Deck 23: Light,astronomical Observations,and the Sun

Question 1

The type of spectrum produced by a common light bulb is a ________.

A)continuous spectrum
B)dark-line (absorption)spectrum
C)bright-line (emission)spectrum
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Light is an electromagnetic wave,meaning an electric field and magnetic field travel together,oscillating at specific frequency.All metals are electrical conductors and all metals are also opaque to light.Why might this be,knowing the nature of light waves?

A)The metal atoms absorb the light into their nucleus.
B)The free electrons in the metal capture the light.
C)The electric field of the wave excites electrons,which move through the solid conductor and dissipate the electric field,stopping the light wave.
D)The magnetic field polarizes iron,so all metals have a similar property,so when the magnetic field interacts with atoms,it dissipates the wave.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To determine whether a celestial body is approaching or receding from Earth,astronomers employ ________.

A)the Stefan-Boltzmann law
B)Einstein's equation
C)the Doppler principle
D)high speed radar
E)telescopic imaging

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Because lenses act like a prism to separate the colors of the spectrum,they produce a troublesome effect known as ________.

A)focal distortion
B)the atmospheric effect
C)chromatic aberration
D)poor seeing
E)light dispersion

Question 5

A microwave oven is a good example of a familiar device that relies on absorption of electromagnetic waves at fixed frequencies by specific elements or compounds.In this case,water absorbs strongly in the microwave band used by the device,heating water molecules in food.What might a microwave oven imply about measuring microwaves emitted by the Sun on Earth?

A)It is irrelevant; the Sun does not emit microwaves.
B)Microwaves must be the major reason for global warming.
C)Microwave radiation will be heavily absorbed in the earth's atmosphere,particular if humidity is high.
D)Microwaves will never make it to Earth because they will get absorbed by hydrogen between Earth and the Sun.

Question 6

The spectra of most stars are dark-line spectra because ________.

A)elements in the Sun's outer atmosphere emit radiation between these dark bands
B)elements in the Sun's outer atmosphere absorb in these dark-line bands,blocking the radiation in those bands
C)elements in the earth's atmosphere absorb in these dark-line bands,blocking out the frequencies in the dark bands
D)electrons decaying to a lower energy state emit a photon at a fixed energy,leaving dark bands between the emissions

Question 7

Which of the following is not considered a form of electromagnetic radiation?

A)radio waves
B)gravity
C)gamma rays
D)visible light
E)X-rays

Question 8

When excited electrons decay to ground state,hydrogen emits along distinctive line near the visible red.An astronomer observes what appear to be hydrogen emission lines from a distant star but they are in the infrared spectral band.She concludes ________.

A)her instrument needs to be recalibrated
B)the star must be moving very fast away from Earth
C)the star must be moving very fast toward Earth
D)the star's hydrogen emission must be being absorbed by water in the atmosphere,which then re-emits in the infrared

Question 9

You take a block of granite and heat it to 1000 degrees Kelvin,and it glows bright red.If you then heat it to 1200 Kelvin,how might it look different?

A)It would be brighter and more white.
B)It would be much brighter and red.
C)It would be about the same brightness but white.
D)None of the above; it would have melted,and once it melts,it will no longer emit.

Question 10

The wavelength of light emitted from a distance object is related to ________.

A)the energy of the source-more energetic source has higher wavelength emissions
B)the energy of the source-more energetic source has lower wavelength emissions
C)distance of the source-the farther away the object is,the lower the wavelength observed related to changes in electromagnetic energy over time
D)gravity-gravity bends electromagnetic waves causing refraction and sorting of wavelengths

Question 11

Which of the following colors has the longest wavelength?

A)blue
B)violet
C)green
D)red
E)orange

Question 12

As the temperature of a radiating surface is increased ________.

A)the total amount of energy emitted increases
B)a larger portion of the energy is radiated at longer wavelengths
C)a larger portion of the energy is radiated at shorter wavelengths
D)both A and B
E)both A and C

Question 13

Visible light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum,but when we see colors,we are seeing ________.

A)different photons that come from different directions
B)refractions of white light
C)an even narrow range of wavelengths than white light within the visible light spectrum
D)complementary spectra from light re-emitted off objects when light impinges on the object

Question 14

The old fashioned incandescent light bulb produces yellowish colored light by heating tungsten to a very high temperature and the tungsten radiates light peaking in the yellowish-white range.If you wanted a more blue light that was brighter,what would you need to do with a simple filament light bulb?

A)You would have to add more electrical current to raise the filament to a higher temperature,which would make it burn out faster.
B)You would have to make the filament thicker and add more current to make it glow brighter (for example,a 75w vs 40w bulb).
C)You would have to add a layer of some other material that would absorb the longer wavelengths of light.
D)You couldn't do this; it isn't possible.

Question 15

The study of spectroscopy was begun by ________.

A)Albert Einstein
B)Sir Isaac Newton
C)Galileo
D)George Hale
E)Niels Bohr

Question 16

If a yellow star is moving away from us very rapidly,what color will it appear to be?

A)purple
B)bluish purple
C)reddish orange
D)greenish blue

Question 17

Electromagnetic radiation that behaves like a particle is called a(n)________.

A)proton
B)electron
C)photon
D)quark

Question 18

Light travels 300,000 km/s.Many communications satellites are in geosynchronous orbit at about 36,000 km above the earth's surface.If you talk to your friend on the other side of the world via a geosynchronous satellite using Skype or your phone,what is the minimum time delay there will be between you and your friend in your conversation?

A)8)3 seconds
B))12 seconds
C))24 seconds
D))48 seconds

Question 19

The problems encountered with lenses caused this scientist to build reflecting telescopes of his own design.

A)Albert Einstein
B)Sir Isaac Newton
C)Galileo
D)George Hale
E)Niels Bohr

Question 20

X-rays have shorter wavelength than visible light; therefore,X-rays ________.

A)have lower energy than light waves
B)are higher energy than light waves
C)cannot be detected because of their wavelength
D)pass through materials because their photons are smaller than light photons

Question 21

The first telescopes,and most amateur telescopes,rely on the human eye to observe objects.The first improvement on this observation method used ________.

A)projection systems
B)digital cameras
C)photographic film
D)polyspectral scanners

Question 22

Which of the following is not an advantage that radio telescopes have over optical telescopes?

A)They are less affected by the conditions of the atmosphere.
B)They are generally less expensive.
C)They can operate 24 hours a day.
D)They have better resolution.
E)They can "see" through interstellar dust clouds.

Question 23

The layer of the solar atmosphere directly above the photosphere is referred to as the ________.

A)ionosphere
B)corona
C)chromosphere
D)solarsphere
E)megasphere

Question 24

The source of the Sun's energy is ________.

A)chemical burning
B)nuclear fission
C)nuclear fusion
D)heat of contraction
E)potential energy

Question 25

The outermost layer of the Sun is called the ________.

A)ionosphere
B)corona
C)photosphere
D)chromosphere
E)megasphere

Question 26

The layer of the Sun that radiates most of the light that reaches Earth is called the ________.

A)ionosphere
B)corona
C)photosphere
D)chromosphere
E)megasphere

Question 27

Why would astronomers place an X-ray observatory in space,like the Chandra observatory?

A)to map X-ray emissions from the moon
B)to map X-ray emissions from the sun
C)to record X-rays emitted from the big bang; the so called background radiation of the universe
D)to map deep X-ray emissions from deep space,particularly as a proxy for materials being sucked into black holes

Question 28

Classic Newtonian reflector telescopes use a mirror shaped like ________.

A)a parabola
B)a concave spherical surface
C)a convex spherical surface
D)a hyperbola

Question 29

Which of the following is not a discovery made by the Hubble Space Telescope?

A)distinction of the various rings of Saturn
B)demonstration that disk shaped dust clouds are common around young stars
C)evidence for massive black holes in the center of our galaxy
D)deep space images never seen before

Question 30

To improve the resolution of radio telescopes,astronomers ________.

A)group smaller telescopes in arrays,like the very large array in New Mexico
B)make bigger telescopes
C)place the telescope in outer space
D)scan the skies rapidly to detect the direction of the radio signal

Question 31

The Sun produces energy by converting ________.

A)oxygen nuclei to carbon dioxide
B)oxygen nuclei to nitrogen nuclei
C)carbon monoxide to oxygen nuclei
D)hydrogen nuclei to helium nuclei
E)helium nuclei to hydrogen nuclei

Question 32

The most conspicuous features on the surface of the Sun are dark areas called ________.

A)granules
B)helium lines
C)flares
D)spicules
E)sunspots

Question 33

Nearly all large optical telescopes built today are ________.

A)reflectors
B)refractors
C)radio

Question 34

Why would astronomers be interested in placing a gamma ray detecting observatory in space?

A)to map gamma ray emissions from radioactive elements on Earth
B)to detect nuclear weapons tests on Earth
C)to map high-energy electromagnetic waves from distant sources that would be blocked out or scattered by Earth's atmosphere
D)to map gamma ray emissions coming from the Sun

Question 35

The most explosive events to occur on the Sun are ________.

A)umbras
B)solar flares
C)sunspots
D)filaments
E)solar winds

Question 36

The Spitzer space telescope is ________.

A)a planned replacement telescope for Hubble
B)a new X-ray detecting observatory
C)a thermal infrared detecting telescope
D)the next generation gamma ray detecting satellite

Question 37

How do modern telescopes prevent problems of earlier telescopes that limited mirror size and stability during temperature changes?

A)They use a digital imaging system and process the image to remove distortions.
B)They use a mirror that is constantly adjusted in shape to adjust for changes in atmospheric distortions.
C)They only use telescopes in space to avoid the atmosphere.
D)They use a super refraction system that uses a series of small lenses that avoid chromatic effects to collect more light than previously possible.

Question 38

In a radio telescope,the electromagnetic energy is gathered by ________.

A)a glass mirror with a reflective coating,similar to an optical telescope
B)a spherical thin metal foil that refracts the radio waves to a point
C)a parabolic metallic mirror,commonly wire mesh
D)a solid slab or copper metal,formed into the shape of a parabola

Question 39

What is the ideal way,if cost is no object,for a telescope to avoid atmospheric disturbance?

A)Place it on a very high mountain.
B)Place it in a very dry climate,like the deserts in Chile.
C)Place it in space.
D)Place it on land,as far from the ocean as possible.

Question 40

The first telescopes,and most amateur telescopes,rely on the human eye to observe objects.Modern telescopes record the observations with ________.

A)projection systems
B)digital cameras
C)photographic film
D)polyspectral scanners

Question 41

Hale discovered that sunspots were associated with magnetic fields.What happens to these magnetic fields during a full sunspot cycle?

A)They die away.
B)They get stronger.
C)They get weaker.
D)They change polarity.

Question 42

If you live at high latitude,when do you expect to see the aurora?

A)at times of high sunspot activity,during the active sun
B)at intermediate periods when sunspots are present but not prominent
C)during low sun spot activity,when solar flares are most abundant
D)at times when the earth's magnetic field has temporarily been weakened

Question 43

In some instances,light behaves like waves,and in others,like discrete particles.

Question 44

granules sunspots spicules photosphere

Question 45

The solar wind originates from ________.

A)the interior of the Sun
B)the photosphere
C)the corona
D)the heliosphere

Question 46

If solar flares pose a danger to orbiting spacecraft and astronauts,how much warning is there for the danger?

A)There is no warning; the radiation arrives at the same time as the feature is observed because they all travel at the speed of light.
B)The primary danger is from high energy particles that travel at the speed of the solar wind 500km/s,so there is ample warning of 3-5 days.
C)The danger is from high energy particles moving thousands of km per second,so the warning is a few hours.
D)The danger is primarily from emission of neutrinos,which move at just below the speed of light; hence the warning is only a few seconds after a feature is observed.

Question 47

What does Einstein's formula e = mc2 have to do with the Sun?

A)It determines the energy released as the solar mass is converted to energy as matter is intensely compressed in its interior.
B)It determines the energy released when 4 protons are fused to make a helium atom in the interior of the Sun.
C)It relates to how much energy is carried away from the Sun when mass is ejected from the Sun at the speed c.
D)The formula has nothing to do with the Sun

Question 48

A solar telescope would quickly incinerate your eyes,so how do astronomers save their eyes when looking at the Sun?

A)They use heavy filters to block out light,particularly at specific wavelengths.
B)They project the telescope image onto a large screen or record the image with a camera.
C)They use a special water cooled camera system to avoid superheating the camera.
D)They look at the image very quickly.

Question 49

The part of the Sun clearly visible during a solar eclipse is ________.

A)the photosphere
B)the chromospheres
C)the mesosphere
D)the corona

Question 50

Prominences and solar flares present dangers to astronauts primarily because ________.

A)they disrupt communications on earth
B)they pose a radiation danger from X-rays and gamma rays,but primarily from high-energy particle emissions.
C)they can overheat the spacecraft.
D)they do not pose a danger to astronauts.

Question 51

reflecting refracting radio optical

Question 52

corona photosphere chromosphere sunspots

Question 53

There are websites that predict solar weather,or essentially the impact of the solar wind on earth (in one sense,our planet is within the outer atmosphere of the sun).How is this possible when the speed of light is a fixed quantity?

A)The solar wind does not travel at the speed of light,so it arrives much later than when a solar event is observed.
B)The solar weather is related to sunspots,and they only affect Earth when the sunspots are in line with the earth,so knowing the solar rotation speed,you can predict when sunspots are aimed at Earth.
C)The solar forecast is like weather forecasting on Earth; solar scientists observe phenomena as they form and grow on the sun,and predict their timing
D)The solar weather effect on Earth depends largely on the earth's magnetic field and its interaction with Earth weather,so scientists predict variations in both.

Question 54

The amount of energy released during a nuclear reaction was established by ________.

A)Albert Einstein
B)Sir Isaac Newton
C)Galileo
D)George Hale
E)Niels Bohr

Question 55

During periods of high solar activity,huge cloudlike structures that appear as great arches extending from the Sun are often produced.These solar features are called ________.

A)quasars
B)the solar wind
C)spicules
D)plages
E)prominences

Question 56

Hydrogen "burning" in stars is ________.

A)a chemical reaction that bonds hydrogen to oxygen to make water,which remains a gas because of the extremely high temperatures
B)an atomic reaction that generates hydrogen by splitting helium atoms
C)an atomic reaction that fuses 4 protons to make a helium nucleus,releasing energy by converting mass to energy
D)hydrogen atoms that combine with deuterium atoms to make HD complexes,and this reaction generates immense amounts of energy.

Question 57

The frequency of sunspots and related solar activity is ________.

A)a 22 year cycle
B)a 7 year cycle
C)an 11 year cycle
D)not a regular cycle

Question 58

Streams of protons and electrons emitted from the Sun produce ________.

A)quasars
B)the solar wind
C)granules
D)plages
E)prominences

Question 59

Irregularities in brightness on the Sun's photosphere (granules)are produced by ________.

A)large convective cells within the photosphere
B)different elemental abundances being stirred within the photosphere,to produce variable brightness
C)pods of solid mass ejected to the photosphere by violent explosions within the Sun's interior,hence the name granule
D)local violent explosions within the photosphere equivalent to a hydrogen bomb explosion

Question 60

What fuel is the source of energy from the Sun?

A)helium
B)lithium
C)oxygen
D)hydrogen

Question 61

The outermost portion of the solar atmosphere is called the photosphere.

Question 62

Radio telescopes are generally much larger in size than are optical telescopes.

Question 63

Radio telescopes are able to detect very short wave radiation emitted by celestial objects.

Question 64

Dark-line (absorption)spectra can be used to identify the elements present in stars.

Question 65

Sir Isaac Newton built and used reflecting telescopes.

Question 66

Shorter wavelengths correspond to more energetic photons.

Question 67

Blue stars are cooler than red stars.

Question 68

The Sun's energy results from the conversion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei.

Question 69

Although current technology will allow the construction of much larger optical telescopes,astronomers see no advantage in building these larger instruments.

Question 70

The energy from nuclear fusion is produced by the conversion of mass to energy.

Question 71

A hot (incandescent)gas under low pressure produces a continuous spectrum.

Question 72

Bright centers of solar activity are called filaments.

Question 73

The wavelength of red light is shorter than the wavelength of yellow light.

Question 74

Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface.

Question 75

Radio telescopes have an advantage over optical telescopes in that they can be used during daylight hours.

Question 76

Galileo built the first known telescope.

Question 77

The Sun is considered an "average star."

Question 78

In the case of light,when a source is moving away,its light appears redder than it actually is.

Question 79

All of the world's largest telescopes are of the refracting type.

Question 80

Astronomers currently estimate the internal temperature of the Sun at 1500°C.