Deck 23: The Sun, Stars, and Deep Space

Question 1

The Sun's layer that produces the energy is the

A)radiative zone.
B)convective zone.
C)sun spot.
D)solar core.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A patch on the surface of the photosphere becomes about 1,300°C to 2,700°C (800°F to 1,700°F) cooler than brighter regions of the photosphere. These patches are known as ____________ because their lower temperatures make them look darker than the surrounding regions.

A)solar flares
B)solar cycles
C)sunspots
D)solar prominence

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To distinguish among stars based on luminosity, astronomers use the ____________ scale that represents the value of a star's apparent magnitude as if the star were hypothetically placed at a distance of exactly 33 light-years from Earth.

A)apparent magnitude
B)apparent brightness
C)absolute magnitude
D)temperature

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When a bright eruption of plasma shoots out of the Sun's surface, it releases a huge number of particles as well as energy in the form of x-rays and UV rays. This explosion of energy at the Sun's surface is called a

A)sunspot.
B)solar cycle.
C)solar flare.
D)solar prominence.

Question 5

Identify the three internal layers of our Sun using the figure below.

A)A = solar core; B = radiation zone; C = convection zone
B)A = radiation zone; B = sunspot; C = convection zone
C)A = convection zone; B = solar core; C = convection zone
D)A = radiation zone; B = convection zone; C = solar core

Question 6

Which is the closest star relative to Earth?

A)the Sun
B)Alpha Centauri
C)the North Star
D)Proxima Centauri

Question 7

Solar flares, solar prominences, and sunspots are all

A)similar types of hot spots.
B)similar types of fusion.
C)different types of fission.
D)different types of solar storms.

Question 8

The fourth state of matter where material consists almost entirely of ionized atoms circulating along with free electrons is called

A)solid.
B)plasma.
C)liquid.
D)gas.

Question 9

The measure of power for the electromagnetic energy emitted by a star in a specified amount of time is known as the star's

A)luminosity.
B)absolute magnitude.
C)apparent magnitude.
D)temperature.

Question 10

The Sun's three internal layers are

A)solar surface, hydrogen zone, and convective zone.
B)solar core, radiative zone, and convective zone.
C)plasma, radiative zone, and sun spots.
D)plasma, solar prominence, and convective currents.

Question 11

Astronomers describe the apparent brightness of stars using a scheme that classifies starsvisible to the naked eye using a scale divided into ____________, with 1 being the brightest and 6 being the faintest.

A)luminosity
B)apparent magnitude
C)absolute magnitude
D)temperature

Question 12

What mechanism is responsible for producing the energy that comes from inside the Sun?

A)nuclear fission
B)atomic hydrogen
C)nuclear fusion
D)atomic fission

Question 13

The reaction known as the ____________ chain reaction involves the fusion of hydrogen atoms to form helium for our Sun.

A)electron-electron
B)neutron-neutron
C)proton-proton
D)electron-proton

Question 14

In the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, ____________ stars populate an area above and to the right of the ____________stars.

A)red giant; main sequence
B)blue giant; main sequence
C)white dwarf; main sequence
D)main sequence; subgiants

Question 15

A photon from a dying star may have traveled millions or even billions of years since it began its journey through ____________, the Universe far beyond the limits of our solar system, to reach your eyes.

A)local groups
B)galaxies
C)stars
D)deep space

Question 16

Which type of stars appear at the bottom of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shown below?

A)white dwarfs
B)main sequence
C)supergiants
D)red giants

Question 17

Outbursts of glowing gas and plasma emerging from the Sun's surface, following the magnetic field lines back to the surface, look like particularly huge arcs of plasma and are known as

A)solar bursts.
B)solar prominence.
C)hotspots.
D)solar flares.

Question 18

What are the two most abundant elements that make up the composition of the Sun?

A)lithium and magnesium
B)iron and steel
C)nitrogen and oxygen
D)hydrogen and helium

Question 19

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shows astronomers the relationship between

A)size and temperature represented by the spectral class.
B)luminosity and temperature represented by the spectral class.
C)magnitude and size represented by the spectral class.
D)spectral class and composition.

Question 20

A square meter at the top of Earth's atmosphere, aligned perpendicular to the Sun's rays at a distance of 1 AU from the Sun, receives 1,362 watts. Researchers refer to this number, 1,362 watts/m², as the ____________ constant because it has varied by less than 0.2% over the last 400 years.

A)lithium
B)solar
C)gravity
D)fission

Question 21

Our Sun currently falls on the main sequence of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. When it ends its life as a visible star, our Sun will become a

A)red giant.
B)black hole.
C)supergiant.
D)black dwarf.

Question 22

Astronomers can distinguish galaxy types based on

A)shape and size.
B)shape and the nature of the energy they emit.
C)shape and absorption spectrum.
D)temperature and the nature of the energy they absorb.

Question 23

In the life cycle of stars, nebulae serve the purpose of being the material that

A)destroys a star.
B)a star consumes.
C)Nebulae do not play a role in the life cycle of a star.
D)make up both the birth and death of a star.

Question 24

Is it possible for a planet to safely orbit a black hole?

A)No.
B)Beyond the event horizon, planets can orbit a black hole just as they do other celestial bodies.
C)Within the event horizon, planets can orbit a black hole just as they do other celestial bodies.
D)Only if the planet orbiting the black hole has a mass greater than a supergiant star.

Question 25

Places within the Universe where the interstellar medium (i.e., "clouds" of gas, dust, and ice) have become denser than elsewhere are known as

A)comets.
B)nebulae.
C)asteroids.
D)planets.

Question 26

A very high-mass star with a mass greater than about 25Ms enters its death throes. It undergoes a supernova explosion, leaving the remnant neutron star that still contains as much mass as three Suns and can become a

A)main sequence star.
B)supergiant.
C)black hole.
D)red dwarf.

Question 27

In which spectral class is a yellow star like our Sun?

A)A
B)O
C)G
D)M

Question 28

A supermassive black hole is

A)a nebula.
B)created during galaxy formation and contains the mass of hundreds of stars.
C)a product of galaxy formation and contains the mass of hundreds of stars within the volume of a single star.
D)a product of galaxy formation and contains the mass of millions of stars within the volume of a single star or less.

Question 29

A ____________ dwarf is in the same size range as a white dwarf but is much cooler in temperature.

A)red
B)green
C)black
D)blue

Question 30

What is the difference between a quasar and a pulsar?

A)The most distant objects detectable within the Universe are known as quasars and absorb enormous amounts of nebula. The reflection of energy from rotating neutron stars that arrive on Earth are known as pulsars.
B)The most distant objects detectable within the Universe are known as quasars and emit enormous amounts of radiation. The pulses of energy from rotating neutron stars that arrive on Earth with clockwork accuracy are known as pulsars.
C)A pulsar and quasar are the same object but named by different researchers.
D)The most distant objects detectable within the Universe are known as pulsars and emit enormous amounts of radiation. The pulses of energy from rotating neutron stars that arrive on Earth with clockwork accuracy are known as quasars.

Question 31

The energy of a nova is provided when

A)a dying binary star becomes a black dwarf.
B)a dying star in which one of the individual stars has become a white dwarf provides a temperature change for the new star.
C)mass passes from one star to another in a dying binary star in which one of the individual stars has become a white dwarf.
D)mass passes from one star to another in a growing binary star as it becomes a red dwarf.

Question 32

An astronomer classifies nebulae that have distinct geometry by dividing the nebulae into

A)two main types, as either absorption nebulae or reflection nebulae.
B)two main types based on their predominate radiation characteristics as either emission nebulae or absorption nebulae.
C)two main types based on their predominate radiation characteristics as either emission nebulae or reflection nebulae.
D)three main types based on their predominate radiation characteristics as either emission, absorption, or reflection nebulae.

Question 33

The star that has longest life span because of its size and rate of fuel consumption is known as a ____________ star.

A)low-mass
B)high-mass
C)intermediate
D)black dwarf

Question 34

What important forces balance each other within a star as it reaches its equilibrium condition?

A)inward pull of gravity and outward pressure
B)outward pressure and stabilization
C)outward pressure and absorption
D)inward pull of gravity and balance

Question 35

A white dwarf is a very ____________ star that glows white because of its ____________ surface temperature.

A)small; high
B)large; high
C)small; low
D)large; low

Question 36

What will be the fate of Earth when the Sun's hydrogen fuel is exhausted?

A)Earth will be consumed as our Sun transitions into a black hole.
B)As our Sun's outer layers expand, Earth will become engulfed by a red giant.
C)Earth will become engulfed as our Sun's outer layers contract and become a white dwarf.
D)Nothing will happen to Earth.

Question 37

A high-mass star will end its life cycle as a

A)neutron star or black hole.
B)nebula.
C)white dwarf or black dwarf.
D)red giant star.

Question 38

The ____________ can extend 3 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) from the black hole's center.

A)event horizon
B)central axis
C)galactic disk
D)galactic halo

Question 39

What are the key structural features of the Milky Way?

A)central axis, spiral arms, galactic disk, galactic bulge, and galactic halo
B)spiral arms, galactic disk, galactic bulge, and galactic halo
C)central axis, spiral arms, galactic bulge, and galactic halo
D)central axis, spiral arms, galactic disk, and galactic halo

Question 40

The property of a star that is most important in determining if it will end its life cycle as a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole is its

A)temperature.
B)composition.
C)mass.
D)location.

Question 41

If you plot the positions of thousands of stars on the H-R diagram, most of those stars fall along the main sequence. Why are so many stars found along this line rather than in other parts of the diagram?

A)A star will remain a main sequence as long as there is enough atomic power.
B)High-mass stars are so massive that they will consume their fuel slowly.
C)A star will remain a main sequence as long as there is enough fuel to consume.
D)A low-mass star will consume its fuel and the star is so small that fuel will run out quickly.

Question 42

Which of the following statements is true regarding the expansion rates of the Universe in the future?

A)If the gravity of our Universe becomes strong enough, the expansion will slow and eventually reverse.
B)The Universe may contract indefinitely.
C)Our Universe will remain the same until the end of time.
D)The Universe may expand indefinitely.

Question 43

What are the differences between black-, white-, and red-dwarf stars in terms of their size, mass, temperature, formation mechanism, and life cycle stage?

Question 44

Why is it thought that fusion began in our Sun but not in Earth?

Question 45

How does energy move through the Sun's layers?

Question 46

Label the key features of the Milky Way galaxy using the features below.

Question 47

How do astronomers differentiate galaxies from one another?

Question 48

What provides the energy of a nova? What provides the energy of a supernova?

Question 49

Our Milky Way is classified as a(n) ____________ galaxy.

A)spherical
B)spiral
C)irregular
D)barred spiral

Question 50

Edwin Hubble classified galaxies into four basic types based on their shape. Those types are

A)spiral, barred spiral, elliptical, and irregular.
B)circular, barred spiral, elliptical, and irregular.
C)spiral, banned spiral, spherical, and irregular.
D)spiral, banned spiral, spherical, and irregular.

Question 51

Our Universe is a ____________-dimensional mesh composed of stringlike filaments and screenlike walls, whose long dimensions are on the order of ____________ light-years.

A)three; 1 to 10
B)two; 30 to 300
C)two; 3 to 30
D)three; 30 to 300

Question 52

If the Universe becomes larger and larger, its matter will become more and more dispersed and eventually, in this scenario, all that will be left are

A)the black holes.
B)the nebula.
C)neutron stars.
D)very long-lived red-dwarf stars.

Question 53

The Sun currently falls on the main sequence of the H-R diagram. How will it evolve as it nears the end of its life as a visible star?

Question 54

In the Big Crunch model, the Universe

A)contracts rapidly.
B)alternately explodes and implodes.
C)will expand indefinitely.
D)alternately expands and contracts, like an accordion.

Question 55

What objects do you encounter in your daily life that provide evidence that our Sun is not a first-generation star; meaning that it was not one of the first stars that formed after the Universe came into existence? Explain your answer.

Question 56

How might expansion rates of the Universe change in the future, and what would such changes mean for the future of the Universe?

Question 57

Currently, astronomers think that since the Big Bang the Universe

A)has continued to shrink at a constant rate.
B)has continued to shrink at an irregular rate.
C)has continued to expand at an irregular rate.
D)will continue to expand at a constant rate.

Question 58

Identify which galaxy type matches each image below.

A)A = spiral; B = barred spiral, C = irregular, D= elliptical
B)A = barred spiral; B = spiral, C = irregular, D= elliptical
C)A = barred spiral; B = irregular, C = elliptical, D = spiral
D)A = irregular; B = spiral, C = barred spiral, D= elliptical

Question 59

Describe and explain the impact of dark matter in our Universe.

Question 60

A galaxy and its satellites, together with a few other galaxies and their satellites, are known as

A)a local group.
B)a massive group.
C)dark matter.
D)a cosmic group.