Question 1

Who first showed that the Milky Way is not the only galaxy in the universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  Kepler 
B)  Copernicus 
C)  Newton 
D)  Hubble 
E)  Galileo 
A)  Kepler 
B)  Copernicus 
C)  Newton 
D)  Hubble 
E)  Galileo D

Question 2

Before the first stable nuclei were formed, what was the makeup of the universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen and helium 
B)  elementary particles 
C)  atoms 
D)  molecules 
E)  iron and oxygen 
A)  hydrogen and helium 
B)  elementary particles 
C)  atoms 
D)  molecules 
E)  iron and oxygen B

Question 3

Because of research with high energy particle accelerators, scientists have direct experimental checks for the evolution of the universe back to

Accepted Answer

A)  10-43 seconds after the Big Bang. 
B)  10-35 seconds from time zero. 
C)  10-10 seconds from the beginning. 
D)  three minutes after the Big Bang. 
E)  one million years following the origin. 
A)  10-43 seconds after the Big Bang. 
B)  10-35 seconds from time zero. 
C)  10-10 seconds from the beginning. 
D)  three minutes after the Big Bang. 
E)  one million years following the origin. C

Question 4

Which of the following is constructed completely from atoms made during the Big Bang?

Accepted Answer

A)  a gold ring 
B)  the air you are breathing 
C)  a glass bottle 
D)  a crystal of salt made of Na and Cl 
E)  something made entirely of H, He, or Li. 
A)  a gold ring 
B)  the air you are breathing 
C)  a glass bottle 
D)  a crystal of salt made of Na and Cl 
E)  something made entirely of H, He, or Li.

Question 5

What are scientists trying to discover when they make "red shift surveys" of the sky?

Accepted Answer

Astronomers making these surve

Question 6

The nucleus of helium-4 contains

Accepted Answer

A)  one proton 
B)  one proton and one neutron 
C)  two protons and one neutron 
D)  two protons and two neutrons 
E)  three protons and two neutrons 
A)  one proton 
B)  one proton and one neutron 
C)  two protons and one neutron 
D)  two protons and two neutrons 
E)  three protons and two neutrons

Question 7

How did the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation support the Big Bang theory?

Accepted Answer

When it was first discovered, cosmic bac

Question 8

How do we know the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy?

Accepted Answer

This has been determined through the stu

Question 9

In what way is the Milky Way a typical galaxy?

Accepted Answer

The Milky Way has a spiral structure, in

Question 10

How did scientists calculate the value of Hubble's constant?

Accepted Answer

Scientists, including Hubble, plotted th

Question 11

According to the current ideas about the origin of the universe, which one of the following forces existed before 10-43 seconds?

Accepted Answer

A)  the gravitational force 
B)  the electromagnetic force 
C)  the strong force 
D)  the weak force 
E)  a single unified force. 
A)  the gravitational force 
B)  the electromagnetic force 
C)  the strong force 
D)  the weak force 
E)  a single unified force.

Question 12

Which statement about dark matter is accepted by most astronomers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Dark matter is missing from the Milky Way. 
B)  Dark matter exerts centrifugal forces on antimatter. 
C)  Dark matter emits leptons. 
D)  Dark matter interacts with ordinary matter through a gravitational force. 
E)  All of these are correct. 
A)  Dark matter is missing from the Milky Way. 
B)  Dark matter exerts centrifugal forces on antimatter. 
C)  Dark matter emits leptons. 
D)  Dark matter interacts with ordinary matter through a gravitational force. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 13

Why are changes of state in the early universe referred to as "freezings"?

Accepted Answer

The term 'freezings' refers to substanti

Question 14

The most recent "freezing" of the universe involved the creation of

Accepted Answer

A)  nuclei. 
B)  atoms. 
C)  elementary particles. 
D)  quarks. 
E)  molecules. 
A)  nuclei. 
B)  atoms. 
C)  elementary particles. 
D)  quarks. 
E)  molecules.

Question 15

Which of the following describes a quasar?

Accepted Answer

A)  highly energetic 
B)  dark matter 
C)  compressed to the size of the Earth 
D)  part of a supercluster 
E)  all of these are correct 
A)  highly energetic 
B)  dark matter 
C)  compressed to the size of the Earth 
D)  part of a supercluster 
E)  all of these are correct

Question 16

Evidence for the Big Bang includes the

Accepted Answer

A)  observation that the universe is expanding. 
B)  independent evidence that microwave radiation is coming from all directions in space. 
C)  fact that the average temperature of the universe is 2.7 Kelvin. 
D)  abundance of light elements. 
E)  all of these are correct. 
A)  observation that the universe is expanding. 
B)  independent evidence that microwave radiation is coming from all directions in space. 
C)  fact that the average temperature of the universe is 2.7 Kelvin. 
D)  abundance of light elements. 
E)  all of these are correct.

Question 17

Compare the expanding-balloon analogy of the universe with the raisin-bread dough analogy. What are their common points? At what point does each analogy fall apart?

Accepted Answer

Common points are the parts moving away

Question 18

If a proton and a neutron came together before the first three minutes of the universe, what would happen to them? Why?

Accepted Answer

The subsequent collisions woul

Question 19

Which of the following was not a contribution to cosmology by Edwin Hubble?

Accepted Answer

A)  the proof that there are other galaxies 
B)  the idea that far galaxies are moving faster than those near 
C)  the discovery of the cosmic red shift 
D)  studies of the relative abundances of chemical elements in the universe 
E)  all of these are correct 
A)  the proof that there are other galaxies 
B)  the idea that far galaxies are moving faster than those near 
C)  the discovery of the cosmic red shift 
D)  studies of the relative abundances of chemical elements in the universe 
E)  all of these are correct

Question 20

What would happen to the estimate of age of the universe if Hubble's constant changes with future observations?

Accepted Answer

If Hubble's constant increases

Exam 15: Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Who first showed that the Milky Way is not the only galaxy in the universe?

Before the first stable nuclei were formed, what was the makeup of the universe?

Because of research with high energy particle accelerators, scientists have direct experimental checks for the evolution of the universe back to

Which of the following is constructed completely from atoms made during the Big Bang?

What are scientists trying to discover when they make "red shift surveys" of the sky?

The nucleus of helium-4 contains

How did the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation support the Big Bang theory?

How do we know the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy?

In what way is the Milky Way a typical galaxy?

How did scientists calculate the value of Hubble's constant?

According to the current ideas about the origin of the universe, which one of the following forces existed before 10-43 seconds?

Which statement about dark matter is accepted by most astronomers?

Why are changes of state in the early universe referred to as "freezings"?

The most recent "freezing" of the universe involved the creation of

Which of the following describes a quasar?

Evidence for the Big Bang includes the

Compare the expanding-balloon analogy of the universe with the raisin-bread dough analogy. What are their common points? At what point does each analogy fall apart?

If a proton and a neutron came together before the first three minutes of the universe, what would happen to them? Why?

Which of the following was not a contribution to cosmology by Edwin Hubble?

What would happen to the estimate of age of the universe if Hubble's constant changes with future observations?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

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According to the current ideas about the origin of the universe, which one of the following forces existed before 10^-43 seconds?