Question 1

One MAJOR difference between radio waves and light is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  light waves are electromagnetic, whereas radio waves are not. 
B)  radio waves are electromagnetic, whereas light waves are not. 
C)  radio waves have shorter wavelength than light waves. 
D)  radio waves have longer wavelength than light waves. 
A)  light waves are electromagnetic, whereas radio waves are not. 
B)  radio waves are electromagnetic, whereas light waves are not. 
C)  radio waves have shorter wavelength than light waves. 
D)  radio waves have longer wavelength than light waves.

Question 2

What property of helium allowed scientists to first discover its existence?

Accepted Answer

A)  Helium accumulates inside meteoroids (fragments of rock and iron orbiting the Sun that, when they fall to Earth, are known as meteorites). 
B)  Helium refuses to combine chemically with other elements. 
C)  Helium absorbs light at certain wavelengths that were not characteristic of any element known at that time. 
D)  Helium is characteristically found in rocks containing radioactively decaying elements such as uranium. 
A)  Helium accumulates inside meteoroids (fragments of rock and iron orbiting the Sun that, when they fall to Earth, are known as meteorites). 
B)  Helium refuses to combine chemically with other elements. 
C)  Helium absorbs light at certain wavelengths that were not characteristic of any element known at that time. 
D)  Helium is characteristically found in rocks containing radioactively decaying elements such as uranium.

Question 3

Where does the Paschen series of spectral lines from hydrogen gas appear in the electromagnetic spectrum?

Accepted Answer

A)  the radio range, with wavelengths longer than 0.01 m or 10 mm 
B)  the ultraviolet range, with wavelengths between 90 nm and 130 nm 
C)  the infrared range, with wavelengths longer than 700 nm 
D)  the visible range, with wavelengths between 350 nm to 660 nm 
A)  the radio range, with wavelengths longer than 0.01 m or 10 mm 
B)  the ultraviolet range, with wavelengths between 90 nm and 130 nm 
C)  the infrared range, with wavelengths longer than 700 nm 
D)  the visible range, with wavelengths between 350 nm to 660 nm

Question 4

An ionized hydrogen atom is simply a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  proton. 
B)  helium nucleus. 
C)  neutron. 
D)  electron. 
A)  proton. 
B)  helium nucleus. 
C)  neutron. 
D)  electron.

Question 5

O III is:

Accepted Answer

A)  four-times-ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost four electrons). 
B)  doubly ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost two electrons). 
C)  an oxygen isotope with three neutrons. 
D)  three-times-ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost three electrons). 
A)  four-times-ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost four electrons). 
B)  doubly ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost two electrons). 
C)  an oxygen isotope with three neutrons. 
D)  three-times-ionized oxygen (an oxygen atom that has lost three electrons).

Question 6

When a ray of light enters the flat,smooth surface of a dense,transparent material at an angle to the perpendicular,which way does it bend?

Accepted Answer

A)  away from the perpendicular 
B)  toward the perpendicular 
C)  in a direction so that it travels perpendicular to the surface 
D)  It does not bend at all because the material is transparent. 
A)  away from the perpendicular 
B)  toward the perpendicular 
C)  in a direction so that it travels perpendicular to the surface 
D)  It does not bend at all because the material is transparent.

Question 7

The largest refracting telescope in the world is the 102-cm (40-inch)telescope at Yerkes Observatory,built in 1897.Why have no larger refracting telescopes ever been built?

Accepted Answer

A)  Larger lenses would have too much chromatic aberration. 
B)  The sagging of larger lenses under their own weight would produce image distortion. 
C)  The thickness of larger lenses would produce too much spherical aberration. 
D)  Larger lenses would produce too much magnification. 
A)  Larger lenses would have too much chromatic aberration. 
B)  The sagging of larger lenses under their own weight would produce image distortion. 
C)  The thickness of larger lenses would produce too much spherical aberration. 
D)  Larger lenses would produce too much magnification.

Question 8

The position of an element in the periodic table,its atomic number,is equal to the:

Accepted Answer

A)  number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. 
B)  number of the column in which the element is placed in the periodic table. 
C)  sum of the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of the atom. 
D)  number of neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. 
A)  number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. 
B)  number of the column in which the element is placed in the periodic table. 
C)  sum of the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of the atom. 
D)  number of neutrons in the nucleus of the atom.

Question 9

The PRIMARY reason for spreading many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals at a central station is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  produce much sharper images of radio sources. 
B)  ensure that cloudy weather affects only a few of the telescopes, leaving the others to continue observing. 
C)  avoid interference between signals from the separate telescopes. 
D)  collect more radiation than would be possible with the same telescopes clustered together. 
A)  produce much sharper images of radio sources. 
B)  ensure that cloudy weather affects only a few of the telescopes, leaving the others to continue observing. 
C)  avoid interference between signals from the separate telescopes. 
D)  collect more radiation than would be possible with the same telescopes clustered together.

Question 10

An ideal blackbody in physics and astronomy is an object that:

Accepted Answer

A)  emits only infrared light and hence appears black to the eye. 
B)  does not emit or absorb any electromagnetic radiation. 
C)  absorbs and emits electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths. 
D)  absorbs all electromagnetic radiation but emits none. 
A)  emits only infrared light and hence appears black to the eye. 
B)  does not emit or absorb any electromagnetic radiation. 
C)  absorbs and emits electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths. 
D)  absorbs all electromagnetic radiation but emits none.

Question 11

If two photons in a vacuum have different energies,what can we say about the wavelengths of the photons?

Accepted Answer

A)  The higher-energy photon has the shorter wavelength. 
B)  The higher-energy photon has the longer wavelength. 
C)  The two photons have the same wavelength; all photons have the same wavelength, regardless of energy. 
D)  We cannot say anything; wavelength depends only on color, not on energy. 
A)  The higher-energy photon has the shorter wavelength. 
B)  The higher-energy photon has the longer wavelength. 
C)  The two photons have the same wavelength; all photons have the same wavelength, regardless of energy. 
D)  We cannot say anything; wavelength depends only on color, not on energy.

Question 12

The four fundamental forces in nature include all of the following forces EXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

Accepted Answer

A)  nuclear 
B)  gravitational 
C)  friction 
D)  electromagnetic 
A)  nuclear 
B)  gravitational 
C)  friction 
D)  electromagnetic

Question 13

Which wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum is taken up by visible light?

Accepted Answer

A)  1200 nm to 1500 nm 
B)  4000 nm to 7000 nm 
C)  400 nm to 700 nm 
D)  100 nm to 400 nm 
A)  1200 nm to 1500 nm 
B)  4000 nm to 7000 nm 
C)  400 nm to 700 nm 
D)  100 nm to 400 nm

Question 14

Interstellar space (the space between the stars)is filled with extremely low-density hydrogen gas.In the vicinity of a hot star,this gas can be heated to a very high temperature.This hot,low-density gas will:

Accepted Answer

A)  emit light at specific wavelengths characteristic of hydrogen. 
B)  emit light at all wavelengths in a blackbody spectrum, with emission lines characteristic of hydrogen superimposed on the spectrum. 
C)  emit light at all wavelengths in a blackbody spectrum characteristic of a hot gas. 
D)  reflect light at specific wavelengths characteristic of hydrogen. 
A)  emit light at specific wavelengths characteristic of hydrogen. 
B)  emit light at all wavelengths in a blackbody spectrum, with emission lines characteristic of hydrogen superimposed on the spectrum. 
C)  emit light at all wavelengths in a blackbody spectrum characteristic of a hot gas. 
D)  reflect light at specific wavelengths characteristic of hydrogen.

Question 15

By bombarding atoms in a thin metal sheet with energetic particles,Rutherford found that most of the mass of an atom is concentrated inside a very small volume.What is the diameter of this "nucleus," as a fraction of that of the whole atom?

Accepted Answer

A)  1/10⁶ 
B)  1/10,000 
C)  1/100 
D)  1/2 
A)  1/10⁶ 
B)  1/10,000 
C)  1/100 
D)  1/2

Question 16

Atoms of hot hydrogen gas will emit the Balmer series of spectral lines at visible wavelengths when the electrons fall from all higher atomic energy levels to the:

Accepted Answer

A)  ionization level, or n = infinity. 
B)  next level down for each level (e.g., n = 4 to n = 3). 
C)  first excited level, n = 2. 
D)  ground state, n = 1. 
A)  ionization level, or n = infinity. 
B)  next level down for each level (e.g., n = 4 to n = 3). 
C)  first excited level, n = 2. 
D)  ground state, n = 1.

Question 17

A particular photon has a wavelength of 450 nm and a second one has a wavelength of 580 nm.Which of the following statements about the energies of these two photons is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  All photons have the same energy, regardless of wavelength. 
B)  The 450-nm photon has the higher energy. 
C)  The 580-nm photon has the higher energy. 
D)  The photon from the higher-intensity light source has the higher energy (regardless of wavelength). 
A)  All photons have the same energy, regardless of wavelength. 
B)  The 450-nm photon has the higher energy. 
C)  The 580-nm photon has the higher energy. 
D)  The photon from the higher-intensity light source has the higher energy (regardless of wavelength).

Question 18

What is the purpose of the glass corrector plate at the front of a Schmidt telescope?

Accepted Answer

A)  The plate reflects unwanted wavelengths away from the primary mirror. 
B)  The plate corrects for spherical aberration in the primary mirror. 
C)  The plate corrects for chromatic aberration in the primary mirror. 
D)  The plate corrects for sagging of the primary mirror under its own weight when the telescope is turned at an angle to the vertical. 
A)  The plate reflects unwanted wavelengths away from the primary mirror. 
B)  The plate corrects for spherical aberration in the primary mirror. 
C)  The plate corrects for chromatic aberration in the primary mirror. 
D)  The plate corrects for sagging of the primary mirror under its own weight when the telescope is turned at an angle to the vertical.

Question 19

If a certain gas is heated and observed through a grating,a bright line spectrum will be seen.If instead a source of continuous spectrum shines through a cooler sample of this same gas,a dark absorption spectrum is observed.How do the positions of the lines in these two spectra compare?

Accepted Answer

A)  All the lines in the spectrum from the hot gas will be at higher frequencies than the corresponding lines in the spectrum of the cooler gas. 
B)  All the lines in the spectrum from the hot gas will be at lower frequencies than the corresponding lines in the spectrum of the cooler gas. 
C)  The lines in the two spectra will be at the same frequencies. They will be the same spectra. 
D)  These two processes produce spectra by completely different means, and there will be no relationship at all between the two spectra. 
A)  All the lines in the spectrum from the hot gas will be at higher frequencies than the corresponding lines in the spectrum of the cooler gas. 
B)  All the lines in the spectrum from the hot gas will be at lower frequencies than the corresponding lines in the spectrum of the cooler gas. 
C)  The lines in the two spectra will be at the same frequencies. They will be the same spectra. 
D)  These two processes produce spectra by completely different means, and there will be no relationship at all between the two spectra.

Question 20

An atom of hydrogen undergoes a collision with another atom in a hot gas in which the energy of collision is about 11 eV.What is the likely outcome of this collision in terms of the atom? (See Figure 3-51,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Accepted Answer

A)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the second excited level, n = 3, and de-excitation will generate either an Lα UV Lyman photon or an Hα visible and an Lα UV photon. 
B)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, n = 2. Its return to the ground state will produce an Lα UV Lyman photon. 
C)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, and de-excitation to the ground state will produce a visible photon of Balmer Hα light. 
D)  The electron of the hydrogen atom will be excited beyond the ionization level (n = ∞); the atom will be ionized, and the electron will leave the atom completely. 
A)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the second excited level, n = 3, and de-excitation will generate either an Lα UV Lyman photon or an Hα visible and an Lα UV photon. 
B)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, n = 2. Its return to the ground state will produce an Lα UV Lyman photon. 
C)  The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, and de-excitation to the ground state will produce a visible photon of Balmer Hα light. 
D)  The electron of the hydrogen atom will be excited beyond the ionization level (n = ∞); the atom will be ionized, and the electron will leave the atom completely.

One MAJOR difference between radio waves and light is that:

What property of helium allowed scientists to first discover its existence?

Where does the Paschen series of spectral lines from hydrogen gas appear in the electromagnetic spectrum?

An ionized hydrogen atom is simply a(n):

O III is:

When a ray of light enters the flat,smooth surface of a dense,transparent material at an angle to the perpendicular,which way does it bend?

The largest refracting telescope in the world is the 102-cm (40-inch)telescope at Yerkes Observatory,built in 1897.Why have no larger refracting telescopes ever been built?

The position of an element in the periodic table,its atomic number,is equal to the:

The PRIMARY reason for spreading many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals at a central station is to:

An ideal blackbody in physics and astronomy is an object that:

If two photons in a vacuum have different energies,what can we say about the wavelengths of the photons?

The four fundamental forces in nature include all of the following forces EXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

Which wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum is taken up by visible light?

Interstellar space (the space between the stars)is filled with extremely low-density hydrogen gas.In the vicinity of a hot star,this gas can be heated to a very high temperature.This hot,low-density gas will:

By bombarding atoms in a thin metal sheet with energetic particles,Rutherford found that most of the mass of an atom is concentrated inside a very small volume.What is the diameter of this "nucleus," as a fraction of that of the whole atom?

Atoms of hot hydrogen gas will emit the Balmer series of spectral lines at visible wavelengths when the electrons fall from all higher atomic energy levels to the:

A particular photon has a wavelength of 450 nm and a second one has a wavelength of 580 nm.Which of the following statements about the energies of these two photons is TRUE?

What is the purpose of the glass corrector plate at the front of a Schmidt telescope?

If a certain gas is heated and observed through a grating,a bright line spectrum will be seen.If instead a source of continuous spectrum shines through a cooler sample of this same gas,a dark absorption spectrum is observed.How do the positions of the lines in these two spectra compare?

An atom of hydrogen undergoes a collision with another atom in a hot gas in which the energy of collision is about 11 eV.What is the likely outcome of this collision in terms of the atom? (See Figure 3-51,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 3: Light and Telescopes

One MAJOR difference between radio waves and light is that:

What property of helium allowed scientists to first discover its existence?

Where does the Paschen series of spectral lines from hydrogen gas appear in the electromagnetic spectrum?

An ionized hydrogen atom is simply a(n):

O III is:

When a ray of light enters the flat,smooth surface of a dense,transparent material at an angle to the perpendicular,which way does it bend?

The largest refracting telescope in the world is the 102-cm (40-inch)telescope at Yerkes Observatory,built in 1897.Why have no larger refracting telescopes ever been built?

The position of an element in the periodic table,its atomic number,is equal to the:

The PRIMARY reason for spreading many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals at a central station is to:

An ideal blackbody in physics and astronomy is an object that:

If two photons in a vacuum have different energies,what can we say about the wavelengths of the photons?

The four fundamental forces in nature include all of the following forces EXCEPT ONE.Which one is the exception?

Which wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum is taken up by visible light?

Interstellar space (the space between the stars)is filled with extremely low-density hydrogen gas.In the vicinity of a hot star,this gas can be heated to a very high temperature.This hot,low-density gas will:

By bombarding atoms in a thin metal sheet with energetic particles,Rutherford found that most of the mass of an atom is concentrated inside a very small volume.What is the diameter of this "nucleus," as a fraction of that of the whole atom?

Atoms of hot hydrogen gas will emit the Balmer series of spectral lines at visible wavelengths when the electrons fall from all higher atomic energy levels to the:

A particular photon has a wavelength of 450 nm and a second one has a wavelength of 580 nm.Which of the following statements about the energies of these two photons is TRUE?

What is the purpose of the glass corrector plate at the front of a Schmidt telescope?

If a certain gas is heated and observed through a grating,a bright line spectrum will be seen.If instead a source of continuous spectrum shines through a cooler sample of this same gas,a dark absorption spectrum is observed.How do the positions of the lines in these two spectra compare?

An atom of hydrogen undergoes a collision with another atom in a hot gas in which the energy of collision is about 11 eV.What is the likely outcome of this collision in terms of the atom? (See Figure 3-51,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

Exoplanets

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

Vagabonds of the Solar System

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters