Question 1

What are the names of the three layers in the Sun's atmosphere,in order from lowest to highest?

Accepted Answer

A)  corona, chromosphere, photosphere 
B)  photosphere, chromosphere, corona 
C)  photosphere, corona, chromosphere 
D)  chromosphere, photosphere, corona 
A)  corona, chromosphere, photosphere 
B)  photosphere, chromosphere, corona 
C)  photosphere, corona, chromosphere 
D)  chromosphere, photosphere, corona

Question 2

A solar plage is a:

Accepted Answer

A)  cooler region of the photosphere surrounding the very cold central region of a sunspot. 
B)  brightening of a portion of the Sun in light from hydrogen and other atomic species, appearing just before a sunspot and then surrounding it. 
C)  "hole" in the hot corona through which solar wind escapes into interplanetary space. 
D)  gigantic loop of gas, lifted by magnetic fields above the solar surface, appearing dark against the photosphere and bright against dark space. 
A)  cooler region of the photosphere surrounding the very cold central region of a sunspot. 
B)  brightening of a portion of the Sun in light from hydrogen and other atomic species, appearing just before a sunspot and then surrounding it. 
C)  "hole" in the hot corona through which solar wind escapes into interplanetary space. 
D)  gigantic loop of gas, lifted by magnetic fields above the solar surface, appearing dark against the photosphere and bright against dark space.

Question 3

What is the threshold temperature for the fusion of hydrogen to helium to occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  19,000 K 
B)  153,000 K 
C)  107 K 
D)  1.55 X 107 K 
A)  19,000 K 
B)  153,000 K 
C)  107 K 
D)  1.55 X 107 K

Question 4

What is the average length of a complete cycle of sunspots and magnetic fields on the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  22 years 
B)  7 years 
C)  4.5 years 
D)  11 years 
A)  22 years 
B)  7 years 
C)  4.5 years 
D)  11 years

Question 5

To what does the symbol Fe XIV refer?

Accepted Answer

A)  compound of iron, xenon, iodine, and vanadium 
B)  iron atoms that have lost 15 electrons 
C)  iron atoms that have lost 14 electrons 
D)  iron atoms that have lost 13 electrons 
A)  compound of iron, xenon, iodine, and vanadium 
B)  iron atoms that have lost 15 electrons 
C)  iron atoms that have lost 14 electrons 
D)  iron atoms that have lost 13 electrons

Question 6

Where is the COOLEST region in the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  just below the photosphere, in the convective zone 
B)  in the lower corona 
C)  in the lower photosphere 
D)  in the lower chromosphere 
A)  just below the photosphere, in the convective zone 
B)  in the lower corona 
C)  in the lower photosphere 
D)  in the lower chromosphere

Question 7

Of the three ways in which energy is transported in nature,which two are important in the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  radiation and conduction 
B)  convection and conduction 
C)  The question is wrong; all three ways in which energy is transported are equally important in the Sun. 
D)  radiation and convection 
A)  radiation and conduction 
B)  convection and conduction 
C)  The question is wrong; all three ways in which energy is transported are equally important in the Sun. 
D)  radiation and convection

Question 8

The hydrogen fusion reaction is 4 ¹H → ⁴He + neutrinos + energy.What forms does this energy take?

Accepted Answer

A)  kinetic energy associated with the motion of the four protons 
B)  kinetic energy associated with the motion of the helium, protons, and gamma-ray photons 
C)  chemical energy associated with the electrons in orbit around the helium nucleus 
D)  gravitational energy associated with the attraction of the particles at close range 
A)  kinetic energy associated with the motion of the four protons 
B)  kinetic energy associated with the motion of the helium, protons, and gamma-ray photons 
C)  chemical energy associated with the electrons in orbit around the helium nucleus 
D)  gravitational energy associated with the attraction of the particles at close range

Question 9

Which recently discovered fact about the Sun might have some bearing on climate changes and the weather on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Sun's surface is oscillating up and down every 5 minutes. 
B)  There are far fewer neutrinos emitted from the Sun than predicted. 
C)  Solar wind seems to originate in cooler regions of the corona-the coronal holes-and their number varies month by month. 
D)  The Sun's overall energy output depends on the 11-year sunspot cycle. 
A)  The Sun's surface is oscillating up and down every 5 minutes. 
B)  There are far fewer neutrinos emitted from the Sun than predicted. 
C)  Solar wind seems to originate in cooler regions of the corona-the coronal holes-and their number varies month by month. 
D)  The Sun's overall energy output depends on the 11-year sunspot cycle.

Question 10

What is the rotation period of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  about two rotations per year 
B)  about one rotation per day 
C)  about four rotations per month 
D)  about one rotation per month 
A)  about two rotations per year 
B)  about one rotation per day 
C)  about four rotations per month 
D)  about one rotation per month

Question 11

Sunspots appear dark because they:

Accepted Answer

A)  are coronal holes. 
B)  are cooler than the surrounding surface. 
C)  are regions from which the light is prevented from escaping by strong magnetic fields. 
D)  have a different chemical composition than the surrounding surface. 
A)  are coronal holes. 
B)  are cooler than the surrounding surface. 
C)  are regions from which the light is prevented from escaping by strong magnetic fields. 
D)  have a different chemical composition than the surrounding surface.

Question 12

What is the name of a sudden,highly energetic,eruptive surge on the surface of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  prominence 
B)  sunspot 
C)  plage 
D)  flare 
A)  prominence 
B)  sunspot 
C)  plage 
D)  flare

Question 13

What change in spectral lines emitted by atoms is described by the Zeeman effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  the broadening of the lines associated with the high temperature of the emitting gas 
B)  the change in relative intensity of different lines from sources of different temperature 
C)  the shift in the lines because of the movement of the source 
D)  the splitting of lines because the atoms are within an intense magnetic field 
A)  the broadening of the lines associated with the high temperature of the emitting gas 
B)  the change in relative intensity of different lines from sources of different temperature 
C)  the shift in the lines because of the movement of the source 
D)  the splitting of lines because the atoms are within an intense magnetic field

Question 14

If sunspots are cooler than the photosphere (by as much as 1500 K),what would be the peak wavelength in a sunspot spectrum compared with the peak wavelength of the photospheric spectrum?

Accepted Answer

A)  shorter 
B)  either shorter or longer, depending on the magnetic field strength in the sunspot 
C)  same because the chemical composition is the same (hydrogen and helium) 
D)  longer 
A)  shorter 
B)  either shorter or longer, depending on the magnetic field strength in the sunspot 
C)  same because the chemical composition is the same (hydrogen and helium) 
D)  longer

Question 15

One technique for the detection of neutrinos from outer space involves the reaction of neutrinos with protons in a water tank,with the resulting high-speed positrons,or positive electrons,then generating Cerenkov radiation in the water.How is the Cerenkov radiation produced?

Accepted Answer

A)  by the passage of the charged positron through the water at a speed greater than the speed of light in a vacuum 
B)  by the recombination of the positron with a proton to produce neutral hydrogen and Balmer series line emissions 
C)  by the annihilation of a negative electron in the water by the positron 
D)  by the charged positron moving in the water faster than the speed of light in water 
A)  by the passage of the charged positron through the water at a speed greater than the speed of light in a vacuum 
B)  by the recombination of the positron with a proton to produce neutral hydrogen and Balmer series line emissions 
C)  by the annihilation of a negative electron in the water by the positron 
D)  by the charged positron moving in the water faster than the speed of light in water

Question 16

On its passage through the Sun's interior,a particular photon experiences:

Accepted Answer

A)  only one collision. 
B)  thousands of collisions. 
C)  millions of collisions. 
D)  collisions numbering more than millions. 
A)  only one collision. 
B)  thousands of collisions. 
C)  millions of collisions. 
D)  collisions numbering more than millions.

Question 17

A supergranule on the Sun is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a large area of slowly rising and falling gas containing hundreds of ordinary granules. 
B)  another name for a large, long-lived sunspot group. 
C)  a large area in which the rapid convection of the gas destroys all granules that would otherwise form in that area. 
D)  a very large but otherwise ordinary granule in the photosphere. 
A)  a large area of slowly rising and falling gas containing hundreds of ordinary granules. 
B)  another name for a large, long-lived sunspot group. 
C)  a large area in which the rapid convection of the gas destroys all granules that would otherwise form in that area. 
D)  a very large but otherwise ordinary granule in the photosphere.

Question 18

Other stars:

Accepted Answer

A)  have never been detected producing a solar wind. 
B)  produce their own solar winds, but these are too weak to reach the vicinity of the solar system. 
C)  produce their own solar winds, but most are prevented from reaching the planetary region of our solar system by our Sun's heliosphere. 
D)  produce their own solar winds, and these galactic cosmic rays contribute the bulk of the cosmic ray flux we receive on Earth. 
A)  have never been detected producing a solar wind. 
B)  produce their own solar winds, but these are too weak to reach the vicinity of the solar system. 
C)  produce their own solar winds, but most are prevented from reaching the planetary region of our solar system by our Sun's heliosphere. 
D)  produce their own solar winds, and these galactic cosmic rays contribute the bulk of the cosmic ray flux we receive on Earth.

Question 19

How many neutrinos from the Sun pass through your outstretched hand (10 × 10 cm)every second,day and night?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 trillion, or 10¹³, in daytime and almost none during the night because they are stopped by Earth 
B)  10 trillion, or 10¹³ 
C)  just a few, thankfully! 
D)  10 billion, or 10¹⁰ 
A)  10 trillion, or 10¹³, in daytime and almost none during the night because they are stopped by Earth 
B)  10 trillion, or 10¹³ 
C)  just a few, thankfully! 
D)  10 billion, or 10¹⁰

Question 20

Figure 9-22b of Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.,shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius.What can you say about the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

Accepted Answer

A)  Almost all of the Sun's mass is located within the inner 25% of the solar radius. 
B)  The core has a temperature of 15.5 × 10⁶ K, the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion, throughout this inner 25% of the solar radius. 
C)  The temperature actually peaks in the convection zone, driving the convection process. 
D)  The density is greatest within the inner 25% of the solar radius, causing the high pressure and temperature required for hydrogen fusion. 
A)  Almost all of the Sun's mass is located within the inner 25% of the solar radius. 
B)  The core has a temperature of 15.5 × 10⁶ K, the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion, throughout this inner 25% of the solar radius. 
C)  The temperature actually peaks in the convection zone, driving the convection process. 
D)  The density is greatest within the inner 25% of the solar radius, causing the high pressure and temperature required for hydrogen fusion.

What are the names of the three layers in the Sun's atmosphere,in order from lowest to highest?

A solar plage is a:

What is the threshold temperature for the fusion of hydrogen to helium to occur?

What is the average length of a complete cycle of sunspots and magnetic fields on the Sun?

To what does the symbol Fe XIV refer?

Where is the COOLEST region in the Sun?

Of the three ways in which energy is transported in nature,which two are important in the Sun?

The hydrogen fusion reaction is 4 ¹H → ⁴He + neutrinos + energy.What forms does this energy take?

Which recently discovered fact about the Sun might have some bearing on climate changes and the weather on Earth?

What is the rotation period of the Sun?

Sunspots appear dark because they:

What is the name of a sudden,highly energetic,eruptive surge on the surface of the Sun?

What change in spectral lines emitted by atoms is described by the Zeeman effect?

If sunspots are cooler than the photosphere (by as much as 1500 K),what would be the peak wavelength in a sunspot spectrum compared with the peak wavelength of the photospheric spectrum?

One technique for the detection of neutrinos from outer space involves the reaction of neutrinos with protons in a water tank,with the resulting high-speed positrons,or positive electrons,then generating Cerenkov radiation in the water.How is the Cerenkov radiation produced?

On its passage through the Sun's interior,a particular photon experiences:

A supergranule on the Sun is:

Other stars:

How many neutrinos from the Sun pass through your outstretched hand (10 × 10 cm)every second,day and night?

Figure 9-22b of Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.,shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius.What can you say about the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

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

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters

Exam 9: The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

What are the names of the three layers in the Sun's atmosphere,in order from lowest to highest?

A solar plage is a:

What is the threshold temperature for the fusion of hydrogen to helium to occur?

What is the average length of a complete cycle of sunspots and magnetic fields on the Sun?

To what does the symbol Fe XIV refer?

Where is the COOLEST region in the Sun?

Of the three ways in which energy is transported in nature,which two are important in the Sun?

The hydrogen fusion reaction is 4 ¹H → ⁴He + neutrinos + energy.What forms does this energy take?

Which recently discovered fact about the Sun might have some bearing on climate changes and the weather on Earth?

What is the rotation period of the Sun?

Sunspots appear dark because they:

What is the name of a sudden,highly energetic,eruptive surge on the surface of the Sun?

What change in spectral lines emitted by atoms is described by the Zeeman effect?

If sunspots are cooler than the photosphere (by as much as 1500 K),what would be the peak wavelength in a sunspot spectrum compared with the peak wavelength of the photospheric spectrum?

One technique for the detection of neutrinos from outer space involves the reaction of neutrinos with protons in a water tank,with the resulting high-speed positrons,or positive electrons,then generating Cerenkov radiation in the water.How is the Cerenkov radiation produced?

On its passage through the Sun's interior,a particular photon experiences:

A supergranule on the Sun is:

Other stars:

How many neutrinos from the Sun pass through your outstretched hand (10 × 10 cm)every second,day and night?

Figure 9-22b of Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.,shows that all of the Sun's luminosity is generated within the inner 25% of the solar radius.What can you say about the correlation of the other graphs in the figure with the luminosity graph?

Discovering the Night Sky

Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

Light and Telescopes

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

Characterizing Stars

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

The Galaxies

Cosmology

Astrobiology

Filters