AST 110 Midterm Questions Review
112) Which of the following observational techniques is most appropriate for measuring Doppler shifts? A) spectroscopy (taking a spectrum) B) imaging (taking a picture) C) timing (measuring how the amount of light changes with time)
A
According to Kepler's third law (p2 = a3), how does a planet's mass affect its orbit around the Sun? A) A planet's mass has no effect on its orbit around the Sun. B) A more massive planet must have a larger semimajor axis. C) More massive planets orbit the Sun at higher average speed. D) More massive planets must have more circular orbits.
A
At midnight, on a clear and moonless night, the number of stars that are distinctly visible to the eye is in the range A) 2000-5000. B) 20,000-50,000. C) 200,000-500,000. D) 2 million-5 million.
A
By locating the north celestial pole (NCP) in the sky, how can you determine your latitude? A) The altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude. B) The altitude of the NCP is your angular distance from the North Pole. C) The direction of the NCP is the same as your latitude. D) The direction of the NCP is the angular distance from the North Pole. E) The altitude of the NCP is the same as your distance from the North Pole.
A
During the Dark Ages in Europe, the scientific work of the ancient Greeks was preserved and further developed primarily by scholars in A) Baghdad, Iraq. B) Athens, Greece. C) Rome, Italy. D) Dublin, Ireland. E) Beijing, China.
A
Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun? A) phases of Venus B) the Milky Way is composed of many individual stars C) patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face D) four moons orbiting Jupiter
A
How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light? A) Longer wavelength means lower frequency and lower energy. B) Longer wavelength means higher frequency and lower energy. C) Longer wavelength means higher frequency and higher energy. D) Longer wavelength means lower frequency and higher energy. E) There is no simple relationship because different photons travel at different speeds.
A
In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum do the biggest telescopes on Earth operate? A) radio B) infrared C) visible D) ultraviolet E) X-ray
A
Kepler's second law, which states that as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas in equal times, means that A) a planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther from the Sun. B) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. C) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. D) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. E) planets have circular orbits.
A
Suppose we look at a photograph of many galaxies. Assuming that all of these galaxies formed at the same time after the Big Bang, which galaxies, as seen in the photo, would appear to be the youngest? A) those galaxies that are the furthest away B) those galaxies that are closest to us C) those galaxies whose actual size is small D) those galaxies that appear to be the bluest E) All of the galaxies would appear to be at the same age.
A
The Milky Way shows itself as a blurry circle of light in the sky because A) we are looking along the plane of our galaxy that is filled with stars. When we look in other directions, we see fewer stars because we are looking through (at a steep angle to) the plane of our galaxy. We actually see only a small fraction of the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy. B) the Sun is at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The galaxy is a flat disk of stars appearing as a blurry band or ring of stars and dust in the sky, all seen at great distances. C) it is a ring-like structure of stars and dust located hundreds of thousands of light-years from Earth. It is blurry because it is so far away. D) the spinning Earth blurs the stars above its equator onto this faint circle of blurry starlight and dust
A
The fact that Voyager 10 continues to speed out of the solar system even though its rockets have no fuel, is an example of A) Newton's first law of motion. B) Newton's second law of motion. C) Newton's third law of motion. D) the universal law of gravitation. E) none of the above
A
The point along a planet's orbit where it is closest to the Sun is called the orbit's A) perihelion. B) aphelion. C) eccentricity. D) semi-major axis. E) period.
A
We can't detect stellar parallax with naked-eye observations. Which of the following would make parallax easier to observe? A) increasing the size of Earth's orbit B) speeding up Earth's orbital motion C) slowing down Earth's orbital motion D) speeding up the precession of Earth's axis
A
What conditions are required for a solar eclipse? A) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. B) The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. C) The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. D) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic. E) The phase of the Moon must be full, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.
A
What would happen if a rocket were launched with a speed greater than Earth's escape velocity? A) It would travel away from Earth into the solar system. B) It would travel in a higher orbit around Earth. C) It would take less time to reach its bound orbit. D) It would orbit Earth with a faster velocity. E) It would be in an unstable orbit.
A
When an electron drops to a lower energy level in an atom, A) light at a wavelength specific to the change in energy levels is emitted. B) the extra energy disappears. C) the atom moves more slowly. D) the electron becomes more massive.
A
When we look toward the constellation Sagittarius, we are looking A) at the galaxy's central bulge. B) toward Polaris, the "Pole Star." C) toward the Winter Triangle. D) out towards the outer Milky Way.
A
Which is hotter? A) a blue star B) an orange star C) a yellow star D) a green star E) a red star
A
Which object is likely to be the hottest? The object whose light spectrum is brightest in the A) X-rays. B) visible light. C) infrared. D) ultraviolet.
A
Which of the following describes the light that can be detected from a person? A) The person reflects many wavelengths of visible light and emits a continuum of wavelengths of infrared light. B) The person emits many wavelengths of visible light and reflects a continuum of wavelengths of infrared light. C) The person emits a few narrow wavelengths of visible light according to their composition. D) The person absorbs a few narrow wavelengths of visible light according to their composition.
A
Which of the following never goes in retrograde motion? A) the Sun B) Venus C) Mars D) Jupiter E) Saturn
A
Which of the following statements about X-rays and radio waves is not true? A) Neither X-rays nor radio waves can penetrate Earth's atmosphere. B) X-rays have shorter wavelengths than radio waves. C) X-rays and radio waves are both forms of light, or electromagnetic radiation. D) X-rays have higher frequency than radio waves. E) X-rays have higher energy than radio waves.
A
Which statement about photons of light is true? A) An infrared photon has less energy than an X-ray photon, but travels at the same speed. B) An infrared photon has less energy than an X-ray photon, and travels more slowly. C) An infrared photon has more energy than an X-ray photon, and travels more quickly. D) An infrared photon has more energy than an X-ray photon, but travels at the same speed.
A
Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere when it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere? A) Due to Earth's tilt, the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the Southern Hemisphere. B) The Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and receives more direct sunlight. C) The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and receives more indirect sunlight. D) It isn't; both hemispheres have the same seasons at the same time. Summer comes when Earth is nearest the Sun.
A
Doppler shifted hydrogen absorption lines are seen in the spectrum of a star. The hydrogen line at 656.28 nm is seen to be shifted to 656.08 nm. Is the star moving towards or away from us, or can we not tell? A) moving away from us B) moving towards us C) There is not enough information to determine the answer.
B
Earth's atmosphere is the most transparent to which type of light? A) infrared B) visible C) ultraviolet D) X-ray
B
From Kepler's third law, an asteroid with an orbital period of 8 years lies at an average distance from the Sun equal to A) 2 astronomical units. B) 4 astronomical units. C) 8 astronomical units. D) 16 astronomical units. E) It depends on the asteroid's mass.
B
From laboratory measurements, we know that a particular spectral line is formed by the rotation of the carbon monoxide molecule (CO) and it appears at a wavelength of 2.6007 millimeters (mm). The spectrum of an interstellar cloud of gas shows the same CO line appearing at a wavelength of 2.6008 mm. What can we conclude about the gas cloud? A) The cloud is moving toward us. B) The cloud is moving away from us. C) The cloud is getting hotter. D) The cloud is getting colder. E) The cloud is spinning.
B
From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation? A) infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, radio B) radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays C) visible light, infrared, X-rays, ultraviolet, gamma rays, radio D) gamma rays, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio E) radio, X-rays, visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays
B
How can an electron in an atom lose energy to go from a higher energy level to a lower energy level? A) It loses kinetic energy. B) It releases a photon equal in energy to its own energy drop. C) It absorbs a photon equal in energy to its own energy drop. D) It loses gravitational potential energy. E) It exchanges gravitational potential energy for kinetic energy.
B
If the Earth rotated once every 48 hours, and everything else was the same, which of the following statements would NOT be true? A) High tide would happen less frequently. B) The length of the year would be longer. C) The daytime temperatures would be higher on average. D) There would still be summer and winter in the temperature zones. E) The length of a day would be longer.
B
Newton's version of Kepler's third law states: 4π² P²= −−−−−−− x a³ G(M₁ + M₂) According to this, what observational information does one need in order to calculate the combined mass of a planet and its moon? A) the orbital period and the density of the two objects B) the average distance between the two objects and the orbital period C) the radius of the two planets in meters and the average distance between them D) It is impossible to determine the mass of any astronomical object.
B
Suppose an object is moving in a straight line at 70 km/hr. According to Newton's first law of motion, the object will A) continue to move in the same way forever, no matter what happens. B) continue to move in the same way until it is acted upon by a force. C) eventually slow down and come to a stop. D) continue to move in a straight line forever if it is in space, but fall to the ground if it is on Earth.
B
Suppose you drop a feather and a hammer on the Moon from the same height at the same time. What will happen? A) The feather will hit the ground first. B) They will hit the ground at the same time. C) The hammer will hit the ground first. D) They will float in space because of the lack of gravity on the Moon.
B
The approximate mass of Jupiter can be calculated by A) measuring the orbital period and distance of Jupiter's orbit around the Sun. B) measuring the orbital period and distance of one of Jupiter's moons. C) measuring the orbital speed of one of Jupiter's moons. D) knowing the Sun's mass and measuring how Jupiter's speed changes during its elliptical orbit around the Sun. E) knowing the Sun's mass and measuring the average distance of Jupiter from the Sun
B
The controversial book On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
B
The number of official constellations is A) 56. B) 88. C) 123. D) 205.
B
The path that led to modern science emerged from ancient civilizations in which part of the world? A) Central and South America B) the Mediterranean and the Middle East C) North America D) China E) Southern Asia
B
The stars stay in "fixed" positions on the celestial sphere because A) the stars on the sphere are all chosen to be approximately the same distance from Earth. B) while they actually move through space, they are too far away for their motion to be seen. C) the sphere to which they are attached moves with them through space. D) they are all expanding away, so they have no transverse (sideways) motions.
B
We know the Sun is primarily made from hydrogen and helium on the basis of its A) luminosity. B) spectrum. C) age. D) color. E) mass.
B
What conditions are required for a lunar eclipse? A) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. B) The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. C) The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun. D) The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.
B
What effect or effects would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane? A) Solar eclipses would be much rarer. B) Solar eclipses would be much more frequent. C) Total solar eclipses would last much longer. D) Both A and C E) Both B and C
B
What happens during the apparent retrograde motion of a planet? A) The planet rises in the west and sets in the east. This is an illusion completely due to Earth's motion. B) The planet appears to turn around in its eastward path through the stars and backs up for many nights traveling westwardly. C) The planet, under strong gravitational influences, travels backwards, westward in its orbit around the Sun. D) The planet's orbit decays and it retrogressively returns to its former orbit.
B
When an electron in an atom goes from a lower energy state to a higher energy state, the atom can A) emit a photon of a specific frequency. B) absorb a photon of a specific frequency. C) absorb several photons of a specific frequency. D) emit a photon of any frequency. E) absorb a photon of any frequency.
B
When did Ptolemy live? A) about 5000 years ago B) about 2000 years ago C) about 1000 years ago D) about 500 years ago E) about 100 years ago
B
Which of the following statements about circumpolar stars is true at all latitudes? A) They are the stars close to the north celestial pole. B) They always remain above your horizon. C) They make relatively small circles, traveling clockwise around the north celestial pole. D) Like all other stars, they rise in the east and set in the west. E) You cannot see them from the Southern Hemisphere.
B
Which of the following statements about the celestial equator is true at all latitudes? A) It lies along the band of light we call the Milky Way. B) It represents an extension of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere. C) It cuts the dome of your local sky exactly in half. D) It extends from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west. E) It extends from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south.
B
Which of the following statements best describes the accomplishments of these men? A) Newton collected the data, Tycho provided the model in the form of laws, Kepler explained the model in terms of gravity. B) Tycho collected the data, Kepler provided the model in the form of laws, Newton explained the model in terms of gravity. C) Kepler collected the data, Tycho provided the model in the form of laws, Newton explained the model in terms of gravity. D) Tycho collected the data, Newton provided the model in the form of laws, Kepler explained the model in terms of gravity.
B
Which of two bowling balls accelerate faster during their fall from the same height? Assume the bowling balls are identical, except for their mass. A) The heavier bowling ball accelerates faster. B) They both fall with the same acceleration. C) The lighter bowling ball accelerates faster.
B
Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe? A) to explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac B) to explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky C) to explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax D) to properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth E) to explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth
B
You are standing on Earth's equator. Which way is Polaris, the North star? A) 30 degrees up, due West B) on the northern horizon C) directly overhead D) The answer depends on whether it's winter or summer. E) The answer depends on what time of day (or night) it is.
B
Changing the orbit of a spacecraft by firing thrusters is an example of A) Newton's first law of motion. B) Newton's second law of motion. C) Newton's third law of motion. D) the universal law of gravitation. E) none of the above
C
Everything looks red through a red filter because A) the filter emits red light and absorbs other colors. B) the filter absorbs red light and emits other colors. C) the filter transmits red light and absorbs other colors. D) the filter reflects red light and transmits other colors.
C
Has Polaris always been the "North Star", also known as the "Pole Star"? A) Yes, because stars position change little over many centuries. B) No, because it is a young star which formed only a few hundred years ago. C) No, because the Earth's axis slowly changes the direction it points. D) No, because the Milky Way blocked our line of site to it for a long time.
C
He discovered that the orbits of planets are ellipses. A) Tycho Brahe B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
C
His model put the Sun in the center, but was not very accurate because the orbits were perfect circles. A) Galileo B) Newton C) Copernicus D) Kepler E) Tycho
C
How did Eratosthenes estimate the size of Earth in 240 B.C.? A) by observing the duration of a solar eclipse B) by measuring the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon in a lunar eclipse C) by comparing Sun angles of two locations at noon on the equinox D) by sending fleets of ships around Earth E) by walking south and measuring the extent of the southern celestial sphere revealed
C
How many arcseconds are in one degree? A) 60 B) 360 C) 3,600 D) 100 E) 10,000
C
How much better is a 10-meter diameter mirror than a 5-meter diameter mirror, in a space telescope for visible/optical light? A) 2 times more collecting area, 2 times better angular resolution. B) 4 times more collecting area, 2 times better angular resolution. C) 4 times more collecting area, 4 times better angular resolution. D) Telescope mirror size doesn't matter.
C
If part of the full moon passes through Earth's umbra, we will see a(n) A) total lunar eclipse. B) penumbral lunar eclipse. C) partial lunar eclipse. D) partial solar eclipse. E) annular eclipse.
C
If the Moon is setting at 6 A.M., the phase of the Moon must be A) first quarter. B) third quarter. C) full. D) new. E) waning crescent.
C
In order for an atom to absorb a photon (a particle of light), A) the photon must have energy matching the difference in energy between energy levels in the atom. B) the atom must have lost all of its electrons. C) the photon must have enough energy to remove an electron from the atom. D) A or C E) B or C
C
In which direction on the horizon does a crescent moon rise? A) north B) south C) east D) west E) The Moon can become a crescent moon only after it has risen and changed its phase.
C
One star is emitting primarily visible light and another star is emitting primarily infrared light. Which star is hotter? A) The temperature also depends on the radius of the star, so one can't decide based on the information provided. B) Both stars are the same temperature. C) The star emitting visible light. D) The star emitting infrared light.
C
Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the eight planets of the solar system cover? A) the size of a small room B) the size of a building C) the size of a typical college campus D) the size of a small city E) the size of a western state (e.g., Colorado)
C
The Sun A) seems to move around the celestial sphere daily to the East. B) is a fixed point on the celestial sphere at its distance from Earth. C) circles around the celestial equator once each year. D) is the fixed point at the north celestial pole.
C
The celestial equator A) is another name for the ecliptic. B) defines the path of the Sun through the stars, and it also defines the plane of the solar system. C) is a projection into space of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere. D) is the technical name of the Sun's equator.
C
The celestial sphere is A) the central spherical region of the Milky Way Galaxy, dense with stars. B) a spherical galaxy, centered on the Sun. C) a useful illusion used to map the stars and other objects in the sky. D) the star-sphere discovered by the Greeks and other ancient civilizations which shows the physical location in space of the nearby stars. E) the orb of the Sun; a normal star
C
The constellation Orion, located on the celestial equator, is visible on winter evenings but not on summer evenings because of A) blockage by the full moon. B) the tilt of Earth's rotation axis. C) the location of Earth in its orbit around the Sun. D) the precession of Earth's rotation axis.
C
The force of gravity is an inverse square law. This means that if you double the distance between two large masses the gravitational force between them A) also doubles. B) strengthens by a factor of 4. C) weakens by a factor of 4. D) weakens by a factor of 2. E) is unaffected.
C
We are measuring the spectra of two hydrogen gas clouds. The laboratory frame wavelength of one hydrogen line is 656.2 nm. Cloud A's emission line wavelength is 660.1 nm and Cloud B's emission line wavelength is 670.1 nm. What can we conclude about these clouds? A) They are both approaching us, and Cloud A is approaching faster than Cloud B. B) They are both receding from us, and Cloud A is receding faster than Cloud B. C) They are both receding from us, and Cloud B is receding faster than Cloud A. D) They are both approaching us, and Cloud B is approaching faster than Cloud A.
C
We know how fast a star in the galaxy is moving away from us on the basis of its A) mass. B) color. C) spectrum. D) age. E) luminosity.
C
What is a circumpolar star? A) a star that is close to the north celestial pole B) a star that is close to the south celestial pole C) a star that always remains above your horizon D) a star that makes a daily circle around the celestial sphere E) a star that is visible from the Arctic or Antarctic circles
C
What led Kepler to discover that planetary orbits are ellipses? A) Tycho's calculations that the distance between the Earth and Sun changes yearly B) his recalculation of the eccentric orbit of a comet C) his inability to compute a circular orbit for Mars D) He read the ancient writings of Aristarchus, who had hinted at this possibility.
C
What makes the North Star, Polaris, special? A) It is the brightest star in the sky. B) It is the star straight overhead. C) It appears very near the north celestial pole. D) It is the star directly on your northern horizon. E) It can be used to determine your longitude on Earth.
C
When both are viewed from a distance away from Earth, would a person standing on the South Pole appear to be oriented upside down compared with a person standing on the North Pole? A) No, they would both be standing in the same orientation because "up" is always in the same direction on Earth. B) No, that would imply the South Pole person would fall off the globe. C) Yes, but they each would believe they were standing upright. D) Yes, but they would each have the North Star, Polaris, above their head.
C
When the atom's electrons step down to lower energy levels in a thin cloud of hot gas, what is produced? A) thermal radiation B) an absorption line spectrum C) an emission line spectrum D) an infrared spectrum E) new interstellar compounds
C
Which of the following wavelength regions cannot be studied at all with telescopes on the ground? A) radio waves B) infrared waves C) X-rays D) both A and C E) both B and C
C
Why were ancient peoples unable to detect stellar parallax? A) They did not look for it. B) They could not see distant stars. C) They did not have the ability to measure very small angles. D) They did not observe for long enough periods of time. E) They did detect it, but they rejected the observations.
C
You are standing on a scale in an elevator. You notice your weight suddenly decreases and remains decreased. What do you conclude? A) The elevator is accelerating upwards. B) The elevator is moving at a constant velocity upwards. C) The elevator is accelerating downwards. D) The elevator is moving at a constant velocity downwards.
C
You experience night-time when A) the Moon blocks the Sun's light. B) the Earth revolves 90 degrees in its orbit. C) the side of the Earth you occupy is facing away from the Sun. D) the Earth's axis precesses.
C
3) Recall the raisin cake model of the universe. Our universe is expanding between the galaxies. You measure the recession velocity of Galaxy A to be 2,000 km/sec and the recession velocity of Galaxy B to be 6,000 km/sec. What can you say about the distances to these galaxies? A) The relative distances cannot be determined from the information in this problem. B) Galaxy B is 9 times closer than Galaxy A. C) Galaxy B is 9 times farther than Galaxy A. D) Galaxy B is 6 times farther than Galaxy A.
D
According to the universal law of gravitation, if you double the masses of both attracting objects, then the gravitational force between them will A) not change at all. B) increase by a factor of 2. C) decrease by a factor of 2. D) increase by a factor of 4. E) decrease by a factor of 4.
D
From Kepler's third law, a hypothetical planet that is twice as far from the Sun as Earth should have a period of A) 1/2 Earth year. B) 1 Earth year. C) 2 Earth years. D) more than 2 Earth years. E) It depends on the planet's mass.
D
He discovered that Jupiter has moons. A) Tycho Brahe B) Aristotle C) Kepler D) Galileo E) Ptolemy
D
He realized the laws of gravity applied to objects in space and on the Earth. A) Newton B) Copernicus C) Kepler D) Galileo
D
How did the Ptolemaic model explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) It held that the planets resided on giant spheres that sometimes turned clockwise and sometimes turned counterclockwise. B) It held that this motion occurs as Earth passes by another planet in its orbit of the Sun. C) It held that sometimes the planets moved backwards along their circular orbits. D) It held that the planets moved along small circles that moved on larger circles around Earth, and that the combined motion sometimes resulted in backward motion.
D
If we observe one edge of a planet to be redshifted and the opposite edge to be blueshifted, what can we conclude about the planet? A) The planet is actually two bodies, one moving toward us, the other away from us. B) The planet is in the process of falling apart. C) The planet is in the process of formation. D) The planet is rotating.
D
If you see Polaris directly overhead at midnight, you must be at A) the equator. B) the South Pole. C) the Tropic of Cancer. D) the North Pole
D
If your mass is 60 kg on Earth, what would your mass be on the Moon? A) 10 lb B) 10 kg C) 50 kg D) 60 kg E) 60 lb
D
In addition to the conditions required for any solar eclipse, what must also be true in order for you to observe a total solar eclipse? A) Earth must lie completely within the Moon's umbra. B) Earth must lie completely within the Moon's penumbra. C) Earth must be near aphelion in its orbit of the Sun. D) The Moon's umbra must touch the area where you are located. E) The Moon's penumbra must touch the area where you are located.
D
In the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, Venus should exhibit which of the following phases? A) new B) Crescent C) full D) both A and B E) both B and C
D
People of central Africa predicted the peak of their rainy season by A) recording the seasonal changes in average temperature. B) observing the path of the planets across the sky. C) observing the length of the lunar cycle. D) observing the orientation of the crescent moon relative to the horizon. E) observing the location of the Moon relative to the Sun in the sky.
D
Suppose you see two stars: a blue star and a red star. Which of the following can you conclude about the two stars? Assume that no Doppler shifts are involved. (Hint: Think about the laws of thermal radiation.) A) The red star is more massive than the blue star. B) The blue star is more massive than the red star. C) The blue star is farther away than the red star. D) The blue star has a hotter surface temperature than the red star. E) The red star has a hotter surface temperature than the blue star.
D
The farthest galaxies that modern telescopes are capable of seeing are up to A) 10 million light-years away. B) 1 billion light-years away. C) 5 billion light-years away. D) 10 billion light-years away. E) 1 trillion light-years away.
D
The reason galaxies that are distant from our galaxy move away from our galaxy more rapidly than those that are near is A) the more distant galaxies formed first with higher speeds. B) the more distant galaxies are smaller and less massive, so they can move faster. C) the nearby galaxies are slowed by our galaxy's gravitational pull. D) more space expands between us and the distant galaxies.
D
The simplified spectra for four stars is shown here. Which star has the lowest temperature A) star A (green line) B) star B (orange line) C) star C (yellow line) D) star D (purple line)
D
We can see each other in the classroom right now because we A) emit thermal radiation. B) emit visible light. C) emit infrared light. D) reflect visible light. E) reflect infrared light.
D
What causes the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? A) As Earth passes another planet, its gravitational pull slows that planet and causes it to travel backwards for a short period. B) Planets, when further from the Sun, move more slowly than when nearer the Sun. It is during this slower period that they appear to move backwards, in retrograde. C) The other planets never really appear to move backward; the background stars shift due to Earth's revolution around the Sun. D) As Earth passes another planet, the planet appears to move backward with respect to the background stars. This is an apparent effect; the planet's true motion has not changed. E) Planets have slowed in their orbits since their formation, leading to retrograde motions.
D
Where did the elements hydrogen and most helium form? A) Stars B) Planets C) Comets D) Big Bang
D
Which of the following statements about lunar phases is true? A) The time between new moons is two weeks. B) Only one quarter of the first-quarter moon is illuminated by the Sun. C) The full moon sometimes rises around midnight. D) It is possible to have two full moons during January, but not during February. E) It is possible to have two full moons during November, but not during December
D
As long as an object is not gaining or losing mass, a constant force applied to an object for a period of time will result in a change in A) acceleration. B) direction. C) weight. D) speed. E) velocity.
E
At approximately what time would a full moon be on your meridian? A) 6 A.M. B) 9 A.M. C) noon D) 6 P.M. E) midnight
E
At which lunar phase(s) are tides least pronounced (e.g., the lowest high tides)? A) first quarter B) new moon C) full moon D) both new and full moons E) both first and third quarters
E
Galileo observed which of the following phases of Venus? A) new B) Crescent C) gibbous D) full E) all of the above
E
How long does it take our solar system to complete one orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy? A) 10 thousand years B) 230 thousand years C) 1 million years D) 100 million years E) 230 million years
E
If the Moon is setting at noon, then it rose at A) 6 A.M. B) 9 A.M. C) noon. D) 6 P.M. E) midnight.
E
Kepler's third law, p2 = a3, means that A) a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit. B) all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period. C) the period of a planet does not depend on its mass. D) planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets. E) All of the above are correct.
E
Which of the following statements about constellations is false? A) There are only 88 official constellations. B) Some constellations can be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. C) Some constellations can be seen in both the winter and summer. D) It is possible to see all the constellations from Earth's equator. E) Most constellations will be unrecognizable hundreds of years from now.
E
Which of the following statements about stellar parallax is true? A) We observe all stars to exhibit at least a slight amount of parallax. B) Stellar parallax was first observed by ancient Greek astronomers. C) The amount of parallax we see depends on how fast a star is moving relative to us. D) It takes at least 10 years of observation to measure a stars parallax. E) The closer a star is to us, the more parallax it exhibits.
E
Which of the following statements is true? A) Both the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight on the equinoxes. B) Both the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight on the solstices. C) The Northern Hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight on the June solstice. D) The Southern Hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight on the June solstice. E) Both A and C are true.
E
