Question 1

The evolution of a medium-mass star like the Sun, when off of the main sequence, is ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  strongly affected by mass absorption from the interstellar medium 
B)  strongly affected by mass absorption from the corona 
C)  not affected by mass loss due to increased solar winds 
D)  strongly affected by mass loss due to increased solar winds 
E)  strongly affected by mass loss due to hydrogen fusion 
A)  strongly affected by mass absorption from the interstellar medium 
B)  strongly affected by mass absorption from the corona 
C)  not affected by mass loss due to increased solar winds 
D)  strongly affected by mass loss due to increased solar winds 
E)  strongly affected by mass loss due to hydrogen fusion

Question 2

A normal white dwarf is approximately the same size as ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the Sun 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  Earth 
D)  a large asteroid 
E)  a house 
A)  the Sun 
B)  Jupiter 
C)  Earth 
D)  a large asteroid 
E)  a house

Question 3

Red dwarf stars ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  never develop a hydrogen-fusion shell 
B)  create large amounts of carbon and oxygen 
C)  have much shorter lifetimes than Sun-like stars 
D)  never begin hydrogen fusion 
E)  become brown dwarfs after they exhaust their hydrogen core 
A)  never develop a hydrogen-fusion shell 
B)  create large amounts of carbon and oxygen 
C)  have much shorter lifetimes than Sun-like stars 
D)  never begin hydrogen fusion 
E)  become brown dwarfs after they exhaust their hydrogen core

Question 4

What part of the Sun's aging process will destroy Earth itself?

Accepted Answer

A)  the fusion of hydrogen in the core 
B)  an increase in luminosity as the core becomes helium-enriched 
C)  the expansion of the outer layers of the Sun as a red giant 
D)  the supernova explosion caused by the collapse of the iron core 
E)  hydrogen detonation on the white dwarf remnant 
A)  the fusion of hydrogen in the core 
B)  an increase in luminosity as the core becomes helium-enriched 
C)  the expansion of the outer layers of the Sun as a red giant 
D)  the supernova explosion caused by the collapse of the iron core 
E)  hydrogen detonation on the white dwarf remnant

Question 5

What positive effect have supernovae had on the development of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Supernovae are the main source of background radiation needed for mutations. 
B)  Chemical elements necessary for life can only be formed in supernovae. 
C)  The formation of the Sun was triggered by a supernova event. 
D)  Planets form by accretion of material in the expanding remnant of a supernova. 
E)  Neutrino bombardment was necessary to form the first simple proteins. 
A)  Supernovae are the main source of background radiation needed for mutations. 
B)  Chemical elements necessary for life can only be formed in supernovae. 
C)  The formation of the Sun was triggered by a supernova event. 
D)  Planets form by accretion of material in the expanding remnant of a supernova. 
E)  Neutrino bombardment was necessary to form the first simple proteins.

Question 6

All stars ignite helium fusion as part of the aging process.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

A white dwarf generates energy through ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational contraction 
B)  hydrogen fusion 
C)  helium fusion 
D)  mass loss 
E)  rapid rotation 
A)  gravitational contraction 
B)  hydrogen fusion 
C)  helium fusion 
D)  mass loss 
E)  rapid rotation

Question 8

A white dwarf is always the remnant of a star that ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  ejected a planetary nebula 
B)  was a member of a close binary system 
C)  failed to ignite carbon 
D)  failed to ignite helium 
E)  became a red giant has a mass 20 times larger than our Sun 
A)  ejected a planetary nebula 
B)  was a member of a close binary system 
C)  failed to ignite carbon 
D)  failed to ignite helium 
E)  became a red giant has a mass 20 times larger than our Sun

Question 9

The supernova generated by the explosion of a high mass star fades slowly because of energy generated by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  magnetic fields around the neutron star 
B)  disintegration of iron in the core of the star 
C)  radioactive decay of nickel formed in the expanding shell of the supernova 
D)  fusion of the remaining hydrogen in the star 
E)  matter-antimatter disintegration around the collapsed core 
A)  magnetic fields around the neutron star 
B)  disintegration of iron in the core of the star 
C)  radioactive decay of nickel formed in the expanding shell of the supernova 
D)  fusion of the remaining hydrogen in the star 
E)  matter-antimatter disintegration around the collapsed core

Question 10

The production of exotic ____ particle pairs in the core of a high-mass star has a significant effect on the fusion of heavy elements.

Accepted Answer

A)  electron-positron 
B)  electron-proton 
C)  proton-antiproton 
D)  neutrino-antineutrino 
E)  baryon-antibaryon 
A)  electron-positron 
B)  electron-proton 
C)  proton-antiproton 
D)  neutrino-antineutrino 
E)  baryon-antibaryon

Question 11

Almost all stars are in binary systems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The Chandrasekhar limit defines the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  maximum mass of a white dwarf 
B)  lifetime of a white dwarf 
C)  temperature for carbon fusion 
D)  separation between medium- and high-mass stellar evolution 
E)  stellar surface temperature needed to ionize a planetary nebula 
A)  maximum mass of a white dwarf 
B)  lifetime of a white dwarf 
C)  temperature for carbon fusion 
D)  separation between medium- and high-mass stellar evolution 
E)  stellar surface temperature needed to ionize a planetary nebula

Question 13

The collapse of the iron core of an isolated massive star produces a type II supernova.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Describe the process that causes a massive star to become a supernova.

Accepted Answer

A massive star will follow the same step

Question 15

What part of the Sun's aging process will disrupt the biosphere and evaporate the oceans of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  the fusion of hydrogen in the core 
B)  an increase in luminosity as the core becomes helium-enriched 
C)  the expansion of the outer layers of the Sun as a red giant 
D)  the supernova explosion caused by the collapse of the iron core 
E)  hydrogen detonation on the white dwarf remnant 
A)  the fusion of hydrogen in the core 
B)  an increase in luminosity as the core becomes helium-enriched 
C)  the expansion of the outer layers of the Sun as a red giant 
D)  the supernova explosion caused by the collapse of the iron core 
E)  hydrogen detonation on the white dwarf remnant

Question 16

What physical feature of our planet is most dependent on supernova events?

Accepted Answer

A)  oceans of water 
B)  a breathable atmosphere 
C)  organic chemicals 
D)  uranium in Earth's interior 
E)  a nickel-iron core 
A)  oceans of water 
B)  a breathable atmosphere 
C)  organic chemicals 
D)  uranium in Earth's interior 
E)  a nickel-iron core

Question 17

Explain the different causes of Type Ia, Type Ib, and Type II supernovae.

Accepted Answer

A type II supernova occurs when a massiv

Question 18

Fusion of degenerate hydrogen on the surface of a white dwarf causes temperatures to reach millions of degrees and the density tens of thousands the density of water releasing enough energy to blow the surface layers, resulting in a(n) _______________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fusion of degenerate hydrogen on the surface...

Question 19

The Algol paradox is concerned with ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the difference between spherical and lobed appearance of planetary nebulae 
B)  production of heavy elements in supernova events 
C)  stars in close binaries that are lower mass, but more evolved, than their companion 
D)  the cooling of matter falling into a compact object in an accretion disk 
E)  the change in stellar winds from normal to superwind conditions 
A)  the difference between spherical and lobed appearance of planetary nebulae 
B)  production of heavy elements in supernova events 
C)  stars in close binaries that are lower mass, but more evolved, than their companion 
D)  the cooling of matter falling into a compact object in an accretion disk 
E)  the change in stellar winds from normal to superwind conditions

Question 20

The gravitational field around close binary stars is defined by _______________ lobes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The gravitational field around close binary stars...

Exam 13: Deaths of Stars

The evolution of a medium-mass star like the Sun, when off of the main sequence, is ____.

A normal white dwarf is approximately the same size as ____.

Red dwarf stars ____.

What part of the Sun's aging process will destroy Earth itself?

What positive effect have supernovae had on the development of life on Earth?

All stars ignite helium fusion as part of the aging process.

A white dwarf generates energy through ____.

A white dwarf is always the remnant of a star that ____.

The supernova generated by the explosion of a high mass star fades slowly because of energy generated by ____.

The production of exotic ____ particle pairs in the core of a high-mass star has a significant effect on the fusion of heavy elements.

Almost all stars are in binary systems.

The Chandrasekhar limit defines the ____.

The collapse of the iron core of an isolated massive star produces a type II supernova.

Describe the process that causes a massive star to become a supernova.

What part of the Sun's aging process will disrupt the biosphere and evaporate the oceans of Earth?

What physical feature of our planet is most dependent on supernova events?

Explain the different causes of Type Ia, Type Ib, and Type II supernovae.

Fusion of degenerate hydrogen on the surface of a white dwarf causes temperatures to reach millions of degrees and the density tens of thousands the density of water releasing enough energy to blow the surface layers, resulting in a(n) _______________.

The Algol paradox is concerned with ____.

The gravitational field around close binary stars is defined by _______________ lobes.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Gravity

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Interstellar Medium

Formation and Structure of Stars

Stellar Evolution

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Supermassive Black Holes and Active Galaxies

Modern Cosmology

Origin of the Solar System and Extrasolar Planets

Earth the Active Planet

The Moon and Mercury

Venus and Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus Neptune Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

Meteorites Asteroids and Comets

Astrobiology

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