Question 1

Studies by the Global Oscillations Network Group,along with satellite observations,indicate:

Accepted Answer

A)  that the standard solar model requires substantial modification. 
B)  that all stars show the same kind of vibrations that our Sun does. 
C)  that there is an unknown energy transport mechanism in the Sun. 
D)  that there is less convection in the Sun than predicted by the standard solar model. 
E)  that the standard solar model accurately models the observed solar vibrations. 
A)  that the standard solar model requires substantial modification. 
B)  that all stars show the same kind of vibrations that our Sun does. 
C)  that there is an unknown energy transport mechanism in the Sun. 
D)  that there is less convection in the Sun than predicted by the standard solar model. 
E)  that the standard solar model accurately models the observed solar vibrations.

Question 2

The light we see from the Sun comes from which layer?

Accepted Answer

A)  troposphere 
B)  chromosphere 
C)  photosphere 
D)  ionosphere 
E)  corona 
A)  troposphere 
B)  chromosphere 
C)  photosphere 
D)  ionosphere 
E)  corona

Question 3

The observable ________ is a thin layer in which the solar material becomes suddenly much more opaque as we look deeper into the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The observable ________ is a thin layer...

Question 4

The percentage (by number of atoms)of the Sun that is Hydrogen is about:

Accepted Answer

A)  91%. 
B)  71%. 
C)  27%. 
D)  9%. 
E)  less than 1%. 
A)  91%. 
B)  71%. 
C)  27%. 
D)  9%. 
E)  less than 1%.

Question 5

When we glimpse the chromosphere at the start and end of totality,its color is:

Accepted Answer

A)  green (the famous flash). 
B)  yellow, like the photosphere below it. 
C)  red, due to ionized hydrogen at lower pressure. 
D)  blue, due to the ionization of nitrogen by the magnetic fields. 
E)  white from the moonlight. 
A)  green (the famous flash). 
B)  yellow, like the photosphere below it. 
C)  red, due to ionized hydrogen at lower pressure. 
D)  blue, due to the ionization of nitrogen by the magnetic fields. 
E)  white from the moonlight.

Question 6

The ________-year solar cycle is characterized by a variation in the number of sunspots and a reversal of the polarity of the Sun as a whole.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________-year solar cycle is characterized by...

Question 7

How does solar luminosity vary during the sunspot cycle?

Accepted Answer

The Sun is slightly

Question 8

About what percent of the incoming energy from the Sun reaches Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  80-100% 
B)  70-90% 
C)  60-80% 
D)  50-70% 
E)  30-60% 
A)  80-100% 
B)  70-90% 
C)  60-80% 
D)  50-70% 
E)  30-60%

Question 9

The Sun's density is about the same as Saturn's.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

Accepted Answer

A)  the temperature of the core of the Sun. 
B)  the structure of the atmosphere of the Sun. 
C)  the interior structure of the Sun. 
D)  the production of energy in the Sun. 
E)  the magnetic field of the Sun. 
A)  the temperature of the core of the Sun. 
B)  the structure of the atmosphere of the Sun. 
C)  the interior structure of the Sun. 
D)  the production of energy in the Sun. 
E)  the magnetic field of the Sun.

Question 11

The concept of hydrostatic equilibrium is critical to understanding how the Sun has remained stable long enough for life to evolve here.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

In the proton-proton cycle,two positrons are produced.What are they similar to,and how are the different? What happens to them?

Accepted Answer

Positrons are the antiparticle to the el

Question 13

The primary source of the Sun's energy is:

Accepted Answer

A)  oxidation of carbon in the core. 
B)  gravitational collapse of the helium coreward. 
C)  dark energy. 
D)  the strong force fusing hydrogen into helium. 
E)  the weak force creating energy from uranium decay. 
A)  oxidation of carbon in the core. 
B)  gravitational collapse of the helium coreward. 
C)  dark energy. 
D)  the strong force fusing hydrogen into helium. 
E)  the weak force creating energy from uranium decay.

Question 14

What physical characteristics change in the Sun over the 11-year solar cycle? To what is this cycle apparently related?

Accepted Answer

The number of sunspots changes over an 1

Question 15

Using the observations of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO),it may be possible to predict mass ejections from the Sun days in advance.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Suppose a large flare is detected optically.How long until radio interference arrives?

Accepted Answer

A)  simultaneously 
B)  8.5 minutes later 
C)  about 12 hours 
D)  about four days 
E)  no relation between the two 
A)  simultaneously 
B)  8.5 minutes later 
C)  about 12 hours 
D)  about four days 
E)  no relation between the two

Question 17

The outward pressure of hot gas in the Sun:

Accepted Answer

A)  is balanced by the inward gravitational pressure. 
B)  is increasing the Sun's diameter. 
C)  is cooling the photosphere. 
D)  is responsible for variations in the sunspot cycle. 
E)  weakens the magnetic field. 
A)  is balanced by the inward gravitational pressure. 
B)  is increasing the Sun's diameter. 
C)  is cooling the photosphere. 
D)  is responsible for variations in the sunspot cycle. 
E)  weakens the magnetic field.

Question 18

As the Sun rotates,an individual sunspot can be tracked across its face.From eastern to western limb,this takes about:

Accepted Answer

A)  12 hours. 
B)  a week. 
C)  two weeks. 
D)  a month. 
E)  5.5 years. 
A)  12 hours. 
B)  a week. 
C)  two weeks. 
D)  a month. 
E)  5.5 years.

Question 19

How is energy transfer from the solar interior to surface similar to a process in Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

The process of convection is r

Question 20

The photosphere is about 100 times the diameter of the Earth,and large sunspots are larger than our whole planet.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 16: The Sun: Our Parent Star

Studies by the Global Oscillations Network Group,along with satellite observations,indicate:

The light we see from the Sun comes from which layer?

The observable ________ is a thin layer in which the solar material becomes suddenly much more opaque as we look deeper into the Sun.

The percentage (by number of atoms)of the Sun that is Hydrogen is about:

When we glimpse the chromosphere at the start and end of totality,its color is:

The ________-year solar cycle is characterized by a variation in the number of sunspots and a reversal of the polarity of the Sun as a whole.

How does solar luminosity vary during the sunspot cycle?

About what percent of the incoming energy from the Sun reaches Earth's surface?

The Sun's density is about the same as Saturn's.

The vibrations of the Sun reveal information about:

The concept of hydrostatic equilibrium is critical to understanding how the Sun has remained stable long enough for life to evolve here.

In the proton-proton cycle,two positrons are produced.What are they similar to,and how are the different? What happens to them?

The primary source of the Sun's energy is:

What physical characteristics change in the Sun over the 11-year solar cycle? To what is this cycle apparently related?

Using the observations of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO),it may be possible to predict mass ejections from the Sun days in advance.

Suppose a large flare is detected optically.How long until radio interference arrives?

The outward pressure of hot gas in the Sun:

As the Sun rotates,an individual sunspot can be tracked across its face.From eastern to western limb,this takes about:

How is energy transfer from the solar interior to surface similar to a process in Earth's atmosphere?

The photosphere is about 100 times the diameter of the Earth,and large sunspots are larger than our whole planet.

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earth's Sister Planet

Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Stars: Giants,Dwarfs,and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae,Supernovae,and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

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