Question 1

Hot dense objects like the filaments in an incandescent light bulb produce

Accepted Answer

A)  a continuous spectrum 
B)  an emission spectrum 
C)  an absorption spectrum 
D)  no spectrum

Question 2

The fundamental parameters of the universe are so finely tuned that if they had been only slightly different, life would not have been possible. This statement is often referred to as the

Accepted Answer

A)  mediocrity principle 
B)  philanthropic principle 
C)  cosmological principle 
D)  anthropic principle

Question 3

The process of planet formation in the early solar system is best described by which of the following terms?

Accepted Answer

A)  precipitation 
B)  consolidation 
C)  condensation 
D)  crystallization

Question 4

The nebular theory predicts that

Accepted Answer

A)  most stars should have planetary systems 
B)  only solar-type stars should have planetary systems 
C)  planetary systems are relatively rare 
D)  the Sun is unique in having a planetary system

Question 5

Far from the Sun in a spherical cloud surrounding the solar system we find

Accepted Answer

A)  Orion's belt 
B)  the Oort cloud 
C)  the asteroid belt 
D)  the Kuiper cloud

Question 6

Compared the Earth, the universe is

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same age 
B)  just slightly older 
C)  much older 
D)  much younger

Question 7

Between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter we find

Accepted Answer

A)  the Oort cloud 
B)  Orion's belt 
C)  the Kuiper belt 
D)  the asteroid belt

Question 8

Huge collections of stars in space containing anywhere form a few hundred million to more than a trillion stars are referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  island universes 
B)  galaxy clusters 
C)  star clusters 
D)  galaxies

Question 9

The energy content of matter itself which was discovered by Albert Einstein in his Special Theory of Relativity is called

Accepted Answer

A)  thermal energy 
B)  radiative energy 
C)  mass-energy 
D)  kinetic energy

Question 10

In the outer regions of the solar nebula where temperatures were low,

Accepted Answer

A)  only rock and iron could condense 
B)  only hydrogen compounds could condense as ices 
C)  hydrogen and helium gases were able to condense 
D)  in addition to rock and iron, hydrogen compounds also condensed as ices

Question 11

The main chemical building blocks of life, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and iron were formed

Accepted Answer

A)  inside interstellar gas clouds during star formation 
B)  in the center of the Earth and then ejected onto the surface via volcanism 
C)  in the nuclear burning cores of stars and then ejected into space when they died 
D)  in the Big Bang that created the universe

Question 12

When we make an observation of a distant galaxy 10 billion light-years away, we are seeing this galaxy as it

Accepted Answer

A)  is right now 
B)  was when the universe was only 10 billion years old 
C)  was when the universe was formed 
D)  will be in 10 billion year's time

Question 13

Approximately how long does it take light to travel across the diameter of the Milky Way?

Accepted Answer

A)  27,000 years 
B)  100,000 years 
C)  200,000 years 
D)  1 million years

Question 14

According to the nebular theory for the formation of the solar system,

Accepted Answer

A)  planets should be rotating in the same direction as they orbit the Sun 
B)  planets can be rotating in any random direction compared to the direction they orbit the Sun 
C)  planets should be rotating in the opposite direction to the direction they orbit the Sun 
D)  no prediction is made as to the directions of rotations of the planets

Question 15

The nuclei of radioactive isotopes can sometimes give off

Accepted Answer

A)  visible radiation 
B)  UV rays 
C)  gamma rays 
D)  X-rays

Question 16

If we compress the entire history of the into one year, each month represents

Accepted Answer

A)  about a billion years 
B)  a few tens of millions of years 
C)  a few hundred years 
D)  a few million years

Question 17

Spectral line patterns are

Accepted Answer

A)  the same for all elements and molecules 
B)  unique for each element and molecule 
C)  unique for each different molecule but the same for all elements 
D)  unique for each element but the same for all molecules

Question 18

When photons of electromagnetic radiation bounce off of a surface they are said to be

Accepted Answer

A)  emitted 
B)  refracted 
C)  absorbed 
D)  reflected

Question 19

In the context of life in the universe, which of the following discoveries of astronomy suggests that there has been plenty of time for life to have appeared and evolved elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

A)  the universe is very large 
B)  the universe is very old 
C)  the laws of physics are the same everywhere 
D)  the building blocks of life are common

Question 20

The point in time when the expansion of the universe began is referred to the

Accepted Answer

A)  big crunch 
B)  cosmic detonation event 
C)  big bang 
D)  big blowup

Exam 3: The Universal Context of Life