Question 1

How much matter is converted to energy in the Sun each second?

Accepted Answer

A)  6 billion tons 
B)  600 tons 
C)  6 tons 
D)  600 million tons 
A)  6 billion tons 
B)  600 tons 
C)  6 tons 
D)  600 million tons

Question 2

The solar wind is ionized gas flowing outward:

Accepted Answer

A)  from the Sun's magnetic poles, where magnetic forces on the ionized plasma is lowest. 
B)  from sunspots. 
C)  more or less uniformly from the entire solar surface. 
D)  primarily through coronal holes. 
A)  from the Sun's magnetic poles, where magnetic forces on the ionized plasma is lowest. 
B)  from sunspots. 
C)  more or less uniformly from the entire solar surface. 
D)  primarily through coronal holes.

Question 3

The sunspot cycle on the Sun is a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  regular movement of a relatively constant number of sunspots from the poles to the equator of the Sun over an 11-year period. 
B)  somewhat irregular but always present cycle of buildup and decay of sunspot numbers. 
C)  irregular buildup and decay in the number of sunspots averaging about 11 years, which occasionally fails for a time when no spots appear. 
D)  extremely regular buildup and decay in the number of sunspots, with a precise period of 11.3 years. 
A)  regular movement of a relatively constant number of sunspots from the poles to the equator of the Sun over an 11-year period. 
B)  somewhat irregular but always present cycle of buildup and decay of sunspot numbers. 
C)  irregular buildup and decay in the number of sunspots averaging about 11 years, which occasionally fails for a time when no spots appear. 
D)  extremely regular buildup and decay in the number of sunspots, with a precise period of 11.3 years.

Question 4

In a Cerenkov radiation detector,a neutrino:

Accepted Answer

A)  passing through water is slowed down and emits a flash of light. 
B)  interacts with a deuterium nucleus, forcing the emission of an electron that moves faster than light in water and emits a flash of light. 
C)  interacts with a hydrogen atom forcing it to move rapidly through water and emit a flash of light. 
D)  strikes a photomultiplier, causing it to emit a flash of light. 
A)  passing through water is slowed down and emits a flash of light. 
B)  interacts with a deuterium nucleus, forcing the emission of an electron that moves faster than light in water and emits a flash of light. 
C)  interacts with a hydrogen atom forcing it to move rapidly through water and emit a flash of light. 
D)  strikes a photomultiplier, causing it to emit a flash of light.

Question 5

The bright X-ray image obtained of the solar corona when the Sun is photographed at this wavelength indicates that the gas temperature at these heights is:

Accepted Answer

A)  extremely high, above 10⁶ K. 
B)  extremely low, much cooler than the photosphere. 
C)  about twice that of the photosphere. 
D)  about the same temperature as the photosphere. 
A)  extremely high, above 10⁶ K. 
B)  extremely low, much cooler than the photosphere. 
C)  about twice that of the photosphere. 
D)  about the same temperature as the photosphere.

Question 6

The total light emitted by the solar corona,which is seen most effectively during a total solar eclipse,is equivalent in brightness to:

Accepted Answer

A)  the average brightness of the night sky at a dark site. 
B)  the brightness of the full Moon, about one-millionth as bright as the solar photosphere. 
C)  the average brightness of the Milky Way. 
D)  about one-thousandth that of the solar photosphere. 
A)  the average brightness of the night sky at a dark site. 
B)  the brightness of the full Moon, about one-millionth as bright as the solar photosphere. 
C)  the average brightness of the Milky Way. 
D)  about one-thousandth that of the solar photosphere.

Question 7

The neutrino is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a heavy, uncharged nuclear particle, easily detected. 
B)  another name for an electron that carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge. 
C)  a very small asteroid-like body orbiting the Sun. 
D)  an elusive, subatomic particle having little mass, difficult to detect. 
A)  a heavy, uncharged nuclear particle, easily detected. 
B)  another name for an electron that carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge. 
C)  a very small asteroid-like body orbiting the Sun. 
D)  an elusive, subatomic particle having little mass, difficult to detect.

Question 8

The two MOST important processes by which energy is transported from the core of the Sun to the photosphere are:

Accepted Answer

A)  conduction and convection. 
B)  radiation and convection. 
C)  radiation and conduction. 
D)  radiation and neutrino emission. 
A)  conduction and convection. 
B)  radiation and convection. 
C)  radiation and conduction. 
D)  radiation and neutrino emission.

Question 9

What is the name of the layer of the Sun's atmosphere that appears as a pinkish ring just outside the visible disk of the Sun during a total solar eclipse?

Accepted Answer

A)  the chromosphere 
B)  the photosphere 
C)  the convective zone 
D)  the corona 
A)  the chromosphere 
B)  the photosphere 
C)  the convective zone 
D)  the corona

Question 10

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the inner regions of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  hotter gas rising and cooler gas falling-convective transport of energy 
B)  photons transferring between nuclei and atoms-radiative transport of energy 
C)  neutrinos streaming outward through the Sun's material-particle transport of energy 
D)  collisions of faster-moving particles with slower-moving particles-conductive transport of energy 
A)  hotter gas rising and cooler gas falling-convective transport of energy 
B)  photons transferring between nuclei and atoms-radiative transport of energy 
C)  neutrinos streaming outward through the Sun's material-particle transport of energy 
D)  collisions of faster-moving particles with slower-moving particles-conductive transport of energy

Question 11

Mean temperatures in Europe during the Maunder minimum,when virtually no sunspots were seen between 1645 and 1715,were:

Accepted Answer

A)  more strongly fluctuating above and below the average temperature compared with the period from 1715 to the present. 
B)  unchanged, within statistical uncertainty. 
C)  higher than average. 
D)  lower than average. 
A)  more strongly fluctuating above and below the average temperature compared with the period from 1715 to the present. 
B)  unchanged, within statistical uncertainty. 
C)  higher than average. 
D)  lower than average.

Question 12

The total time the Sun will spend converting hydrogen to helium in its core is:

Accepted Answer

A)  about 4.5 million years. 
B)  about 1 million years. 
C)  at least 200 billion years (2 × 10¹¹ years). 
D)  about 10 billion years (10¹⁰ years). 
A)  about 4.5 million years. 
B)  about 1 million years. 
C)  at least 200 billion years (2 × 10¹¹ years). 
D)  about 10 billion years (10¹⁰ years).

Question 13

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the outer regions of the solar interior?

Accepted Answer

A)  highly penetrating neutrinos streaming outward through the Sun's material-particle transport of energy 
B)  photons transferring between nuclei and atoms-radiative transport of energy 
C)  collisions of faster-moving particles with slower-moving particles-conductive transport of energy 
D)  hotter gas rising and cooler gas falling-convective transport of energy 
A)  highly penetrating neutrinos streaming outward through the Sun's material-particle transport of energy 
B)  photons transferring between nuclei and atoms-radiative transport of energy 
C)  collisions of faster-moving particles with slower-moving particles-conductive transport of energy 
D)  hotter gas rising and cooler gas falling-convective transport of energy

Question 14

How long does a typical flare on the Sun last?

Accepted Answer

A)  about a minute 
B)  2 months 
C)  less than an hour 
D)  5 days 
A)  about a minute 
B)  2 months 
C)  less than an hour 
D)  5 days

Question 15

An astronomer observing certain regions of the Sun through a spectrometer notices that the spectral lines emitted from these regions are split into two or more components.What does the astronomer conclude about these regions from his observations?

Accepted Answer

A)  The regions contain fast-moving gas. 
B)  The regions are very hot. 
C)  The regions contain strong gravitational fields. 
D)  The regions contain strong magnetic fields. 
A)  The regions contain fast-moving gas. 
B)  The regions are very hot. 
C)  The regions contain strong gravitational fields. 
D)  The regions contain strong magnetic fields.

Question 16

Where do spicules tend to occur on the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  at the boundaries of supergranules 
B)  at the boundaries of granules 
C)  surrounding and between sunspots in sunspot groups 
D)  randomly over the surface of the Sun 
A)  at the boundaries of supergranules 
B)  at the boundaries of granules 
C)  surrounding and between sunspots in sunspot groups 
D)  randomly over the surface of the Sun

Question 17

The neutrino is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a tiny particle that interacts very weakly with matter, with extremely low mass and no charge. 
B)  another name for the neutron, a component of almost all atomic nuclei, with a mass close to that of the proton and having no charge. 
C)  another name for a photon of very high-energy (i.e., short-wavelength) electromagnetic radiation with great penetrating power. 
D)  a massive but very elusive nuclear particle that carries most of the energy generated in the core of the Sun to the surface, but then decays to release electromagnetic radiation (i.e., light). 
A)  a tiny particle that interacts very weakly with matter, with extremely low mass and no charge. 
B)  another name for the neutron, a component of almost all atomic nuclei, with a mass close to that of the proton and having no charge. 
C)  another name for a photon of very high-energy (i.e., short-wavelength) electromagnetic radiation with great penetrating power. 
D)  a massive but very elusive nuclear particle that carries most of the energy generated in the core of the Sun to the surface, but then decays to release electromagnetic radiation (i.e., light).

Question 18

What is a spicule on the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  a bright arc of gas suspended above the edge of the visible disk of the Sun 
B)  a long, thin, curved line of bright gas in the corona 
C)  a small, bright cell in the photosphere 
D)  a jet of rising gas in the chromosphere 
A)  a bright arc of gas suspended above the edge of the visible disk of the Sun 
B)  a long, thin, curved line of bright gas in the corona 
C)  a small, bright cell in the photosphere 
D)  a jet of rising gas in the chromosphere

Question 19

The reason sunspots are cooler than the photosphere is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  they are points where streams of cool gas from the corona impinge on the photosphere, thereby cooling these regions. 
B)  their powerful magnetic fields inhibit the convective flow of the ionized gases of the photosphere. 
C)  they are holes in the photosphere that reveal the lower temperature gases in the deeper layers. 
D)  their powerful magnetic fields act on the atoms of the photosphere to prevent them from emitting light. 
A)  they are points where streams of cool gas from the corona impinge on the photosphere, thereby cooling these regions. 
B)  their powerful magnetic fields inhibit the convective flow of the ionized gases of the photosphere. 
C)  they are holes in the photosphere that reveal the lower temperature gases in the deeper layers. 
D)  their powerful magnetic fields act on the atoms of the photosphere to prevent them from emitting light.

Question 20

The heliosphere is a bubble in space defined by the outflow of the solar wind.A recent discovery of the solar wind is that it is:

Accepted Answer

A)  rapidly expanding. 
B)  rapidly collapsing. 
C)  not spherical. 
D)  much hotter than previously believed. 
A)  rapidly expanding. 
B)  rapidly collapsing. 
C)  not spherical. 
D)  much hotter than previously believed.

How much matter is converted to energy in the Sun each second?

The solar wind is ionized gas flowing outward:

The sunspot cycle on the Sun is a(n):

In a Cerenkov radiation detector,a neutrino:

The bright X-ray image obtained of the solar corona when the Sun is photographed at this wavelength indicates that the gas temperature at these heights is:

The total light emitted by the solar corona,which is seen most effectively during a total solar eclipse,is equivalent in brightness to:

The neutrino is:

The two MOST important processes by which energy is transported from the core of the Sun to the photosphere are:

What is the name of the layer of the Sun's atmosphere that appears as a pinkish ring just outside the visible disk of the Sun during a total solar eclipse?

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the inner regions of the Sun?

Mean temperatures in Europe during the Maunder minimum,when virtually no sunspots were seen between 1645 and 1715,were:

The total time the Sun will spend converting hydrogen to helium in its core is:

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the outer regions of the solar interior?

How long does a typical flare on the Sun last?

An astronomer observing certain regions of the Sun through a spectrometer notices that the spectral lines emitted from these regions are split into two or more components.What does the astronomer conclude about these regions from his observations?

Where do spicules tend to occur on the Sun?

The neutrino is:

What is a spicule on the Sun?

The reason sunspots are cooler than the photosphere is that:

The heliosphere is a bubble in space defined by the outflow of the solar wind.A recent discovery of the solar wind is that it is:

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

How much matter is converted to energy in the Sun each second?

The solar wind is ionized gas flowing outward:

The sunspot cycle on the Sun is a(n):

In a Cerenkov radiation detector,a neutrino:

The bright X-ray image obtained of the solar corona when the Sun is photographed at this wavelength indicates that the gas temperature at these heights is:

The total light emitted by the solar corona,which is seen most effectively during a total solar eclipse,is equivalent in brightness to:

The neutrino is:

The two MOST important processes by which energy is transported from the core of the Sun to the photosphere are:

What is the name of the layer of the Sun's atmosphere that appears as a pinkish ring just outside the visible disk of the Sun during a total solar eclipse?

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the inner regions of the Sun?

Mean temperatures in Europe during the Maunder minimum,when virtually no sunspots were seen between 1645 and 1715,were:

The total time the Sun will spend converting hydrogen to helium in its core is:

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the outer regions of the solar interior?

How long does a typical flare on the Sun last?

An astronomer observing certain regions of the Sun through a spectrometer notices that the spectral lines emitted from these regions are split into two or more components.What does the astronomer conclude about these regions from his observations?

Where do spicules tend to occur on the Sun?

The neutrino is:

What is a spicule on the Sun?

The reason sunspots are cooler than the photosphere is that:

The heliosphere is a bubble in space defined by the outflow of the solar wind.A recent discovery of the solar wind is that it is:

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