Question 1

The major feature that distinguishes a sunspot from other regions on the Sun is

Accepted Answer

A)  its faster rotation around the Sun's axis than neighboring regions that actually produce the spot. 
B)  its very powerful magnetic field. 
C)  its much higher emission of light. 
D)  the coronal hole that always exists above it. 
A)  its faster rotation around the Sun's axis than neighboring regions that actually produce the spot. 
B)  its very powerful magnetic field. 
C)  its much higher emission of light. 
D)  the coronal hole that always exists above it.

Question 2

Which of these would NOT be true if the Sun were more massive?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Sun would be bluer. 
B)  Compression would make the Sun smaller. 
C)  The Sun's surface would be hotter. 
D)  Earth's orbital period would be shorter. 
A)  The Sun would be bluer. 
B)  Compression would make the Sun smaller. 
C)  The Sun's surface would be hotter. 
D)  Earth's orbital period would be shorter.

Question 3

One of the phenomena that accompanied the Maunder minimum in sunspot numbers during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was

Accepted Answer

A)  a severe drought in western North America. 
B)  an unusual heat wave in Europe. 
C)  the Black Plague. 
D)  the onset of El Niño. 
A)  a severe drought in western North America. 
B)  an unusual heat wave in Europe. 
C)  the Black Plague. 
D)  the onset of El Niño.

Question 4

A positron is a

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen nucleus. 
B)  theory about which there is absolutely no doubt. 
C)  charged neutron. 
D)  Positively charged particle otherwise similar to an electron. 
A)  hydrogen nucleus. 
B)  theory about which there is absolutely no doubt. 
C)  charged neutron. 
D)  Positively charged particle otherwise similar to an electron.

Question 5

The umbra of a sunspot is about 1500 K cooler than the surrounding solar photosphere. How does the light from the umbra compare with the light from the rest of the photosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  The umbra and the surrounding photosphere both emit light of the same color and the same intensity (per square meter) because they are both in the photosphere. 
B)  The light from the umbra is bluer. 
C)  The light from both the umbra and the surrounding photosphere are the same color, but the umbra emits less light per square meter. 
D)  The light from the umbra is redder. 
A)  The umbra and the surrounding photosphere both emit light of the same color and the same intensity (per square meter) because they are both in the photosphere. 
B)  The light from the umbra is bluer. 
C)  The light from both the umbra and the surrounding photosphere are the same color, but the umbra emits less light per square meter. 
D)  The light from the umbra is redder.

Question 6

The mechanism at work when energy is transmitted by convection is the

Accepted Answer

A)  flow of hot gases. 
B)  fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei. 
C)  successive exchange of radiant energy as photons between atoms. 
D)  passage of radiation through a gas at the speed of light. 
A)  flow of hot gases. 
B)  fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei. 
C)  successive exchange of radiant energy as photons between atoms. 
D)  passage of radiation through a gas at the speed of light.

Question 7

Spectral lines observed in the granules seen at the center of the Sun's disk are

Accepted Answer

A)  split by the Zeeman effect due to the strong magnetic fields in the granule. 
B)  always redshifted because granules are caused by gas descending into the Sun from higher layers. 
C)  redshifted near the center of the granule and blueshifted near the edge of the granule. 
D)  blueshifted near the center of the granule and redshifted near the edge of the granule. 
A)  split by the Zeeman effect due to the strong magnetic fields in the granule. 
B)  always redshifted because granules are caused by gas descending into the Sun from higher layers. 
C)  redshifted near the center of the granule and blueshifted near the edge of the granule. 
D)  blueshifted near the center of the granule and redshifted near the edge of the granule.

Question 8

Figure 11-23 in the text shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius. What is true of the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

Accepted Answer

A)  Almost all of the Sun's mass is located within the inner 25% of the solar radius also. 
B)  The core has a temperature of 15.5 *106 K, the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion, throughout this inner 25% of the solar radius. 
C)  The temperature actually peaks in the convection zone, driving the convection process. 
D)  The density is greatest within the inner 25% of the solar radius, causing the high pressure and temperature required for hydrogen fusion. 
A)  Almost all of the Sun's mass is located within the inner 25% of the solar radius also. 
B)  The core has a temperature of 15.5 *106 K, the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion, throughout this inner 25% of the solar radius. 
C)  The temperature actually peaks in the convection zone, driving the convection process. 
D)  The density is greatest within the inner 25% of the solar radius, causing the high pressure and temperature required for hydrogen fusion.

Question 9

What is the structure of a typical large sunspot?

Accepted Answer

A)  irregular dark area of uniform darkness 
B)  round region of uniformly dark photospheric surface 
C)  roughly circular, dark region with a lighter central area, like a bullseye 
D)  dark center surrounded by a less dark area 
A)  irregular dark area of uniform darkness 
B)  round region of uniformly dark photospheric surface 
C)  roughly circular, dark region with a lighter central area, like a bullseye 
D)  dark center surrounded by a less dark area

Question 10

What is the Sun's photosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  envelope of convective mass motion in the outer interior of the Sun 
B)  lowest layer of the Sun's atmosphere 
C)  middle layer of the Sun's atmosphere 
D)  upper layer of the Sun's atmosphere 
A)  envelope of convective mass motion in the outer interior of the Sun 
B)  lowest layer of the Sun's atmosphere 
C)  middle layer of the Sun's atmosphere 
D)  upper layer of the Sun's atmosphere

Question 11

What is the source of the X-rays emitted by the solar corona?

Accepted Answer

A)  high-energy charged particles spiraling along the coronal magnetic fields 
B)  X-rays from the solar photosphere, scattered by ions in the corona 
C)  decay of radioactive nuclei in the coronal gases 
D)  high-temperature gas of the corona 
A)  high-energy charged particles spiraling along the coronal magnetic fields 
B)  X-rays from the solar photosphere, scattered by ions in the corona 
C)  decay of radioactive nuclei in the coronal gases 
D)  high-temperature gas of the corona

Question 12

Where would one expect to find heavy atoms like iron stripped of many of their electrons?

Accepted Answer

A)  photosphere 
B)  chromosphere 
C)  corona 
D)  sunspots 
A)  photosphere 
B)  chromosphere 
C)  corona 
D)  sunspots

Question 13

A typical sunspot group lasts

Accepted Answer

A)  virtually forever. 
B)  about two months. 
C)  11 years. 
D)  22 years. 
A)  virtually forever. 
B)  about two months. 
C)  11 years. 
D)  22 years.

Question 14

Which of these statements about sunspots is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sunspots are cooler than the surrounding photosphere of the Sun. 
B)  Sunspots increase and decrease in number relatively regularly. 
C)  Sunspots often occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity. 
D)  Sunspots occur in regions of lower-than-average magnetic fields. 
A)  Sunspots are cooler than the surrounding photosphere of the Sun. 
B)  Sunspots increase and decrease in number relatively regularly. 
C)  Sunspots often occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity. 
D)  Sunspots occur in regions of lower-than-average magnetic fields.

Question 15

What name is given to the outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  convective zone 
B)  radiative zone 
C)  corona 
D)  chromosphere 
A)  convective zone 
B)  radiative zone 
C)  corona 
D)  chromosphere

Question 16

The word "chromosphere" refers to a

Accepted Answer

A)  dense, spherical interstellar cloud of glowing gas. 
B)  layer in Earth's atmosphere just below the ionosphere. 
C)  layer in the Sun's atmosphere. 
D)  light-emitting region just outside the event horizon of a black hole. 
A)  dense, spherical interstellar cloud of glowing gas. 
B)  layer in Earth's atmosphere just below the ionosphere. 
C)  layer in the Sun's atmosphere. 
D)  light-emitting region just outside the event horizon of a black hole.

Question 17

The rotation of the Sun is

Accepted Answer

A)  slowest at the equator, faster at mid-latitudes, and fastest near the poles. 
B)  fastest at the equator, slowest at mid-latitudes, and spinning up to intermediate speeds around the poles. 
C)  fastest at mid-latitudes, slower at the equator, and slowest near the poles. 
D)  fastest at the equator, slower at mid-latitudes, and slowest near the poles. 
A)  slowest at the equator, faster at mid-latitudes, and fastest near the poles. 
B)  fastest at the equator, slowest at mid-latitudes, and spinning up to intermediate speeds around the poles. 
C)  fastest at mid-latitudes, slower at the equator, and slowest near the poles. 
D)  fastest at the equator, slower at mid-latitudes, and slowest near the poles.

Question 18

The gas motions within granules on the solar surface are

Accepted Answer

A)  upward in the centers of some cells and downward in the centers of others; the gas cools as it passes over the boundaries between cells. 
B)  upward in the bright cell centers and downward around the darker edges. 
C)  downward in the bright cell centers and upward around the darker edges. 
D)  almost nonexistent; the dark patterns represent a network of absorbing gases overlying the photosphere. 
A)  upward in the centers of some cells and downward in the centers of others; the gas cools as it passes over the boundaries between cells. 
B)  upward in the bright cell centers and downward around the darker edges. 
C)  downward in the bright cell centers and upward around the darker edges. 
D)  almost nonexistent; the dark patterns represent a network of absorbing gases overlying the photosphere.

Question 19

What is the solar wind?

Accepted Answer

A)  storm of waves and vortices on the Sun's surface generated by a solar flare 
B)  constant flux of photons from the Sun's visible surface 
C)  circulation of gases between the equator and the poles of the Sun 
D)  Sun's outer atmosphere streaming out into space 
A)  storm of waves and vortices on the Sun's surface generated by a solar flare 
B)  constant flux of photons from the Sun's visible surface 
C)  circulation of gases between the equator and the poles of the Sun 
D)  Sun's outer atmosphere streaming out into space

Question 20

What is the corona on the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sun's inner atmosphere, just above the photosphere 
B)  large region beyond (outside of) the Sun's atmosphere, filled with solar wind 
C)  region above the solar north and south poles, the Sun's "crown" 
D)  Sun's outer atmosphere 
A)  Sun's inner atmosphere, just above the photosphere 
B)  large region beyond (outside of) the Sun's atmosphere, filled with solar wind 
C)  region above the solar north and south poles, the Sun's "crown" 
D)  Sun's outer atmosphere

The major feature that distinguishes a sunspot from other regions on the Sun is

Which of these would NOT be true if the Sun were more massive?

One of the phenomena that accompanied the Maunder minimum in sunspot numbers during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was

A positron is a

The umbra of a sunspot is about 1500 K cooler than the surrounding solar photosphere. How does the light from the umbra compare with the light from the rest of the photosphere?

The mechanism at work when energy is transmitted by convection is the

Spectral lines observed in the granules seen at the center of the Sun's disk are

Figure 11-23 in the text shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius. What is true of the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

What is the structure of a typical large sunspot?

What is the Sun's photosphere?

What is the source of the X-rays emitted by the solar corona?

Where would one expect to find heavy atoms like iron stripped of many of their electrons?

A typical sunspot group lasts

Which of these statements about sunspots is NOT true?

What name is given to the outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun?

The word "chromosphere" refers to a

The rotation of the Sun is

The gas motions within granules on the solar surface are

What is the solar wind?

What is the corona on the Sun?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 11: The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

The major feature that distinguishes a sunspot from other regions on the Sun is

Which of these would NOT be true if the Sun were more massive?

One of the phenomena that accompanied the Maunder minimum in sunspot numbers during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was

A positron is a

The umbra of a sunspot is about 1500 K cooler than the surrounding solar photosphere. How does the light from the umbra compare with the light from the rest of the photosphere?

The mechanism at work when energy is transmitted by convection is the

Spectral lines observed in the granules seen at the center of the Sun's disk are

Figure 11-23 in the text shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius. What is true of the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

What is the structure of a typical large sunspot?

What is the Sun's photosphere?

What is the source of the X-rays emitted by the solar corona?

Where would one expect to find heavy atoms like iron stripped of many of their electrons?

A typical sunspot group lasts

Which of these statements about sunspots is NOT true?

What name is given to the outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun?

The word "chromosphere" refers to a

The rotation of the Sun is

The gas motions within granules on the solar surface are

What is the solar wind?

What is the corona on the Sun?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

Atomic Physics and Spectra

Exoplanets and the Formation of Planetary Systems

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Moon

The Other Terrestrial Planets

The Outer Planets

Vagabonds of the Solar System

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes: Matters of Gravity

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Quasars and Other Active Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters