AST 1002 HW 1

Classify the following statements about units of measurement as True or False. 1. There are 1000 seconds in a millisecond 2. A millimeter is one thousandth of a meter. 3. A light year is a unit of distance in astronomy. 4. A kilogram is a measure of weight in the metric system.

1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False

Classify the following descriptions as either True or False: 1. An hypothesis is a statement constructed explain observation or experimental results. 2. The general definition of the word "theory" is a fact. 3. A scientific theory which has been proven to be true and is no longer subject to testing is a fact.

1. True 2. False 3. False

If there are about 6000 stars in the entire sky that can be seen by the unaided human eye, about how many stars would be seen at a particular instant on a given dark night from a single location with an uninterrupted distant horizon? A. only a small fraction of the 6000, say 1000, because the rest are hidden by the Earth B. 3000 C. it depends on the observer's latitude; observers at the poles will see 6000, while equatorial observers will see only one-half of this number, or 3000 D. 6000, of course

B. 3000

The early universe was composed mainly of which two elements? A. Carbon and iron B. Hydrogen and helium C. Hydrogen and oxygen D. Carbon and oxygen

B. Hydrogen and Helium

Which of the following statements best represents the overall rationale for scientific investigation? A. The universe is a hodgepodge of unrelated things behaving in unpredictable ways, but we must continue to observe it in case this behavior threatens Earth. B. Reality is comprehensible and a limited number of fundamental principles governs the nature and behavior of the universe. C. The behavior of the whole universe is governed by our observation of it in such a way as to hide the fundamental truth. D. These are certain patterns in nature from which future events and be predicted, but there are no underlying basic principles or laws

B. Reality is comprehensible and a limited number of fundamental principles governs the nature and behavior of the universe.

The word astronomy: A. means "discovering the universe" B. means "to study the stars" C. means "patterns among the stars" D. has nothing to do with stars

C. patterns among the stars

If you compared the diameter of the Earth (13,000 km) to 1 second, what unit of time would be equivalent to the size of our Galaxy, whose diameter is 1.5x10^21 m ________, which is the length of time between now and when ________. A. 3 million years; man's ancestors first began to walk up-right. B. 30,000 years; humans first arrived in the Americans C. 400 years; Galileo used a telescope to demonstrate that Jupiter had moons that revolved around it D. 4 billion years; the Solar System was born

A. 3 million years; man's ancestors first began to walk up-right

If an event were to take place on the Sun, how long would it take for the light to reach us? A. 8 mins B. 1 sec C. 11 hrs D. 1 day

A. 8 mins

The cosmological principle states that: A. The universe looks the same everywhere as long as you look on large enough spatial scales. B. physical law may change from place to place in the universe C. the universe is expanding in all directions at the same rate D. a unique center of the universe exists

A. The universe looks the same everywhere as long as you look on large enough spatial scales

Are the constellations seasonal? A. Yes. One a summer night many of the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. But there are some constellations you can see all year long. B. Yes. On a summer night all the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. C. No. If you wait long enough, you can see all the constellations on any clear night of the year. D. Yes. As the year progresses, the constellations change their positions with respect to each other, so every night brings a different mixture of summer and winter constellations.

A. Yes. One a summer night many of the constellations you can see are different from the constellations you can see on a winter night. But there are some constellations you can see all year long.

The nightly motion of objects across our sky is caused by the A. rotation of Earth on its axis B. rotation of the whole celestial sphere of stars around the fixed Earth. C. revolution of Earth around the Sun. D. motion of the solar system around the Galaxy.

A. rotation of Earth on its axis

The distance to the nearest large spiral galaxy, Andromeda, is 2.5 million light-years. how long does it take light to travel from us to Andromeda? A. 360 years B. 4.5 billion years C. 1.2 thousand years D. 2.5 million years

D. 2.5 million years

The number 9.61x10^5 is equal to______. A. 961000000 B. 9610000 C. 96 D. 961000 E. 9610 F. 96100000

D. 961000

A light-year is measured in units of: A. speed B. time C. mass D. distance

D. Distance

Human beings are composed almost entirely of the same elements that were created in the Big Bang. True False

False

Our sun is the most massive and luminous star in the Milky Way. True False

False

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

True

Suppose you were writing to a pen pal in another universe. What address would you put on the envelope that included all the major structures in which we reside? Select the order from the list below in which you would put on your address, starting with your local location. [] The Milky Way [] Earth [] The Universe [] Virgo Supercluster [] The Solar System [] The Local Group

[3] The Milky Way [1] Earth [6] The Universe [5] Virgo Supercluster [2] The Solar System [4] The Local Group