Question 1

What were the two most common nuclei in the Universe ten minutes after the Big Bang,and what were their relative abundances?

Accepted Answer

By mass,there was three times as much hydrogen as helium.

Question 2

Cosmic inflation was driven by:

Accepted Answer

A)  curvature. 
B)  quantum fields. 
C)  baryons. 
D)  leptons. 
A)  curvature. 
B)  quantum fields. 
C)  baryons. 
D)  leptons. B

Question 3

Suppose that an exotic quantum process keeps the Universe's temperature elevated during the first several years after the Big Bang.Which of the following would occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  Nucleosynthesis would persist for longer. 
B)  Structure formation would be delayed. 
C)  Decoupling would occur sooner. 
D)  The Dark Ages would not occur. 
A)  Nucleosynthesis would persist for longer. 
B)  Structure formation would be delayed. 
C)  Decoupling would occur sooner. 
D)  The Dark Ages would not occur. A

Question 4

What process produced the initial density perturbations that would later grow into galaxies and galaxy clusters?

Accepted Answer

A)  inflation 
B)  recombination 
C)  fragmentation 
D)  phase transitions 
A)  inflation 
B)  recombination 
C)  fragmentation 
D)  phase transitions

Question 5

Arrange the following events in order,from soonest after the Big Bang to most recent:

Accepted Answer

A)  recombination, Dark Ages, nucleosynthesis, inflation. 
B)  inflation, nucleosynthesis, recombination, Dark Ages. 
C)  inflation, Dark Ages, nucleosynthesis, recombination. 
D)  Dark Ages, inflation, recombination, nucleosynthesis. 
A)  recombination, Dark Ages, nucleosynthesis, inflation. 
B)  inflation, nucleosynthesis, recombination, Dark Ages. 
C)  inflation, Dark Ages, nucleosynthesis, recombination. 
D)  Dark Ages, inflation, recombination, nucleosynthesis.

Question 6

The figure below shows two spectra of the relic radiation from the recombination era.By how much has the Universe expanded between the times these spectra would have been taken?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The figure below shows two spectra of...

Question 7

To what accuracy are the relative densities of dark energy and dark matter known,according to current cosmological measurements?

Accepted Answer

A)  to 1 part in 10,000 
B)  to 1 part in 100 
C)  within a factor of 2 
D)  to an order of magnitude 
A)  to 1 part in 10,000 
B)  to 1 part in 100 
C)  within a factor of 2 
D)  to an order of magnitude

Question 8

An astronomer images the most distant source of light observable in the Big Bang model.What kind of telescope did he or she use?

Accepted Answer

A microwav

Question 9

What is the major difference between quarks and leptons?

Accepted Answer

A)  Quarks occur in three "generations," unlike leptons. 
B)  Leptons are always electrically charged. 
C)  Leptons are more massive. 
D)  Quarks interact with gluons. 
A)  Quarks occur in three "generations," unlike leptons. 
B)  Leptons are always electrically charged. 
C)  Leptons are more massive. 
D)  Quarks interact with gluons.

Question 10

Which of the following astronomers helped discover the cosmic microwave background?

Accepted Answer

A)  Edwin Hubble 
B)  Vera Rubin 
C)  Arno Penzias 
D)  George Gamow 
A)  Edwin Hubble 
B)  Vera Rubin 
C)  Arno Penzias 
D)  George Gamow

Question 11

According to our present understanding,in the distant future the Universe will:

Accepted Answer

A)  expand at an accelerating rate. 
B)  expand at a decelerating rate. 
C)  expand and then recollapse. 
D)  recollapse. 
A)  expand at an accelerating rate. 
B)  expand at a decelerating rate. 
C)  expand and then recollapse. 
D)  recollapse.

Question 12

The classic Big Bang model attributes the initial moment of creation to:

Accepted Answer

A)  high energy density. 
B)  baryogenesis. 
C)  quantum fluctuations. 
D)  nothing; it is not part of the theory. 
A)  high energy density. 
B)  baryogenesis. 
C)  quantum fluctuations. 
D)  nothing; it is not part of the theory.

Question 13

A photon is emitted from a galaxy with a wavelength of 100 nm.By the time it reaches a telescope on Earth,the photon has a wavelength of 800 nm.By what factor has the Universe expanded between the photon's emission and detection?

Accepted Answer

A)  2 
B)  4 
C)  8 
D)  16 
A)  2 
B)  4 
C)  8 
D)  16

Question 14

The standard model of particle physics:

Accepted Answer

A)  explains the masses of each subatomic particle. 
B)  classifies all subatomic particles into quarks and leptons. 
C)  predicts the forces that affect each subatomic particle. 
D)  all of the above. 
A)  explains the masses of each subatomic particle. 
B)  classifies all subatomic particles into quarks and leptons. 
C)  predicts the forces that affect each subatomic particle. 
D)  all of the above.

Question 15

Of the following,who is responsible for creating the Big Bang model?

Accepted Answer

A)  Robert Wilson 
B)  Fred Hoyle 
C)  Edwin Hubble 
D)  George Gamow 
A)  Robert Wilson 
B)  Fred Hoyle 
C)  Edwin Hubble 
D)  George Gamow

Question 16

Which of the following isotopes is NOT a potential probe of the first three minutes of the Universe's history?

Accepted Answer

A)  deuterium 
B)  helium-3 
C)  lithium-7 
D)  carbon-13 
A)  deuterium 
B)  helium-3 
C)  lithium-7 
D)  carbon-13

Question 17

An astronomer discovers that the abundance of helium in the first galaxies to form in our Universe is only half that of small galaxies near the Milky Way.This would provide evidence:

Accepted Answer

A)  against the Big Bang model. 
B)  in support of the Big Bang model. 
C)  in support of the fusion model for main sequence stars. 
D)  against the fusion model for main sequence stars. 
A)  against the Big Bang model. 
B)  in support of the Big Bang model. 
C)  in support of the fusion model for main sequence stars. 
D)  against the fusion model for main sequence stars.

Question 18

An alternate universe is filled with normal matter and dark matter,but not dark energy.If its density is twice the critical value,which curve on the figure below might represent its size?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Question 19

How does inflation solve the paradox of universal uniformity?

Accepted Answer

A)  It separates nearby parts of the Universe very rapidly. 
B)  It allows electromagnetic waves to travel faster than the speed of light. 
C)  It removes any fluctuations from the Universe. 
D)  It forces special relativity to be true. 
A)  It separates nearby parts of the Universe very rapidly. 
B)  It allows electromagnetic waves to travel faster than the speed of light. 
C)  It removes any fluctuations from the Universe. 
D)  It forces special relativity to be true.

Question 20

What are the three most important observational pillars for the Big Bang model?

Accepted Answer

Hubble's law,Big Ban

What were the two most common nuclei in the Universe ten minutes after the Big Bang,and what were their relative abundances?

Cosmic inflation was driven by:

Suppose that an exotic quantum process keeps the Universe's temperature elevated during the first several years after the Big Bang.Which of the following would occur?

What process produced the initial density perturbations that would later grow into galaxies and galaxy clusters?

Arrange the following events in order,from soonest after the Big Bang to most recent:

The figure below shows two spectra of the relic radiation from the recombination era.By how much has the Universe expanded between the times these spectra would have been taken?

To what accuracy are the relative densities of dark energy and dark matter known,according to current cosmological measurements?

An astronomer images the most distant source of light observable in the Big Bang model.What kind of telescope did he or she use?

What is the major difference between quarks and leptons?

Which of the following astronomers helped discover the cosmic microwave background?

According to our present understanding,in the distant future the Universe will:

The classic Big Bang model attributes the initial moment of creation to:

A photon is emitted from a galaxy with a wavelength of 100 nm.By the time it reaches a telescope on Earth,the photon has a wavelength of 800 nm.By what factor has the Universe expanded between the photon's emission and detection?

The standard model of particle physics:

Of the following,who is responsible for creating the Big Bang model?

Which of the following isotopes is NOT a potential probe of the first three minutes of the Universe's history?

An astronomer discovers that the abundance of helium in the first galaxies to form in our Universe is only half that of small galaxies near the Milky Way.This would provide evidence:

An alternate universe is filled with normal matter and dark matter,but not dark energy.If its density is twice the critical value,which curve on the figure below might represent its size?

How does inflation solve the paradox of universal uniformity?

What are the three most important observational pillars for the Big Bang model?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

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Exam 18: Cosmology

What were the two most common nuclei in the Universe ten minutes after the Big Bang,and what were their relative abundances?

Cosmic inflation was driven by:

Suppose that an exotic quantum process keeps the Universe's temperature elevated during the first several years after the Big Bang.Which of the following would occur?

What process produced the initial density perturbations that would later grow into galaxies and galaxy clusters?

Arrange the following events in order,from soonest after the Big Bang to most recent:

The figure below shows two spectra of the relic radiation from the recombination era.By how much has the Universe expanded between the times these spectra would have been taken?

To what accuracy are the relative densities of dark energy and dark matter known,according to current cosmological measurements?

An astronomer images the most distant source of light observable in the Big Bang model.What kind of telescope did he or she use?

What is the major difference between quarks and leptons?

Which of the following astronomers helped discover the cosmic microwave background?

According to our present understanding,in the distant future the Universe will:

The classic Big Bang model attributes the initial moment of creation to:

A photon is emitted from a galaxy with a wavelength of 100 nm.By the time it reaches a telescope on Earth,the photon has a wavelength of 800 nm.By what factor has the Universe expanded between the photon's emission and detection?

The standard model of particle physics:

Of the following,who is responsible for creating the Big Bang model?

Which of the following isotopes is NOT a potential probe of the first three minutes of the Universe's history?

An astronomer discovers that the abundance of helium in the first galaxies to form in our Universe is only half that of small galaxies near the Milky Way.This would provide evidence:

An alternate universe is filled with normal matter and dark matter,but not dark energy.If its density is twice the critical value,which curve on the figure below might represent its size?

How does inflation solve the paradox of universal uniformity?

What are the three most important observational pillars for the Big Bang model?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Filters