Question 1

About how long does it take the solar wind to reach the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 4 minutes 
B) Hours 
C) 4 days 
D) 4 months 
A) 4 minutes 
B) Hours 
C) 4 days 
D) 4 months

Question 2

Neutrinos are a good probe of stellar interiors because

Accepted Answer

A) They travel at the speed of light 
B) They interact very weakly with matter 
C) They have large masses 
D) As far as we know,they are only produced in the centers of stars 
A) They travel at the speed of light 
B) They interact very weakly with matter 
C) They have large masses 
D) As far as we know,they are only produced in the centers of stars

Question 3

What are the layers of the solar atmosphere,from lowest to highest above the solar surface?

Accepted Answer

A) Chromosphere,Photosphere,Corona 
B) Photosphere,Chromosphere,Corona 
C) Corona,Chromosphere,Photosphere 
D) Photosphere,Corona,Chromosphere 
A) Chromosphere,Photosphere,Corona 
B) Photosphere,Chromosphere,Corona 
C) Corona,Chromosphere,Photosphere 
D) Photosphere,Corona,Chromosphere

Question 4

In the outer 20% of the Sun's interior,energy is transported by

Accepted Answer

A) Radiation 
B) Convection 
C) Winds 
D) Magnetic fields 
A) Radiation 
B) Convection 
C) Winds 
D) Magnetic fields

Question 5

Why do sunspots appear dark?

Accepted Answer

A) They emit no light 
B) They are transparent and let us see deeper,darker layers 
C) They are cooler than their surroundings 
D) They are shadows 
A) They emit no light 
B) They are transparent and let us see deeper,darker layers 
C) They are cooler than their surroundings 
D) They are shadows

Question 6

How do we know that the Sun's energy is not produced by meteoritic impacts?

Accepted Answer

A) The length of the year is too nearly constant 
B) All the matter in the solar system would supply only a day of solar energy 
C) There would be no sunspots if that were the case 
D) Meteoritic impacts absorb energy rather than produce it 
A) The length of the year is too nearly constant 
B) All the matter in the solar system would supply only a day of solar energy 
C) There would be no sunspots if that were the case 
D) Meteoritic impacts absorb energy rather than produce it

Question 7

What would be the approximate luminous lifetime of the Sun if it derived its energy entirely from gravitational contraction?

Accepted Answer

A) A century 
B) A million years 
C) 100 million years 
D) 100 billion years 
A) A century 
B) A million years 
C) 100 million years 
D) 100 billion years

Question 8

The Sun's disc is limb-darkened because

Accepted Answer

A) The Sun's temperature increases inward 
B) The Sun has many bright spots 
C) When we look at the center of the disk,we see gamma rays from the core 
D) We can only see the limb of the Sun when it is near our horizon 
A) The Sun's temperature increases inward 
B) The Sun has many bright spots 
C) When we look at the center of the disk,we see gamma rays from the core 
D) We can only see the limb of the Sun when it is near our horizon

Question 9

The temperature at the surface (photosphere)of the Sun is about

Accepted Answer

A) 1000 K 
B) 5000 K 
C) 10,000 K 
D) 50,000 K 
E) 1,000,000 K 
A) 1000 K 
B) 5000 K 
C) 10,000 K 
D) 50,000 K 
E) 1,000,000 K

Question 10

The first solar neutrino telescope was made of

Accepted Answer

A) A cluster of large radio telescopes,all pointing at the Sun 
B) A large tank of cleaning fluid 
C) Magnetic collectors 
D) A series of special lenses 
A) A cluster of large radio telescopes,all pointing at the Sun 
B) A large tank of cleaning fluid 
C) Magnetic collectors 
D) A series of special lenses

Question 11

In the proton-proton chain,how many protons are required to make a helium nucleus?

Accepted Answer

A) 4 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 5 
A) 4 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 5

Question 12

The proton-proton chain,through which the Sun produces its energy,is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) A chemical reaction 
B) Fission 
C) Fusion 
D) Radioactive decay 
A) A chemical reaction 
B) Fission 
C) Fusion 
D) Radioactive decay

Question 13

The series of reactions that produce the Sun's energy are called

Accepted Answer

A) The solar cycle 
B) Chemical reactions 
C) The proton-proton chain 
D) Core reactions 
A) The solar cycle 
B) Chemical reactions 
C) The proton-proton chain 
D) Core reactions

Question 14

A solar flare is associated with what event?

Accepted Answer

A) Brightening of the core. 
B) Increase in the solar wind. 
C) Magnetic field lines forming closed loops. 
D) An overall cooling of the rest of the solar surface. 
A) Brightening of the core. 
B) Increase in the solar wind. 
C) Magnetic field lines forming closed loops. 
D) An overall cooling of the rest of the solar surface.

Question 15

Sunspots are

Accepted Answer

A) Associated with an 11 year activity cycle on the Sun 
B) Areas of intense magnetic fields 
C) Areas of low temperature compared to the surrounding gas 
D) Areas associated with solar flares 
E) All of these 
A) Associated with an 11 year activity cycle on the Sun 
B) Areas of intense magnetic fields 
C) Areas of low temperature compared to the surrounding gas 
D) Areas associated with solar flares 
E) All of these

Question 16

Astronomers think the heliopause is about how far from the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 AU 
B) 10 AU 
C) 100 AU 
D) 1000 AU 
A) 1 AU 
B) 10 AU 
C) 100 AU 
D) 1000 AU

Question 17

The Sun will run out of fuel in about

Accepted Answer

A) 5 trillion years 
B) 5 billion years 
C) 5 million years 
D) 5 thousand years 
A) 5 trillion years 
B) 5 billion years 
C) 5 million years 
D) 5 thousand years

Question 18

Most of the energy produced in the Sun's core is carried away from the core by

Accepted Answer

A) Neutrinos 
B) Convection 
C) Conduction 
D) Radiation 
A) Neutrinos 
B) Convection 
C) Conduction 
D) Radiation

Question 19

For which of the following reasons did the first solar neutrino experiments surprise astronomers?

Accepted Answer

A) Compared with predictions,too few solar neutrinos were detected 
B) Compared with predictions,far too many solar neutrinos were detected 
C) The wrong kind of solar neutrinos were detected 
D) Solar neutrinos were detected only at night 
A) Compared with predictions,too few solar neutrinos were detected 
B) Compared with predictions,far too many solar neutrinos were detected 
C) The wrong kind of solar neutrinos were detected 
D) Solar neutrinos were detected only at night

Exam 17: The Sun

About how long does it take the solar wind to reach the Earth?

Neutrinos are a good probe of stellar interiors because

What are the layers of the solar atmosphere,from lowest to highest above the solar surface?

In the outer 20% of the Sun's interior,energy is transported by

Why do sunspots appear dark?

How do we know that the Sun's energy is not produced by meteoritic impacts?

What would be the approximate luminous lifetime of the Sun if it derived its energy entirely from gravitational contraction?

The Sun's disc is limb-darkened because

The temperature at the surface (photosphere)of the Sun is about

The first solar neutrino telescope was made of

In the proton-proton chain,how many protons are required to make a helium nucleus?

The proton-proton chain,through which the Sun produces its energy,is an example of

The series of reactions that produce the Sun's energy are called

A solar flare is associated with what event?

Sunspots are

Astronomers think the heliopause is about how far from the Sun?

The Sun will run out of fuel in about

Most of the energy produced in the Sun's core is carried away from the core by

For which of the following reasons did the first solar neutrino experiments surprise astronomers?

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