Deck 24: Beyond Our Solar System

Question 1

Which color stars have the coolest surface temperature?

A) red
B) orange
C) yellow
D) blue

Answer 1

red

Question 2

In the early 1700's Kant suggested there were many galaxies visible from Earth but the idea was not popular because___________ .

A) the "Big Bang" theory did not support that concept
B) that hypothesis would require that objects travel faster than the speed of light
C) that hypothesis would require a significantly larger universe than was widely accepted at that time
D) only modern satellite data supports that point of view
E) at that time, people generally believed the earth was the center of the universe.

Answer 2

that hypothesis would require a significantly larger universe than was widely accepted at that time

Question 3

Apparent magnitude is___________ .

A) how large stars truly are
B) how bright stars truly are
C) how large stars appear to be from Earth
D) how bright stars appear to be from Earth

Answer 3

how bright stars appear to be from Earth

Question 4

A Hertzsprung- Russell diagram H- R Diagram. is a plot of___________ .

A) brightness versus temperature
B) temperature versus color
C) size versus color
D) color versus brightness
E) size versus brightness

Question 5

The main difference between Bright and Dark Nebulae is___________ .

A) the composition of their dust
B) their proximity to a black hole
C) the composition of their gases
D) their proximity to a blue star
E) none of the above

Question 6

Fluorescence occurs when___________ .

A) visible light is converted to infrared light
B) ultraviolet light is converted to visible light
C) infrared light is converted to visible light
D) infrared light is converted to ultraviolet light
E) visible light is converted to ultraviolet light

Question 7

Which color stars have the highest surface temperature?

A) red
B) orange
C) yellow
D) blue

Question 8

The reason scientists believe the reflective bright nebulae contain more heavy materials than the emission bright nebulae is that___________ .

A) they are blue, and that color is associated with carbon
B) they glow brighter than an energy emission source could produce
C) they are dimmer than a low density source could produce
D) they are brighter than a low density source could produce
E) they reflect more colors than the emission nebulae

Question 9

What was Hubble's major contribution to Cosmology?

A) He identified Cepheid Variable stars.
B) He proved the Big Bang Theory.
C) He developed a new method for measuring the absolute magnitude of stars.
D) He identified numerous new galaxies outside the Milky Way.
E) He measured the size of the universe.

Question 10

The red color of emission nebulae comes from the___________ .

A) energy emission of hydrogen
B) conversion of ultraviolet light to visible light
C) energy emission of helium
D) energy emission of oxygen
E) conversion of infrared light to visible light

Question 11

Interstellar matter is composed primarily of___________ .

A) oxygen
B) helium
C) ions
D) hydrogen
E) dust

Question 12

Which main- sequence stars are the most massive?

A) red
B) orange
C) yellow
D) blue

Question 13

Which of the following events is not part of the history associated with the Big Bang Theory?

A) The first matter formed 380,000 years after the formation of the universe.
B) Our Sun formed approximately 9 billion years after the universe formed.
C) Just before Big Bang occurred, there was only energy and disassociated electrons and protons.
D) About 13.7 billion years ago, our universe started with a huge explosion.

Question 14

Cepheid Variables are stars whose brightness varies in a predictable manner so that the absolute magnitude of the star can be determined, and this allows the ___________of the star to be determined.

A) distance from Earth
B) size
C) direction of motion
D) composition
E) velocity

Question 15

Fluorescence is a characteristic of ___________.

A) blue nebulae
B) reflection nebulae
C) planetary nebulae
D) dark nebulae
E) emission nebulae

Question 16

Which main- sequence stars are the least massive?

A) red
B) orange
C) yellow
D) blue

Question 17

When viewed through an optical telescope, planetary nebula___________ .

A) have visible planets within their cloud of debris
B) are spherical in form and often have "rings" like Saturn
C) look like giant planets such as Jupiter
D) show the explosive form of the dead sun
E) still have planets orbiting the cloud

Question 18

Why did Hubble think the Cepheid variables he saw in "Fuzzy Patches" were outside the Milky Way?

A) They were dim.
B) They had a red shift character.
C) Their brightness varied.
D) They were small.

Question 19

What two elements formed first?

A) protons and neutrons
B) electrons and protons
C) helium and oxygen
D) helium and hydrogen
E) hydrogen and oxygen

Question 20

The densest stars known to exist are ___________.

A) neutron stars
B) white dwarfs
C) red dwarfs
D) black holes

Question 21

Balance for a main sequence star is achieved when___________ .

A) nuclear fusion and fission occur at the same rate
B) temperature matches the rate of nuclear fusion
C) gravitational collapse matches gas pressure
D) gas pressure matches temperature
E) all of the above

Question 22

The first stars formed about 300 million years after Big Bang in the most massive nebulae because___________ .

A) all of the nebulae at that time were massive and it was not until much later that smaller nebulae formed
B) the massive nebulae had enough gravity to collapse and condense
C) only the massive nebulae had the material needed to make stars
D) the massive nebulae had enough gravity to attract star material early in the history of the universe
E) it took that long for enough matter to form to make a star

Question 23

Which of the following is not true of first generation stars?

A) They are short- lived.
B) They are very dense.
C) They are composed primarily of hydrogen.
D) They are massive.
E) They have violent, explosive deaths.

Question 24

The point in stellar evolution when a star has used up all its fuel and is radiating away its remaining thermal energy as light is the ___________stage.

A) white dwarf
B) black hole
C) main- sequence star
D) red giant

Question 25

A blue star is___________ our Sun.

A) colder and smaller than
B) hotter and larger than
C) colder and larger than
D) hotter and smaller than
E) approximately the same temperature and size as

Question 26

A red star is___________ our Sun.

A) hotter and larger than
B) hotter and smaller than
C) colder and larger than
D) colder and smaller than
E) approximately the same temperature and size as

Question 27

Every stage of a star's life is ruled by___________ .

A) its location in the galaxy
B) the amount of dark matter it possesses
C) inertia
D) gravity

Question 28

A star with the same color as another but 100 times brighter must be ___________.

A) 100 times colder
B) 100 times closer
C) 100 times hotter
D) 100 times larger
E) none of the above

Question 29

What is a "main sequence star"?

A) a star that falls in a band in a band on the H- R Diagram with most other stars
B) a star that is aligned with many other, similar colored stars
C) a star that shows the same trend in distance from earth and temperature as many other stars
D) a star that is in a group of stars with similar ages and sizes
E) a star that is statistically indistinguishable from 90% of all stars

Question 30

Most stars are in this stage of evolution.

A) black hole
B) red giant
C) main- sequence star
D) white dwarf

Question 31

The final stage for a star which is as massive as the Sun is a ___________.

A) red giant
B) white dwarf
C) black hole
D) main- sequence star

Question 32

A main- sequence star like our sun is expected to be stable for approximately ___________.
A. 10 billion years
B. 100 million years
C. 1 billion years
D. 10 million years
E. 100 billion years

Question 33

What is the dominant factor in the life of a star?

A) gravity
B) size
C) energy
D) temperature
E) composition

Question 34

The Sun belongs to this class of stars.

A) main- sequence star
B) red giant
C) white dwarf
D) black hole

Question 35

A neutron star theoretically will form from a supernovae collapse that ___________.

A) converts the atomic nucleus to a small volume with high mass by expelling all neutrons
B) forms ions that bond electrostatically into very small volumes
C) compresses all atoms so that electrons are so close to the nucleus that all of the protons are converted to neutrons
D) fuses all of the atoms into super atoms with very high atomic numbers

Question 36

A red giant has ___________.

A) a hydrogen- rich core
B) an iron- rich core
C) high gas pressure
D) a helium- rich core
E) no outer shell

Question 37

The temperature of a red giant increases rapidly because___________ .

A) gravitational energy is converted to heat
B) friction from the collapse creates heat
C) endothermic chemical reactions occur
D) exothermic chemical reactions occur
E) fusion increases and gives off heat

Question 38

Prior to the formation of the protostar,___________ .

A) the temperature of the cloud is greater than 10,000 K
B) the interstellar clouds are composed of equal amounts of hydrogen and helium
C) nuclear fusion converts hydrogen to helium
D) nuclear fusion does not occur

Question 39

Low mass stars generally end up as___________ dwarfs.

A) yellow
B) blue
C) white
D) red

Question 40

On a Hertzprung- Russell Diagram, our Sun is classified as___________ .

A) a super star
B) a yellow giant
C) a mediocre star
D) an average star
E) a yellow dwarf

Question 41

___________is the study of the universe, including its properties, structure, and evolution.

A) astrology
B) stellography
C) cosmology
D) quasology

Question 42

Hubble's law states that galaxies are receding from us at a speed that is proportional to their___________ .

A) distance
B) mass
C) orientation
D) volume

Question 43

What is the main factor that determines what will happen to a star after it consumes all of its nuclear fuel?

A) temperature
B) velocity
C) size
D) mass
E) composition

Question 44

A pea- sized sample of a neutron star would weigh ___________tons.

A) 110
B) 100 million
C) 0.8
D) 27,000

Question 45

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) neutron star
B) main sequence
C) Red Giant
D) Red Supergiants

Question 46

Degenerate matter can have densities 1 million times greater than the density of water, and they achieve this density by___________.

A) converting the atomic nucleus to a small volume with high mass by expelling all neutrons
B) compressing all of the electrons so that they are close to the nucleus
C) forming ions that bond electrostatically so that there volume is very small
D) fusing all of their atoms into super atoms with very high atomic numbers

Question 47

Based on the observed red shifts in the spectral lines of distant galaxies, astronomers conclude that___________ .

A) the universe is expanding
B) the universe is contracting
C) Earth is in the center of the universe
D) the universe is in a steady state

Question 48

Evidence for the existence of dark matter includes___________.

A) the observation that Mercury rotates about the Sun faster than Pluto
B) the observation that stars near the center of galaxies do not rotate as fast as expected
C) the observation that the universe appears to be slowing down
D) the observation that the universe is not expanding as fast as predicted by Big Bang Theory

Question 49

Spiral galaxies tend to resemble a pinwheel because___________ .

A) stars in the center of galaxy are moving more slowly than the ones on the outer edges
B) stars are moving from the center to the edges of the galaxy
C) stars in the center of the galaxy are moving faster than the ones on the outer edges
D) the barred structures form twisted pathways that distort the flow patterns
E) the stars in the center are very old and large while the outer edges of the galaxy contain the youngest and smallest stars

Question 50

What was the test of the Big Bang Hypothesis discussed in your text?

A) There should be more expansion in older galaxies than in young ones.
B) We should be able to measure how atoms have changed through fusion since the original explosion.
C) The universe should be expanding.
D) We should be able to detect remnants of the initial heat of the universe.
E) We should be able to model how the galaxies have moved and reconstruct the original explosion.

Question 51

There are three possible fates for the universe: 1. eternal expansion; 2. total collapse; or 3. some equilibrium condition with no further motion. What conditions might favor one result over the other?

A) Critical volume-is the universe large enough for unlimited expansion?
B) Critical velocity-is there enough momentum to continue expansion forever?
C) Critical energy-is there enough energy in the universe to maintain either expansion or collapse?
D) Critical density-is there enough mass in the universe to cause gravitational collapse?

Question 52

How do astronomers believe an irregular galaxy forms?

A) They are young galaxies that have not yet developed a more regular form.
B) Several regular galaxies of different sizes merge.
C) They form when an elliptical and a spiral galaxy merge.
D) They are two or more galaxies that have not completed their merger.
E) They are regular galaxies that are distorted by the gravity field of a large nearby galaxy.

Question 53

The largest known galaxies are ___________.

A) elliptical
B) round
C) spiral
D) irregular
E) barred spiral

Question 54

Galaxies are collections of___________ .

A) ice
B) interstellar matter
C) planets
D) comets

Question 55

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) neutron star
B) white dwarf
C) black hole
D) supernova

Question 56

Slipher made the observation that galaxies rotated and moved relative to each other. Hubble expanded on this work to show that___________ .

A) galaxies within the Local Group rotate more than other galaxies
B) the relative motion between adjacent galaxies varies
C) galaxies within the Local Group rotate less than other galaxies
D) the rates of rotation varied within galaxies
E) all galaxies except those in the Local Group are moving away from the Milky Way

Question 57

Which one of the objects listed below has the largest size?

A) nebula
B) stars
C) globular clusters
D) galaxies
E) galactic clusters

Question 58

Big Bang Theory suggests that prior to the Big Bang, the universe was___________ .

A) a giant neutron star
B) a collapsed supernova
C) nothing
D) in a very hot and massive state

Question 59

The discovery that the universe appears to be expanding led to a widely accepted theory called ___________.

A) the Doppler effect
B) Hubble's Law
C) Einstein's Law
D) the Big Bang

Question 60

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

A) color
B) magnitude
C) composition
D) temperature

Question 61

The red shift refers to ___________.

A) the red light emitted by planets as they rotate on their axis
B) a visual effect related to the Doppler effect and stars moving further away
C) the tendency of redder stars to be located in the edges of the universe
D) the tendency of stars to cool and become red in color

Question 62

The Milky Way is classified as an___________galaxy.

A) disk
B) spiral
C) irregular
D) elliptical

Question 63

A star in which light cannot escape because of the immense gravitational pull is called an___________ .

A) dark matter
B) supernova
C) red spiral
D) black hole

Question 64

Our galaxy is called the___________ .

A) Andromedia
B) Milky Way
C) Whirlpool
D) Black Eye

Question 65

Stars spend most of their life span as ___________stars.

A) neutron
B) red giant
C) red supergiant
D) main- sequence

Question 66

The fate of the universe that is currently favored is the Big ___________.

A) Crash
B) Crunch
C) Chill
D) Clash

Question 67

The "true" brightness of a star is called its___________ magnitude.

A) apparent
B) absolute
C) Doppler
D) galactic

Question 68

Stars that are composed of matter in which electrons have combined with protons are called ___________stars.

A) quark
B) neutron
C) apparent
D) molecular

Question 69

The greatest number of galaxies belong to the type known as ___________galaxies.

A) irregular
B) disk
C) elliptical
D) spiral

Question 70

Hubble's law states that galaxies are receding from us at a speed that is proportional to their___________ .

A) speed
B) magnitude
C) distance
D) luminosity

Question 71

The most dense objects known are___________ .

A) neutron stars
B) main- sequence stars
C) white dwarfs
D) black holes

Question 72

Very large red stars, such as Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, are called___________ .

A) giant stars
B) supergiants
C) red giants
D) giant Hertzprungs

Question 73

Stars with a surface temperature 3000 K appear ___________in color.

A) yellow
B) blue
C) white
D) red

Question 74

The measure of a star's brightness is called its___________ .

A) magnitude
B) luminosity
C) apparent light
D) both A and B

Question 75

The least massive main- sequence stars are___________ in color.

A) red
B) blue
C) white
D) yellow

Question 76

The distance light travels in a year, called an___________ , is used by astronomers to measure stellar distances.

A) parsec
B) hydrogen fusion
C) dwarf distance
D) light year

Question 77

Possibly the most cataclysmic event associated with the death of a star is the___________ .

A) supernova
B) barred spiral
C) cosmology
D) stellar implosion

Question 78

The larger the magnitude number, the___________ will be the star.

A) smaller
B) older
C) brighter
D) redder

Question 79

The name applied to large quantities of interstellar dust and gas is ___________.

A) nebula
B) pulsar
C) quasar
D) local group

Question 80

The hottest main- sequence stars are also the___________ .

A) youngest
B) dimmest
C) reddest
D) most massive