Question 1

There are nearly 1,000 times more galaxies in the observable universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Which is NOT an advantage of placing telescopes in space? From space, a telescope:

Accepted Answer

A)  has better access to high energy radiation such as ultraviolet light and X-rays 
B)  has better access to low energy radiation such as infrared and microwave radiation 
C)  avoids the blurring of images caused by the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  avoids light pollution from big cities 
E)  is closer to the objects being observed 
A)  has better access to high energy radiation such as ultraviolet light and X-rays 
B)  has better access to low energy radiation such as infrared and microwave radiation 
C)  avoids the blurring of images caused by the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  avoids light pollution from big cities 
E)  is closer to the objects being observed

Question 3

A _________ becomes a _________ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

Accepted Answer

A)  hypothesis; scientific method 
B)  theory; scientific revolution 
C)  phenomenon; theory 
D)  hypothesis; theory 
E)  law; theory 
A)  hypothesis; scientific method 
B)  theory; scientific revolution 
C)  phenomenon; theory 
D)  hypothesis; theory 
E)  law; theory

Question 4

-The language of science is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Greek 
B)  mathematics 
C)  calculus 
D)  Java 
E)  Latin 
A)  Greek 
B)  mathematics 
C)  calculus 
D)  Java 
E)  Latin

Question 5

If you compare the diameter of the Earth to 1 minute of time, then what interval of time would represent the diameter of the Solar System? Assume the diameter of the Solar System is approximately 80 AU.

Accepted Answer

The diameter of the Earth is 2 * 6378 km

Question 6

-The figures above show the night sky as it appears for an observer in the United States at the same time of the night but at four different seasons of the year. Which conclusion below is NOT reasonable based on these observations?

Accepted Answer

A)  Constellations do not change their location relative to one another, but which constellations appear in the night sky does change from season to season. 
B)  There are some constellations such as Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, and Cephus that are always seen in the night sky. 
C)  Some constellations such as Capricornus and Sagittarius are only visible during summer and fall. 
D)  A good time to harvest crops would be when the constellation Pegasus is directly overhead. 
E)  A good time to plant crops would be when the constellation Sagittarius is directly overhead. 
A)  Constellations do not change their location relative to one another, but which constellations appear in the night sky does change from season to season. 
B)  There are some constellations such as Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, and Cephus that are always seen in the night sky. 
C)  Some constellations such as Capricornus and Sagittarius are only visible during summer and fall. 
D)  A good time to harvest crops would be when the constellation Pegasus is directly overhead. 
E)  A good time to plant crops would be when the constellation Sagittarius is directly overhead.

Question 7

The average distance between the Earth and Sun is 1.5 * 1011 m, and light from the Sun takes approximately _________ to reach Earth.

Accepted Answer

A)  8 seconds 
B)  8 minutes 
C)  8 hours 
D)  8 days 
E)  8 years 
A)  8 seconds 
B)  8 minutes 
C)  8 hours 
D)  8 days 
E)  8 years

Question 8

A light-year is a unit commonly used in astronomy as a measure of time.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The Local Group is the environment around:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Earth-Moon system 
B)  the Sun that contains about a dozen stars 
C)  the Sun that contains over a million stars 
D)  the Milky Way that contains a few dozen galaxies 
E)  the Milky Way that contains a few thousand galaxies 
A)  the Earth-Moon system 
B)  the Sun that contains about a dozen stars 
C)  the Sun that contains over a million stars 
D)  the Milky Way that contains a few dozen galaxies 
E)  the Milky Way that contains a few thousand galaxies

Question 10

The invention of satellites advanced astronomy because telescopes on satellites can observe wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, that cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The speed of light is approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  3,000 km/s 
B)  30,000 km/s 
C)  300,000 km/s 
D)  3 million km/s 
E)  3 billion km/s 
A)  3,000 km/s 
B)  30,000 km/s 
C)  300,000 km/s 
D)  3 million km/s 
E)  3 billion km/s

Question 12

The area of a circle is related to its diameter by the formula   . Using algebra to invert this formula, we find that:

Accepted Answer

A) 
  
B) 
  
C) 
  
D) 
  
E) 
  
A) 
  
B) 
  
C) 
  
D) 
  
E)

Question 13

Describe the scientific reasons why astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006.

Accepted Answer

The reason is similar to why the first "

Question 14

_________ is the idea that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the correct one.

Accepted Answer

A)  Newton's hypothesis 
B)  Occam's razor 
C)  Aristotle's test 
D)  Einstein's excuse 
E)  The Copernican principle 
A)  Newton's hypothesis 
B)  Occam's razor 
C)  Aristotle's test 
D)  Einstein's excuse 
E)  The Copernican principle

Question 15

The Copernican principle states that there is nothing special about our local region of the universe.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

One of the nearest stars is Alpha Centauri, whose distance is 4.2 * 1016 m. How long does it take light to travel from Alpha Centauri to us?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.25 seconds 
B)  8.3 minutes 
C)  4.4 years 
D)  560 years 
E)  6,200 years 
A)  1.25 seconds 
B)  8.3 minutes 
C)  4.4 years 
D)  560 years 
E)  6,200 years

Question 17

How would you respond to someone who stated that "Evolution is not proven; it is just a theory"?

Accepted Answer

You would need to explain that in scienc

Question 18

The majority of the mass in our universe is made up of:

Accepted Answer

A)  planets 
B)  stars 
C)  galaxies 
D)  dust 
E)  dark matter 
A)  planets 
B)  stars 
C)  galaxies 
D)  dust 
E)  dark matter

Question 19

Our universe is approximately 13.7 _________ years old.

Accepted Answer

A)  million 
B)  billion 
C)  trillion 
D)  thousand 
E)  hundred 
A)  million 
B)  billion 
C)  trillion 
D)  thousand 
E)  hundred

Question 20

What is the primary concern of the subfield of astronomy known as astrobiology?

Accepted Answer

Astrobiology is the investigat

Exam 1: Why Learn Astronomy

There are nearly 1,000 times more galaxies in the observable universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.

Which is NOT an advantage of placing telescopes in space? From space, a telescope:

A _________ becomes a _________ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

-The language of science is:

If you compare the diameter of the Earth to 1 minute of time, then what interval of time would represent the diameter of the Solar System? Assume the diameter of the Solar System is approximately 80 AU.

-The figures above show the night sky as it appears for an observer in the United States at the same time of the night but at four different seasons of the year. Which conclusion below is NOT reasonable based on these observations?

The average distance between the Earth and Sun is 1.5 * 1011 m, and light from the Sun takes approximately _________ to reach Earth.

A light-year is a unit commonly used in astronomy as a measure of time.

The Local Group is the environment around:

The invention of satellites advanced astronomy because telescopes on satellites can observe wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, that cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

The speed of light is approximately:

The area of a circle is related to its diameter by the formula . Using algebra to invert this formula, we find that:

Describe the scientific reasons why astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006.

_________ is the idea that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the correct one.

The Copernican principle states that there is nothing special about our local region of the universe.

One of the nearest stars is Alpha Centauri, whose distance is 4.2 * 1016 m. How long does it take light to travel from Alpha Centauri to us?

How would you respond to someone who stated that "Evolution is not proven; it is just a theory"?

The majority of the mass in our universe is made up of:

Our universe is approximately 13.7 _________ years old.

What is the primary concern of the subfield of astronomy known as astrobiology?

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Tools of the Astronomer

The Birth and Evolution of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquid the Giant Planets

Planetary Adornmentsmoons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

The Expanding Universe

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

Modern Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters

A _ becomes a _ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

The average distance between the Earth and Sun is 1.5 * 10¹¹ m, and light from the Sun takes approximately _________ to reach Earth.

One of the nearest stars is Alpha Centauri, whose distance is 4.2 * 10¹⁶ m. How long does it take light to travel from Alpha Centauri to us?