Question 1

When two atomic nuclei come together to form a new species of atom,it is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  nuclear fission 
B)  nuclear fusion 
C)  nuclear splitting 
D)  nuclear recombination 
A)  nuclear fission 
B)  nuclear fusion 
C)  nuclear splitting 
D)  nuclear recombination

Question 2

Examine the figure below.Show where in the Sun nuclear fusion occurs and explain why fusion occurs there.

Accepted Answer

Fusion only occurs i

Question 3

At the center of the Sun,the temperature is roughly 15 million K.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

When,during its 11-year cycle,is the Sun most luminous? What might this have to do with the Maunder Minimum?

Accepted Answer

The Sun is most luminous during solar ma

Question 5

The Sun has a mass of:

Accepted Answer

A)  2 × 1030 kg 
B)  2 × 1010 kg 
C)  2 × 1020 kg 
D)  2 × 1040 kg 
A)  2 × 1030 kg 
B)  2 × 1010 kg 
C)  2 × 1020 kg 
D)  2 × 1040 kg

Question 6

The Sun's magnetic field reverses direction every:

Accepted Answer

A)  27 days 
B)  12 months 
C)  11 years 
D)  22 years 
A)  27 days 
B)  12 months 
C)  11 years 
D)  22 years

Question 7

Why is hydrogen burning the main energy source for main-sequence stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hydrogen is the most common element in stars. 
B)  Hydrogen nuclei have the smallest positive charge. 
C)  Hydrogen burning is the most efficient of all fusion or fission reactions. 
D)  All the above are valid reasons. 
A)  Hydrogen is the most common element in stars. 
B)  Hydrogen nuclei have the smallest positive charge. 
C)  Hydrogen burning is the most efficient of all fusion or fission reactions. 
D)  All the above are valid reasons.

Question 8

The solar neutrino problem was solved by:

Accepted Answer

A)  adjusting the rates of hydrogen burning in solar models 
B)  improving detector efficiencies so more neutrinos were observed 
C)  postulating that neutrinos had mass and oscillated between three different types 
D)  lowering the percentage of helium in models of solar composition 
A)  adjusting the rates of hydrogen burning in solar models 
B)  improving detector efficiencies so more neutrinos were observed 
C)  postulating that neutrinos had mass and oscillated between three different types 
D)  lowering the percentage of helium in models of solar composition

Question 9

The solar neutrino problem was solved by postulating that neutrinos have a small mass and oscillate between five different types of neutrino.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Light from the photosphere reaches Earth approximately __________ times faster than photons released in fusion in the core.

Accepted Answer

A)  1,000 
B)  600,000 
C)  1 million 
D)  6 billion 
A)  1,000 
B)  600,000 
C)  1 million 
D)  6 billion

Question 11

If a coronal mass ejection occurred on the Sun and ejected particles toward the Earth that traveled at the speed of 1,000 km/s,how long would it take them to reach Earth?

Accepted Answer

Using v = d/t and d = 1 AU = 1

Question 12

Sunspots generally occur in pairs with opposite polarity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The Maunder Minimum was a 60-year period when:

Accepted Answer

A)  debris thrown up in a comet collision blanketed out the Sun 
B)  almost no sunspots occurred on the Sun 
C)  the Voyager 2 spacecraft traversed the heliopause 
D)  no dust storms occurred on Mars 
A)  debris thrown up in a comet collision blanketed out the Sun 
B)  almost no sunspots occurred on the Sun 
C)  the Voyager 2 spacecraft traversed the heliopause 
D)  no dust storms occurred on Mars

Question 14

If the Sun stopped nuclear fusion in its core,it would take 100 years for its luminosity to change.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Sunspots appear dark because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they have lower densities 
B)  they have lower rotation rates 
C)  they have lower temperatures 
D)  they are storm systems like those on the Jovian planets 
A)  they have lower densities 
B)  they have lower rotation rates 
C)  they have lower temperatures 
D)  they are storm systems like those on the Jovian planets

Question 16

The Sun's internal magnetic field becomes tangled up over time because of:

Accepted Answer

A)  coronal holes 
B)  coronal mass ejections 
C)  differential rotation 
D)  all of the above 
A)  coronal holes 
B)  coronal mass ejections 
C)  differential rotation 
D)  all of the above

Question 17

The solar spectrum (see the image below)is an example of a(n)__________ spectrum.

Accepted Answer

A)  emission 
B)  absorption 
C)  continuum 
D)  blackbody 
A)  emission 
B)  absorption 
C)  continuum 
D)  blackbody

Question 18

In our Sun,hydrostatic equilibrium exists only in the core,where energy production via fusion can balance gravity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

If a coronal mass ejection occurs on the Sun that expels material at a speed of 800 km/s,how long will it take these charged particles to reach the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.7 day 
B)  1.4 days 
C)  1.8 days 
D)  2.1 days 
A)  0.7 day 
B)  1.4 days 
C)  1.8 days 
D)  2.1 days

Question 20

If the Sun converts 5 × 1011 kg of H to He per second and the mass of a single hydrogen nucleus is 1.7 × 10-27 kg,how many net proton-proton reactions go on per second in the Sun? What is the luminosity produced if the mass difference between a single helium nucleus and four hydrogen nuclei is 4 × 10-29 kg? Note that 1 watt = 1 m2kg/s3.

Accepted Answer

A)  7 × 1037 reactions per second; 3 × 1026 watt 
B)  3 × 1038 reactions per second; 1027 watt 
C)  3 × 1038 reactions per second; 4 × 1026 watt 
D)  7 × 1037 reactions per second; 5 × 1025 watt 
A)  7 × 1037 reactions per second; 3 × 1026 watt 
B)  3 × 1038 reactions per second; 1027 watt 
C)  3 × 1038 reactions per second; 4 × 1026 watt 
D)  7 × 1037 reactions per second; 5 × 1025 watt

When two atomic nuclei come together to form a new species of atom,it is called:

Examine the figure below.Show where in the Sun nuclear fusion occurs and explain why fusion occurs there.

At the center of the Sun,the temperature is roughly 15 million K.

When,during its 11-year cycle,is the Sun most luminous? What might this have to do with the Maunder Minimum?

The Sun has a mass of:

The Sun's magnetic field reverses direction every:

Why is hydrogen burning the main energy source for main-sequence stars?

The solar neutrino problem was solved by:

The solar neutrino problem was solved by postulating that neutrinos have a small mass and oscillate between five different types of neutrino.

Light from the photosphere reaches Earth approximately __________ times faster than photons released in fusion in the core.

If a coronal mass ejection occurred on the Sun and ejected particles toward the Earth that traveled at the speed of 1,000 km/s,how long would it take them to reach Earth?

Sunspots generally occur in pairs with opposite polarity.

The Maunder Minimum was a 60-year period when:

If the Sun stopped nuclear fusion in its core,it would take 100 years for its luminosity to change.

Sunspots appear dark because:

The Sun's internal magnetic field becomes tangled up over time because of:

The solar spectrum (see the image below)is an example of a(n)__________ spectrum.

In our Sun,hydrostatic equilibrium exists only in the core,where energy production via fusion can balance gravity.

If a coronal mass ejection occurs on the Sun that expels material at a speed of 800 km/s,how long will it take these charged particles to reach the Earth?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 11: Our Star: The Sun

When two atomic nuclei come together to form a new species of atom,it is called:

Examine the figure below.Show where in the Sun nuclear fusion occurs and explain why fusion occurs there.

At the center of the Sun,the temperature is roughly 15 million K.

When,during its 11-year cycle,is the Sun most luminous? What might this have to do with the Maunder Minimum?

The Sun has a mass of:

The Sun's magnetic field reverses direction every:

Why is hydrogen burning the main energy source for main-sequence stars?

The solar neutrino problem was solved by:

The solar neutrino problem was solved by postulating that neutrinos have a small mass and oscillate between five different types of neutrino.

Light from the photosphere reaches Earth approximately __________ times faster than photons released in fusion in the core.

If a coronal mass ejection occurred on the Sun and ejected particles toward the Earth that traveled at the speed of 1,000 km/s,how long would it take them to reach Earth?

Sunspots generally occur in pairs with opposite polarity.

The Maunder Minimum was a 60-year period when:

If the Sun stopped nuclear fusion in its core,it would take 100 years for its luminosity to change.

Sunspots appear dark because:

The Sun's internal magnetic field becomes tangled up over time because of:

The solar spectrum (see the image below)is an example of a(n)__________ spectrum.

In our Sun,hydrostatic equilibrium exists only in the core,where energy production via fusion can balance gravity.

If a coronal mass ejection occurs on the Sun that expels material at a speed of 800 km/s,how long will it take these charged particles to reach the Earth?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters