Question 1

The stars found in nebulae like the Orion Nebula probably formed

Accepted Answer

A)  within the last few million years. 
B)  about 10 million years ago. 
C)  hundreds of millions of years ago. 
D)  billions of years ago. 
E)  at the beginning of the universe. 
A)  within the last few million years. 
B)  about 10 million years ago. 
C)  hundreds of millions of years ago. 
D)  billions of years ago. 
E)  at the beginning of the universe.

Question 2

If the initial interstellar cloud in star formation has a mass sufficient to form hundreds of stars, how does a single star form from it?

Accepted Answer

A)  One star forms at its center and blows the rest of the matter back into space. 
B)  The cloud fragments into smaller clouds and forms many stars at one time. 
C)  One star forms and the rest of the matter goes into making planets, moons, and other objects of a solar system. 
D)  The cloud is disrupted by rotation so that it reduces its mass down to that of a typical star. 
E)  A supernova blows the cloud up and dissipates the majority of the gas. 
A)  One star forms at its center and blows the rest of the matter back into space. 
B)  The cloud fragments into smaller clouds and forms many stars at one time. 
C)  One star forms and the rest of the matter goes into making planets, moons, and other objects of a solar system. 
D)  The cloud is disrupted by rotation so that it reduces its mass down to that of a typical star. 
E)  A supernova blows the cloud up and dissipates the majority of the gas.

Question 3

Why can radio waves get through the dust clouds, but light is blocked?

Accepted Answer

The interstellar dust grains a

Question 4

A solar mass star will evolve off the main sequence when

Accepted Answer

A)  it completely runs out of hydrogen. 
B)  it expels a planetary nebula to cool off and release radiation. 
C)  it explodes as a violent nova. 
D)  it builds up a core of inert helium. 
E)  it loses all its neutrinos, so fusion must cease. 
A)  it completely runs out of hydrogen. 
B)  it expels a planetary nebula to cool off and release radiation. 
C)  it explodes as a violent nova. 
D)  it builds up a core of inert helium. 
E)  it loses all its neutrinos, so fusion must cease.

Question 5

How has the chemical composition of the core of the Sun changed in the past 4.5 billion years? Are earthlings (if any) likely to freeze in another 4-5 billion years? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The core of the Sun had an initial compo

Question 6

The Trifid Nebula is an example of a(n) ________ nebula.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Trifid Nebula is an example of...

Question 7

Contrast the chemical composition of interstellar gas with that of interstellar dust.

Accepted Answer

Gas is almost all hydrogen and

Question 8

What are black dwarfs?

Accepted Answer

A)  The lowest mass main sequence stars 
B)  The end result of massive star evolution 
C)  Objects that are not quite massive enough to be stars 
D)  Pulsars that have slowed down and stopped spinning 
E)  Cooled off white dwarfs that no longer glow visibly 
A)  The lowest mass main sequence stars 
B)  The end result of massive star evolution 
C)  Objects that are not quite massive enough to be stars 
D)  Pulsars that have slowed down and stopped spinning 
E)  Cooled off white dwarfs that no longer glow visibly

Question 9

What event marks the birth of a new star?

Accepted Answer

The ignition of nucl

Question 10

What is causing the Trifid Nebula to glow?

Accepted Answer

In this nebula, there is a single energe

Question 11

Compared to our Sun, a typical white dwarf has

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same mass and density. 
B)  about the same mass and a million times higher density. 
C)  a larger mass and a 100 times lower density. 
D)  a smaller mass and half the density. 
E)  a smaller mass and twice the density. 
A)  about the same mass and density. 
B)  about the same mass and a million times higher density. 
C)  a larger mass and a 100 times lower density. 
D)  a smaller mass and half the density. 
E)  a smaller mass and twice the density.

Question 12

The Main Sequence is the first stellar stage in which energy produced by ________ balances the energy lost by radiation from the surface of the star.

Accepted Answer

fusion (of hydrogen

Question 13

What are the characteristics of globular cluster stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  No stars as hot as our Sun 
B)  Old age and hundreds of thousands to millions of member stars 
C)  No main sequence stars left, with billions of member stars 
D)  A few hundred stars, most still on the main sequence 
E)  Hundreds of light years across, with bright OB stars dominant 
A)  No stars as hot as our Sun 
B)  Old age and hundreds of thousands to millions of member stars 
C)  No main sequence stars left, with billions of member stars 
D)  A few hundred stars, most still on the main sequence 
E)  Hundreds of light years across, with bright OB stars dominant

Question 14

A high-mass star dies more violently than a low-mass star because

Accepted Answer

A)  it must always end up as a black hole. 
B)  it generates more heat and its core eventually collapses very suddenly. 
C)  it cannot fuse elements heavier than carbon. 
D)  gravity is weakened by its high luminosity. 
E)  it is most often found as part of a binary system. 
A)  it must always end up as a black hole. 
B)  it generates more heat and its core eventually collapses very suddenly. 
C)  it cannot fuse elements heavier than carbon. 
D)  gravity is weakened by its high luminosity. 
E)  it is most often found as part of a binary system.

Question 15

Why can we say a star spends its life trying to maintain equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

A star is only stable when the

Question 16

What are the characteristics of an open cluster of stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mostly found above and below the galactic plane 
B)  Old age and millions of members 
C)  A few hundred, mainly main sequence stars 
D)  All stars are much more massive than our Sun. 
E)  All stars are about the same age and luminosity. 
A)  Mostly found above and below the galactic plane 
B)  Old age and millions of members 
C)  A few hundred, mainly main sequence stars 
D)  All stars are much more massive than our Sun. 
E)  All stars are about the same age and luminosity.

Question 17

The shell ejection in making a planetary is spherical and symmetrical in all cases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Stars form from a collapsing cloud that fragments into smaller and smaller pieces. This process takes about

Accepted Answer

A)  10,000 years. 
B)  25,000 years. 
C)  100,000 years. 
D)  a few million years. 
E)  100 million years. 
A)  10,000 years. 
B)  25,000 years. 
C)  100,000 years. 
D)  a few million years. 
E)  100 million years.

Question 19

When a star becomes a red giant, its core expands to a roughly proportional larger size too.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

An interstellar gas cloud has the mass to form hundreds of stars. What generally happens to it?

Accepted Answer

The cloud fragments

The stars found in nebulae like the Orion Nebula probably formed

If the initial interstellar cloud in star formation has a mass sufficient to form hundreds of stars, how does a single star form from it?

Why can radio waves get through the dust clouds, but light is blocked?

A solar mass star will evolve off the main sequence when

How has the chemical composition of the core of the Sun changed in the past 4.5 billion years? Are earthlings (if any) likely to freeze in another 4-5 billion years? Explain.

The Trifid Nebula is an example of a(n) ________ nebula.

Contrast the chemical composition of interstellar gas with that of interstellar dust.

What are black dwarfs?

What event marks the birth of a new star?

What is causing the Trifid Nebula to glow?

Compared to our Sun, a typical white dwarf has

The Main Sequence is the first stellar stage in which energy produced by ________ balances the energy lost by radiation from the surface of the star.

What are the characteristics of globular cluster stars?

A high-mass star dies more violently than a low-mass star because

Why can we say a star spends its life trying to maintain equilibrium?

What are the characteristics of an open cluster of stars?

The shell ejection in making a planetary is spherical and symmetrical in all cases.

Stars form from a collapsing cloud that fragments into smaller and smaller pieces. This process takes about

When a star becomes a red giant, its core expands to a roughly proportional larger size too.

An interstellar gas cloud has the mass to form hundreds of stars. What generally happens to it?

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Small Bodies in the Solar System

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology and the Universe

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Exam 10: Star Formation and Evolution

The stars found in nebulae like the Orion Nebula probably formed

If the initial interstellar cloud in star formation has a mass sufficient to form hundreds of stars, how does a single star form from it?

Why can radio waves get through the dust clouds, but light is blocked?

A solar mass star will evolve off the main sequence when

How has the chemical composition of the core of the Sun changed in the past 4.5 billion years? Are earthlings (if any) likely to freeze in another 4-5 billion years? Explain.

The Trifid Nebula is an example of a(n) ________ nebula.

Contrast the chemical composition of interstellar gas with that of interstellar dust.

What are black dwarfs?

What event marks the birth of a new star?

What is causing the Trifid Nebula to glow?

Compared to our Sun, a typical white dwarf has

The Main Sequence is the first stellar stage in which energy produced by ________ balances the energy lost by radiation from the surface of the star.

What are the characteristics of globular cluster stars?

A high-mass star dies more violently than a low-mass star because

Why can we say a star spends its life trying to maintain equilibrium?

What are the characteristics of an open cluster of stars?

The shell ejection in making a planetary is spherical and symmetrical in all cases.

Stars form from a collapsing cloud that fragments into smaller and smaller pieces. This process takes about

When a star becomes a red giant, its core expands to a roughly proportional larger size too.

An interstellar gas cloud has the mass to form hundreds of stars. What generally happens to it?

The Night Sky

Light and Telescopes

The Solar System

Earth and Its Moon

The Eight Planets

Small Bodies in the Solar System

Formation of Planetary Systems

The Sun

Measuring the Stars

Stellar Explosions

Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology and the Universe

Filters