed in space.
C) are moving closer to one another.
D) rarely contain more than one or two million stars.

Question 15

Magnetic fields in our galaxy trap

A) cosmic rays.
B) radio waves.
C) spectral lines.
D) meteoroids.

Question 16

Our galaxy is shaped roughly like a

A) bunch of grapes.
B) football.
C) fried egg.
D) salami.

Question 17

The stars in the universe are

A) approximately evenly spaced.
B) concentrated near its center.
C) grouped in widely separated galaxies.
D) irregularly distributed.

Question 18

The stars in our galaxy

A) move entirely at random.
B) move toward its center.
C) move away from its center.
D) revolve around its center.

Question 19

Molecules in space can be identified from their emissions of

A) light waves.
B) radio waves.
C) cosmic waves.
D) X-rays.

Question 20

The sun is

A) a Population I star.
B) a Population II star.
C) different from Population I and II stars.
D) a member of a globular cluster.

Question 21

Some, and perhaps all, spiral galaxies have at their centers

A) quasars.
B) pulsars.
C) black holes.
D) globular star clusters.

Question 22

Considering matter and energy together, the largest component of the universe seems to be

A) electromagnetic radiation of various kinds.
B) ordinary matter.
C) dark matter.
D) dark energy.

Question 23

The most distant galaxies are receding at speeds that are

A) much less than the speed of light.
B) not far from the speed of light.
C) equal to the speed of light.
D) greater than the speed of light.

Question 24

The energy that reaches the earth in cosmic rays is comparable to the energy that reaches the earth in

A) sunlight.
B) moonlight.
C) starlight.
D) radio waves.

Question 25

Present evidence suggests that the universe

A) will expand forever.
B) will eventually stop expanding and then remain a fixed size.
C) will eventually stop expanding and then contract.
D) has just begun to contract.

Question 26

The Doppler shifting of radiation from the early universe has resulted in today's universe being bathed in a sea of

A) cosmic rays.
B) X-rays.
C) radio waves.
D) infrared waves.

Question 27

In the past several billion years the rate of expansion of the universe has

A) been constant.
B) decreased.
C) increased.
D) varied irregularly.

Question 28

Information about the origin of the universe does not come from the

A) fact that spiral galaxies rotate.
B) red shifts in galactic spectra.
C) relative abundances of hydrogen and helium.
D) cosmic background radiation.

Question 29

The proportionality between the recession speeds of the galaxies and their distances from the earth is known as

A) Hess's Law.
B) Herschel's Law.
C) Hubble's Law.
D) Hersey's Law.

Question 30

In a "closed" universe

A) expansion of the universe will continue forever.
B) no additional new stars will form.
C) the universe will neither expand nor collapse.
D) expansion will stop and the universe will ultimately collapse.

Question 31

Considering matter and energy together, the smallest component of the universe seems to be

A) electromagnetic radiation of various kinds.
B) ordinary matter.
C) dark matter.
D) dark energy.

Question 32

The "big bang" refers to the origin of

A) the sun.
B) the solar system.
C) our galaxy.
D) the universe.

Question 33

Quasars

A) are weak sources of light and radio waves.
B) are large in view of the energy they emit.
C) show relatively small red shifts, which suggests they are not far away.
D) seem to have massive black holes at their centers.

Question 34

Galactic spectra show

A) red and blue shifts.
B) red shifts of the same magnitude.
C) red shifts that decrease with distance.
D) red shifts that increase with distance.

Question 35

In the light of current evidence, a reasonable figure for the age of the universe is

A) 13.7 million years.
B) 13.7 billion years.
C) 100 billion years.
D) 15 trillion years.

Question 36

The galaxies in the universe are distributed

A) uniformly.
B) randomly.
C) in groups, groups of groups, and so on.
D) in spiral arms.

Question 37

Primary cosmic rays are produced

A) in the solar system.
B) in galaxies.
C) in the regions between galaxies.
D) everywhere in the universe.

Question 38

In the universe today there

A) seems to be little or no antimatter.
B) is much antimatter but less than the amount of matter.
C) are equal amounts of antimatter and matter.
D) is more antimatter than matter.

Question 39

Primary cosmic rays consist of

A) atomic nuclei, mainly protons.
B) neutral atoms, mainly of hydrogen.
C) molecules.
D) electrons.

Question 40

Dark energy

A) is the energy equivalent of dark matter.
B) is the energy of black holes.
C) is the energy of neutrinos.
D) has an unknown nature as yet.

Question 41

The number of planets outside the solar system thus far detected is

A) about 20.
B) about 100.
C) several thousand.
D) several million.

Question 42

The heavy elements in the earth were formed in

A) the sun.
B) the big bang.
C) supernova explosions.
D) white dwarfs.

Question 43

Communications with planets outside the solar system are most likely to be achieved using

A) spacecraft of the kind that went to the moon.
B) spacecraft that travel with the speed of light.
C) spacecraft that travel faster than light.
D) radio waves.

Question 44

Nearly all the helium in the universe was formed in

A) the first few minutes after the big bang.
B) the interior of stars.
C) supernova explosions.
D) black holes.

Question 45

Planetary systems are probably

A) very rare in the universe.
B) present around many stars.
C) present around all stars.
D) present only around stars that rotate rapidly.

Question 46

Studies of the cosmic background radiation suggest that matter in the early universe

A) was uniformly distributed.
B) had small irregularities that grew into today's galaxies.
C) had large irregularities that grew into today's galaxies.
D) formed spiral arms like those in today's galaxies.

Question 47

The members of the solar system

A) came from space and were captured by the sun.
B) came into being at the same time as the sun did.
C) were formed from material ejected by the sun after it came into being.
D) were formed from dark matter.

Question 48

The cosmic background radiation today

A) is present only in galaxies.
B) is present everywhere in the universe.
C) accounts for less of the radiation in the universe than starlight.
D) is visible as a faint glow in the sky on dark nights.

Question 49

Immediately after the big bang, the universe contained

A) only matter.
B) equal amounts of matter and antimatter.
C) slightly more matter than antimatter.
D) slightly more antimatter than matter.

Question 50

As they came into being, the planets were primarily heated by

A) gravitational compression.
B) solar radiation.
C) cosmic rays.
D) cosmic background radiation.