Astronomy
102_01 Name_____________
Final (v1)
Be
sure to write your first and last name on the computer sheet and bubble it
in. Also you will need to record the
version of the final (v1 or v2) next to test on the computer sheet. For each
multiple choice question, pick the best answer and record it on the computer
sheet.
1.
Infrared
stars within the Orion Nebula are examples of which stage of stellar evolution?
(a)
supernova
remnants (b) protostar and young
star (c) red giant (d) planetary nebula
(e)
old
dying stars
2. Astronomers believe there are large amounts
of invisible dark matter in the Universe to explain (a) the rotation curves
of galaxies (b) star formation (c) why clusters of
galaxies don't fly apart (d) (a) and (c) above (e) all of the above
3.
Recall
that on earth our weight is due to the force of gravity exerted on us by the
earth. Suppose you visited another
planet with an identical mass as the earth but a radius that was three times as
large. By what factor would your
weight change if you were standing on the surface of this planet?
(a)
9 times greater (b) 3 times
greater (c) no change (d) 3 times less (e) 9 times less
4.
In
your homework, you determined the mass of the suspected black hole in the
center of our galaxy using
(a)
Newton's 1st law (b)
Kepler's 3rd law (c)
Kirchhoff's law (d) Mass-luminosity
relation
(e)
dark matter mass data
5.
Next
Monday will be the spring equinox. If
you stood at the north pole on this day, what angle would the sun make with
respect to the horizon?
(a)
23 1/2o above (b) 23 1/2o
below (c) 0o (d) 90o (e) 35o
6. Which way do the stars appear to move about
polaris for a viewer on earth in the northern hemisphere? (a) clockwise (b) counterclockwise
7.
Comparing
spectra of the red giant star Arcturus with spectral class B stars in the
Pleiades star cluster reveals the wavelength of greatest intensity for Arcturus
is
(a)
shorter (b) longer (c)
same (d) cannot be determined
from the information given
8.
The
velocity of galaxies receding away from us can be determined using
(a)
Doppler's
formula and the redshifted 21cm line of hydrogen
(b)
Doppler's
formula and the blueshifted 21cm line of hydrogen
(c)
Hubble's
law and the redshifted 21cm line of hydrogen
(d)
Hubble's
law and the blueshifted 21cm line of hydrogen
(e)
None
of the above
9.
The
Earth would not have seasons if
a)
Its
axis of rotation were perpendicular to its equatorial plane
b)
The
observers zenith were perpendicular to the Earth's orbital plane
c)
Its
equatorial plane were perpendicular to its orbital plane
d)
Its
axis of rotation were perpendicular to
its orbital plane
e)
Its
orbit around the Sun were perfectly circular
10.
Radio
waves travel through space at what speed?
a)
much
faster than the speed of light
b)
at
the speed of light
c)
slightly
faster than the speed of light, because their wavelength is longer
d)
slightly
slower than the speed of light, because their wavelength is longer
e)
much
slower than the speed of light
11. The mass of four hydrogen atoms is 6.693x10-27kg
and the mass of one helium atom is 6.645x10-27kg. How much energy is released every time one
helium atom is made in the center of our sun?
(a) 4.3x10-12 J (b) 6.0x10-10 J (c) 4.3x10-10 eV (d) 4.3x10-10 eV (e) none of the above
12.
What
causes the granular appearance on the surface of the Sun?
(a)
Hot
spots caused by thermonuclear fusion just below the Sun's surface
(b)
Convective
motion under the solar surface
(c)
The
regular impact of meteoroids and comets onto the solar surface.
(d)
Differential
rotation of the surface layers
(e)
Irregularities
in the surface due to the Sun's rotation
13.
If
the density of our Universe is less than the critical density,
a)
the
Universe will just barely expand forever
b)
the
Universe will easily expand forever
c)
the
Universe will expand to reach a maximum size and then collapse back on itself
d)
star
formation could have never taken place
e)
dark
matter plays a small role in the total mass of the Universe
14.
An
arching column of gas suspended over a sunspot group is called a
(a)
spicule (b) corona hole (c) mass ejection (d) flare (e) prominence
15.
What
radiation ionizes the hydrogen in an HII region?
(a)
Ultraviolet
radiation form O and B stars
(b)
X
rays from the coronas of solar-type stars
(c)
Infrared
radiation from pre-main-sequence stars
(d)
Gamma
rays from neutron stars
(e)
X
rays from neutron stars
16.
The
neutrino is
a)
a
particle that is believed to be created in the suns core but has never been
detected
b)
a
very small neutral particle that is easily detected
c)
a
heavy, uncharged nuclear particle that is difficult to detect
d)
another
name for an electron that carries a positive charge instead of a negative
charge
e)
an
elusive subatomic particle having little or no mass
17.
Which
of the following in not a characteristic of a quasar?
(a)
non-thermal spectrum (b) very
luminous (c) large redshift (d) found near our galaxy
(e) large recessional velocity
18.
Stellar
parallax is
a)
the
assumed change in the distance to a star when it dims as it passes through an
interstellar cloud
b)
the
shifting position of a star in space due to its orbital motion about another
star
c)
the
elliptical motion of a star in a binary system, as the two stars orbit around
each other
d)
the
difference between the apparent magnitude and the absolute magnitude of a star
e)
the
apparent shift in the position of a nearby star because of the Earth's motion
in its orbit
19.
A
reflection nebula is made visible by
a)
light
from embedded stars reflected over a wide range of wavelengths toward Earth by
crystals of water, methane and ammonia ices
b)
thermal
energy emitted as a continuous spectrum by the very hot gas, much like that
emitted by a hot body on Earth
c)
emission
lines from hydrogen, which itself has been ionized by UV light
d)
blue
light preferentially scattered by dust grains
e)
none
of the above
20.
Big
Bang nucleosynthesis explains
a)
the
primordial abundance of iron in the Universe
b)
the
primordial abundance of helium in the Universe
c)
the
abundance of iron in the Universe
d)
the
abundance of elements heavier than iron in the Universe
e)
the
abundance of all elements found in the Universe
21.
The
phenomenon of precession of the Earth's spin axis is caused by
a)
the
gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun upon the Earth's equatorial bulge
b)
the
tidal ebb and flow of ocean waters upon Earth
c)
the
varying intensity of sunlight upon Earth throughout the year
d)
the
variation of the spin rate of Earth
e)
the
motion of the Earth along its orbital path around the sun
22.
If
the Hipparchos satellite measures the parallax
of a star to be 0.008 arc second, how far is that star from us?
a)
125 ly b) 125 pc c) 8000 pc d) 8000 ly e)
0.008 pc
23.
Luminosity
of a star can be determined by knowing the stars
a)
distance
and apparent brightness
b)
temperature
and physical size
c)
spectral
class and luminosity class
d)
a)
and c) above
e)
a),
b) and c) above
24. The star a Centauri C and the star
Groombridge 34B have the same apparent brightness, but a Centauri C is 1.3 pc away for the Earth
while Groombridge 34B is 3.5 pc away.
What is the luminosity of Groombridge 34B, compared to that of a Centauri C?
a)
7.25
times fainter
b)
2.69
times fainter
c)
the
same
d)
2.69
times brighter
e)
7.25
times brighter
25.
A
cool, transparent gas in front of a source of a continuous spectrum produces
a)
an
absorption spectrum
b)
an
emission spectrum
c)
a
continuous spectrum
d)
a
combination of all three types of spectrum
e)
a
combination of emission spectrum and absorption spectrum
26.
Apparent
magnitude is a measure of
a)
the
brightness of a star, as seen from Earth
b)
the
temperature of a star
c)
the
size (diameter) of a star
d)
the
surface brightness of a star
e)
the
apparent magnitude of a star if it were 10 pc from the Earth
27.
A
certain galaxy s observed to be receding from the Sun at a rate of 75,000
km/s. The distance to this galaxy is
measured independently to be 1.5x109pc. Base on this data what is
the value of the Hubble constant?
a) 65 km/s/Mpc
b) 50 km/s/Mpc c) 75 km/s/Mpc
d) 112 km/s/Mpc e) none of
the above
28. Betelgeuse (the bright star in the
constellation Orion) has a surface temperature of 3300K and a luminosity
100,000 times that of the Sun. What is
its approximate radius, in terms of that of the Sun?
a)
10
times larger
b)
the
same
c)
100
times larger
d)
1000
times larger
e)
10,000
times larger
29.
Which
of the following main sequence stars will have the greatest mass?
a)
M
b) G c) A d) B e) K
30.
The
spectral-luminosity class of the star Spica is B1 V and that of the star t Ceti is G8 V. From this information, we know
for sure that
a)
t Ceti is hotter and has a
larger luminosity than Spica
b) t Ceti is hotter and has a
lower luminosity than Spica
c) t Ceti is hotter and has the
same luminosity as Spica
d) t Ceti is cooler but has the
same luminosity as Spica
e) t Ceti is cooler and has a
lower luminosity than Spica
31.
On
December 1 at 10:00 p.m. you observe the bright star Procyon to be just rising
over the eastern horizon. At
approximately what time would you see this star rising ten days later?
a)
10:10
p.m. b) 9:50 p.m. c) 10:00 p.m. d) 10:40 p.m. e) 9:20 p.m.
32.
The
spectrum of light from the Sun's corona seen during a total eclipse is
a)
an
absorption spectrum
b)
an
emission spectrum
c)
a
continuous spectrum
d)
a
combination of all three types of spectrum
e)
a
combination of emission spectrum and absorption spectrum
33.
The
difference between the full 22 year sunspot cycle and the 11 year sunspot cycle
is related to which of the following facts
a) sunspots reverse magnetic polarity after 11
years
b)
sunspots
take 11 years to migrate toward the equator and another 11 years to migrate
back to towards the poles
c)
sunspots
appear at mid-latitudes and migrate towards the equator
d)
it
takes 11 years for a sunspot to go halfway around the sun and 22 years for a
full cycle
e)
none
of the above
34.
A
white dwarf star is
a)
a starring character in a new Walt Disney
production involving snow white and the seven dwarfs
b)
the
likely fate of our Sun
c)
a
little man who hangs around peoples gardens
d)
the
likely fate of a star with a main-sequence mass greater than eight solar masses
e)
b)
and d) above
35.
The
main-sequence star Sirius A (mass approximately 2.8 times the sun's mass) and
its binary companion Sirius B, a white dwarf star, could in the future become a
a)
nova b) supernova c) planetary
nebula d) a) and b) above e) all of the above
36.
Of
the following main-sequence spectral classes, A, B, G, M, O, which will have
the longest main-sequence lifetime?
a)
A b) B c)
G d) M e) O
37.
The
radius of the supergiant Antares in the constellation of scorpio is
approximately 7.5x108km.
What is the radius of Antares in AU?
a)
1.1x1017AU b) 5 AU c)
10 AU d) 5.0x1016AU
e) none of the above
38.
The
upper mass limit for a neutron star is approximately
a)
three solar masses b) four
solar masses c) eight solar
masses d) 1.4 solar
masses
e)
none of the above
39.
Spectroscopic
parallax is a powerful technique for finding distances to objects in remote
parts of our galaxy. Employing the
technique, an astronomer carefully measures a stars spectral type and
luminosity class. Using information
from an H-R diagram and what other piece of information to find the distance.
a)
luminosity b) temperature c) size d) apparent brightness e)
mass
40.
Which
of the following is not a property of a neutron star.
a)
electron degeneracy b) superfluid
interior c) superconducting interior d) rapid rotation e)small
41.
Using
the Hubble constant (65 km/s/Mpc) to estimate the age of the Universe gives an
age of
a)
25
billion years b) 8 billion years c) 10 million years d) 13 million years e) 15 billion years
42.
A
main-sequence star with a mass greater than eight solar masses is not
expected to be a
a)
red giant b) supergiant c) supernova d) neutron star e)
planetary nebula
43.
Population
II stars are commonly found in
a)
newly
formed star clusters b) the galactic
disk c) the galactic halo d) HII regions e) none of the above
44.
Elements
heavier than iron such as copper, gold and lead found here on earth are
believed to be created
a)
by
fusion reactions taking place in low mass stars
b)
by
fission reactions taking place in low mass stars
c)
by
fusion reactions taking place in high mass stars
d)
by
fission reactions taking place in high mass stars
e)
by supernova explosions and processes
thereafter
45.
Which
of the following is not a prediction of Einstein's General Theory of
Relativity
a)
Bending
of light in a gravitational field
b)
Precession
of perihelion of Mercury's orbit
c)
Black
hole
d)
Gravitational
redshift
e)
Moving
objects contract in the direction of their motion
46.
Mass
transfer from a companion star to a neutron star can result in
a)
a
faster spinning neutron star b) x-ray
bursters c) x-ray pulsars d) all of the above e) none of the above
47.
One
of the postulates of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity is
a)
the
speed of light in vacuum is the same for all observers
b)
moving
clocks run more slowly
c)
the
laws of physics depend on an observers motion
d)
light
is quantized
e)
none
of the above
48.
Photons
from which part of the electromagnetic spectrum carry the most energy
a)
blue light b) red light c)
ultraviolet light d) x-rays e) infrared light
49.
When
plotted on an H-R diagram, a particular star cluster has its more massive stars
above the main-sequence and its less massive stars on the main sequence. From this information can we estimate the
age of the cluster?
a)
No
b)
Yes,
the age of the cluster is approximately the main-sequence lifetime of the least
massive star on the main-sequence
c)
Yes,
the age of the cluster is approximately the main-sequence lifetime of the most
massive star
d)
Yes,
the age of the cluster is approximately the main-sequence lifetime of the least
massive star
e)
Yes,
the age of the cluster is approximately the main-sequence lifetime of the star
that has just left the main-sequence
50. The two forces producing hydrostatic
equilibrium in a white dwarf are
(a)
gravity and gas pressure (b) nuclear
forces and gravity (c) electron
degeneracy pressure and gravity (d) electrical forces and gas pressure (e) electrical forces and nuclear forces.
51. Given that a type Ia supernova results from
an exploding white dwarf star, what is the
primary
difference between the type II, Ib and Ic supernova's?
(a)
main-sequence mass (b) spectra (c) outer layers present when the star
explodes
(d)
all of the above (e) b and c above
52.
The
predominant color of an HII region is
a)
green-yellow,
from the 530.3nm emission line of ionized iron, equivalent to that from the hot
solar corona
b)
a
continuum of colors, the combined light from the stars in the region
c)
blue,
from the scattering of light from hot stars by dust particles
d)
red,
from the Balmer Ha line
e)
yellow,
from sodium emission lines
53. By observing Cepheid stars in the Andromeda
galaxy, Hubble was able to show that Andromeda was not a nebula in our
galaxy. What information regarding
Cepheid stars from the list below did Hubble use to prove this result.
a)
temperature b) apparent brightness c) mass-luminosity relation d) radius
e) mass
54.
A
pulsar is believed to be
a)
a
kind of car that came from another galaxy
b)
a
rotating quasar with its jet periodically aligning with our line of sight
c)
a
rapidly rotating neutron star with magnetic axis periodically aligning with our
line of sight
d)
a
star that changes size regularly causing a regular pulsing change in its
luminosity
e)
an
eclipsing binary star system causing a regular pulsing change in its luminosity
55.
Which
of the following is not expected to be a mechanism that initiates star
formation
a)
supernova
explosions
b)
density
waves in spiral galaxies
c)
expanding
planetary nebula
d)
stellar
winds from O and B type stars
e)
colliding
molecular clouds
56.
The
large-scale distribution of galaxies is