Question 1

The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is the size of

Accepted Answer

A)  several football fields, in a natural depression in Puerto Rico. 
B)  tens of miles across, in the deserts of New Mexico. 
C)  the state of New Mexico. 
D)  the continental United States. 
E)  Earth. 
A)  several football fields, in a natural depression in Puerto Rico. 
B)  tens of miles across, in the deserts of New Mexico. 
C)  the state of New Mexico. 
D)  the continental United States. 
E)  Earth.

Question 2

Suppose the surface temperature of the Sun were about 18,000 K, rather than 6,000 K. How would the thermal radiation spectrum of the Sun be different?

Accepted Answer

The higher temperature of the Sun would

Question 3

Which of the following is not a way light and matter interact?

Accepted Answer

A)  emission 
B)  absorption 
C)  evaporation 
D)  transmission 
E)  scattering 
A)  emission 
B)  absorption 
C)  evaporation 
D)  transmission 
E)  scattering

Question 4

From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?

Accepted Answer

A)  infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, radio 
B)  radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays 
C)  visible light, infrared, X-rays, ultraviolet, gamma rays, radio 
D)  gamma rays, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio 
E)  radio, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays 
A)  infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, radio 
B)  radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays 
C)  visible light, infrared, X-rays, ultraviolet, gamma rays, radio 
D)  gamma rays, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio 
E)  radio, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays

Question 5

White light hitting white paper is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  emission. 
B)  absorption. 
C)  reflection or scattering. 
D)  transmission. 
A)  emission. 
B)  absorption. 
C)  reflection or scattering. 
D)  transmission.

Question 6

How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?

Accepted Answer

A)  Longer wavelength means lower frequency and lower energy. 
B)  Longer wavelength means higher frequency and lower energy. 
C)  Longer wavelength means higher frequency and higher energy. 
D)  Longer wavelength means lower frequency and higher energy. 
E)  There is no simple relationship because different photons travel at different speeds. 
A)  Longer wavelength means lower frequency and lower energy. 
B)  Longer wavelength means higher frequency and lower energy. 
C)  Longer wavelength means higher frequency and higher energy. 
D)  Longer wavelength means lower frequency and higher energy. 
E)  There is no simple relationship because different photons travel at different speeds.

Question 7

The angular separation of two stars is 0.1 arcseconds and you photograph them with a telescope that has an angular resolution of 1 arcsecond. What will you see?

Accepted Answer

A)  The photo will seem to show only one star rather than two. 
B)  The two stars will appear to be touching, looking rather like a small dumbbell. 
C)  The stars will not show up at all in your photograph. 
D)  You will see two distinct stars in your photograph. 
A)  The photo will seem to show only one star rather than two. 
B)  The two stars will appear to be touching, looking rather like a small dumbbell. 
C)  The stars will not show up at all in your photograph. 
D)  You will see two distinct stars in your photograph.

Question 8

Currently, the largest optical telescope mirrors have a diameter of

Accepted Answer

A)  1 m. 
B)  2 m. 
C)  5 m. 
D)  10 m. 
E)  100 m. 
A)  1 m. 
B)  2 m. 
C)  5 m. 
D)  10 m. 
E)  100 m.

Question 9

Which of the following telescopes is best suited for studying the hottest intergalactic gas (10 million K) in a cluster of galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)  Very Large Array Radio Telescope 
B)  Hubble Space Telescope (UV and optical and some infrared) 
C)  Chandra X-ray Telescope 
D)  Herschel Infrared Telescope 
A)  Very Large Array Radio Telescope 
B)  Hubble Space Telescope (UV and optical and some infrared) 
C)  Chandra X-ray Telescope 
D)  Herschel Infrared Telescope

Question 10

Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized atoms of the same element

Accepted Answer

A)  are the same. 
B)  are slightly redshifted. 
C)  are slightly blueshifted. 
D)  have different sets of spectral lines. 
E)  have the same sets of spectral lines but different widths for those lines. 
A)  are the same. 
B)  are slightly redshifted. 
C)  are slightly blueshifted. 
D)  have different sets of spectral lines. 
E)  have the same sets of spectral lines but different widths for those lines.

Question 11

Any object moving relative to Earth will have a Doppler shift when viewed from Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

One star is emitting primarily visible light and another star is emitting primarily infrared light. Which star is hotter?

Accepted Answer

A)  The star emitting infrared light. 
B)  The temperature also depends on the radius of the star, so one can't decide based on the information provided. 
C)  The star emitting visible light. 
D)  Both stars are the same temperature. 
A)  The star emitting infrared light. 
B)  The temperature also depends on the radius of the star, so one can't decide based on the information provided. 
C)  The star emitting visible light. 
D)  Both stars are the same temperature.

Question 13

The following questions refer to the diagram below. The levels represent energy levels in a hydrogen atom. Each level is labeled with its energy (above the ground state of Level 1) in units of electron/volts (eV). The labeled transitions represent an electron moving between energy levels.
 
-Which transition represents an electron that absorbs a photon with 10.2 eV of energy?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The following questions refer to the diagram...

Question 14

Briefly explain why spectral lines are useful in determining the chemical composition of their source.

Accepted Answer

Every chemical element has a unique set

Question 15

The most common isotope of oxygen has atomic number 8 and atomic mass number 16. Another isotope has two extra neutrons. What are the atomic number and atomic mass number of this isotope?

Accepted Answer

The atomic number would still

Question 16

Compared to the size of its nucleus, the size of an atom is about

Accepted Answer

A)  the same. 
B)  ten times greater. 
C)  a hundred times greater. 
D)  a thousand times greater. 
E)  one hundred thousand times greater. 
A)  the same. 
B)  ten times greater. 
C)  a hundred times greater. 
D)  a thousand times greater. 
E)  one hundred thousand times greater.

Question 17

The shorter the wavelength of light, the higher its frequency.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Suppose you want to know the chemical composition of a distant star. Which piece of information is most useful to you?

Accepted Answer

A)  The wavelengths of spectral lines in the star's spectrum 
B)  The peak energy of the star's thermal radiation 
C)  The Doppler shift of the star's spectrum 
D)  Whether the star's spectrum has more emission lines or more absorption lines 
A)  The wavelengths of spectral lines in the star's spectrum 
B)  The peak energy of the star's thermal radiation 
C)  The Doppler shift of the star's spectrum 
D)  Whether the star's spectrum has more emission lines or more absorption lines

Question 19

Studying a spectrum from a star can tell us a lot. All of the following statements are true except one. Which statement is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius. 
B)  The peak of the star's thermal emission tells us its temperature: hotter stars peak at shorter (bluer) wavelengths. 
C)  We can identify chemical elements present in the star by recognizing patterns of spectral lines that correspond to particular chemicals. 
D)  Shifts in the wavelengths of spectral lines compared to the wavelengths of those same lines measured in a laboratory on Earth can tell us the star's speed toward or away from us. 
A)  The total amount of light in the spectrum tells us the star's radius. 
B)  The peak of the star's thermal emission tells us its temperature: hotter stars peak at shorter (bluer) wavelengths. 
C)  We can identify chemical elements present in the star by recognizing patterns of spectral lines that correspond to particular chemicals. 
D)  Shifts in the wavelengths of spectral lines compared to the wavelengths of those same lines measured in a laboratory on Earth can tell us the star's speed toward or away from us.

Question 20

Which of the following statements best describes the two principle advantages of telescopes over eyes?

Accepted Answer

A)  Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution. 
B)  Telescopes can collect far more light with far greater magnification. 
C)  Telescopes collect more light and are unaffected by twinkling. 
D)  Telescopes have much more magnification and better angular resolution. 
A)  Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution. 
B)  Telescopes can collect far more light with far greater magnification. 
C)  Telescopes collect more light and are unaffected by twinkling. 
D)  Telescopes have much more magnification and better angular resolution.

The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is the size of

Suppose the surface temperature of the Sun were about 18,000 K, rather than 6,000 K. How would the thermal radiation spectrum of the Sun be different?

Which of the following is not a way light and matter interact?

From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?

White light hitting white paper is an example of

How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?

The angular separation of two stars is 0.1 arcseconds and you photograph them with a telescope that has an angular resolution of 1 arcsecond. What will you see?

Currently, the largest optical telescope mirrors have a diameter of

Which of the following telescopes is best suited for studying the hottest intergalactic gas (10 million K) in a cluster of galaxies?

Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized atoms of the same element

Any object moving relative to Earth will have a Doppler shift when viewed from Earth.

One star is emitting primarily visible light and another star is emitting primarily infrared light. Which star is hotter?

Briefly explain why spectral lines are useful in determining the chemical composition of their source.

The most common isotope of oxygen has atomic number 8 and atomic mass number 16. Another isotope has two extra neutrons. What are the atomic number and atomic mass number of this isotope?

Compared to the size of its nucleus, the size of an atom is about

The shorter the wavelength of light, the higher its frequency.

Suppose you want to know the chemical composition of a distant star. Which piece of information is most useful to you?

Studying a spectrum from a star can tell us a lot. All of the following statements are true except one. Which statement is not true?

Which of the following statements best describes the two principle advantages of telescopes over eyes?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

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Exam 5: Light: the Cosmic Messenger

The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is the size of

Suppose the surface temperature of the Sun were about 18,000 K, rather than 6,000 K. How would the thermal radiation spectrum of the Sun be different?

Which of the following is not a way light and matter interact?

From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?

White light hitting white paper is an example of

How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?

The angular separation of two stars is 0.1 arcseconds and you photograph them with a telescope that has an angular resolution of 1 arcsecond. What will you see?

Currently, the largest optical telescope mirrors have a diameter of

Which of the following telescopes is best suited for studying the hottest intergalactic gas (10 million K) in a cluster of galaxies?

Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized atoms of the same element

Any object moving relative to Earth will have a Doppler shift when viewed from Earth.

One star is emitting primarily visible light and another star is emitting primarily infrared light. Which star is hotter?

Briefly explain why spectral lines are useful in determining the chemical composition of their source.

The most common isotope of oxygen has atomic number 8 and atomic mass number 16. Another isotope has two extra neutrons. What are the atomic number and atomic mass number of this isotope?

Compared to the size of its nucleus, the size of an atom is about

The shorter the wavelength of light, the higher its frequency.

Suppose you want to know the chemical composition of a distant star. Which piece of information is most useful to you?

Studying a spectrum from a star can tell us a lot. All of the following statements are true except one. Which statement is not true?

Which of the following statements best describes the two principle advantages of telescopes over eyes?

Our Place in the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet Systems

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

The Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe

Filters