In-class Lecture Questions
(L25) 3.How do we know when life first arose on Earth? A. Counting tree rings B. Radiometric dating of fossils C. The age of the rocks in which the fossils are found (determined from layering and radiometric dating of the rocks) D. A and B
C. The age of the rocks in which the fossils are found (determined from layering and radiometric dating of the rocks)
(L25) 2.When did oxygen first appear in Earth's atmosphere? A.600 million years ago B.1.5 billion years ago C.2.3 billion years ago D.3.8 billion years ago E.4.5 billion years ago
C.2.3 billion years ago
(L22) 7- What was the temperature of the universe at the time of the creation of the cosmic microwave background? A.3 K B.100 K C.3000 K D.100,000 K E.3 million K
C.3000 K
(L25) 12. If we colonize other planetary systems at a speed of a few percent the speed of light, how long will it take us to colonize the entire Milky Way? A.a few hundred years B.about 10,000 years C.a few million years D.about 100 million years E.about 5 billion years
C.a few million years
(L22) 1- Review question Creation of most of the elements in the periodic table occurred: A. in the cores of high mass stars B. in the cores of white dwarfs C.during supernovae explosions D.continuously throughout the life of the universe
C.during supernovae explosions
(L23) 4. How long does it take for the universe to form the first atoms? A.about 10-10 sec B.about 0.001 sec C.less than 1/2 million yrs D.around 380 million yrs
C.less than 1/2 million yrs
(L25) 7. Of the following types of star, which is most likely to have planets capable of supporting life? A.binary stars B.stars about 10 times more massive than the Sun C.stars about the same mass as the Sun D.stars about half as massive as the Sun E.stars in globular clusters
C.stars about the same mass as the Sun
(L22) 2- What is the temperature associated with the CMB spectrum? A. way more than 1 billion K B. 1 billion K C.3000 K D.way less than 3000 K
D. way less than 3000 K
(L25) 10. What kind of telescope is used in SETI? A.radio telescopes B.optical telescopes C.gamma-ray telescopes D.infrared telescopes E.X-ray telescopes
A.radio telescopes
(L23) 3. When the Earth formed the Universe was dominated by A) Matter B) Energy C) Nuclei
A) Matter
(L23) 8. As the Universe gets older the Temperature of the Universe A- gets lower B- gets higher C- Stays the same
A- gets lower
(L22) 6-Some of the "snow" (random noise) you see on a TV when it is not tuned to a broadcasting channel, is leftover radiation from the Big Bang. A-True B-False
A-True
(L22) 8- When we look at the cosmic microwave background, we are looking farther into space- further back in time-then when we look at the farthest galaxies. A-True B- False
A-True
(L25) 5. All living organisms known today evolved from a common ancestor that lived long ago. A-True B- False
A-True
(L23) 12. How large was the variation in the density of the universe from place to place at the end of the era of nuclei (380,000 years old)? A. 0.01% B. 1% C. 10% D. 30%
A. 0.01%
(L25) 4. Which of the following is NOT a basic requirement for life? A. available oxygen B. a source of nutrients C. a source of energy D. liquid water
A. available oxygen
(L23) 7. How do we know that the density of ordinary matter in the universe is 4% of the critical density? A. from the relative abundance of deuterium nuclei to regular hydrogen nuclei B. from observations of the gravitational redshift of distant white dwarf supernovae C. from the 3 to 1 ratio of hydrogen to helium in the universe D. from the abundance of lithium in the universe E. from observations of galactic light curves showing dark matter
A. from the relative abundance of deuterium nuclei to regular hydrogen nuclei
(L23) 2.If the Universe cooled more slowly, the first atoms would have appeared A) Sooner B) Later C) At the same time
B) Later
(L23) 10. If you could start walking in a straight line around planet Earth and return to your exact starting point, would you categorize Earth as A) flat, B) closed, C) open world
B) closed,
(L22) 4- Which is the best explanation of Hubble expansion? A- Galaxies are moving away from each other like projectiles from an explosion B- The space between galaxies is getting bigger so we see the galaxies moving apart from each other C- both of the above explanations are equivalent
B- The space between galaxies is getting bigger so we see the galaxies moving apart from each other
(L22) 5- What observed feature of the universe motivated scientists to propose the Big Bang theory? A-There is lots of debris in space, as would be expected from an explosion. B- The universe is expanding-galaxies have redshifts-and the expansion traces back to a unique time in the past. C-All galaxies are around the same age, so they must have all been born around the same time. D- All of the above
B- The universe is expanding-galaxies have redshifts-and the expansion traces back to a unique time in the past.
(L23) 5. Which of these abundance patterns is an unrealistic chemical composition for a star? A.. 70% H, 28% He, 2% other B. 80% H, 20% He, less than 0.02% other C. 75% H, 25% He, less than 0.02% other D. 72% H, 27% He, 1% other
B. 80% H, 20% He, less than 0.02% other
(L23) 6. Nuclei formed when the temperature of the universe was A. equal to the surface temperature of the sun B. hotter than the core of the sun C. 10 million K
B. hotter than the core of the sun
(L25) 11. How fast are the fastest man- made spacecraft traveling? A.less than 1-millionth the speed of light B.less than 1/10,000th the speed of light C.between 1/1000th and 1/100th the speed of light D.about 2% of the speed of light E.about 10% of the speed of light
B.less than 1/10,000th the speed of light
(L23) 13. What are the slight fluctuations seen in maps of the cosmic background radiation? A) Uncertainties in the map B) Variations in the instrument's sensitivity C) The beginning of the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies D) Dark matter E) None of the above
C) The beginning of the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies
(L23) 1. The Universe is most dense A) just before galaxies were formed B) when it was 3 minutes old C) When it is most hot D) When it is least hot E) in the bulge of galaxies
C) When it is most hot
(L25) 1. When did life begin on Earth? A- Thousands of years ago B- Millions of year ago C- Between 3 and 4 billion years ago D- We don't really know.
C- Between 3 and 4 billion years ago
(L25) 9. Is there other intelligent life in the universe? A- Yes; Earth has already been visited by intelligent beings. B- No; Earth is unique, and conditions similar to Earth's cannot be found elsewhere. C- We don't know yet.
C- We don't know yet.
(L22) Your friend leaves your house. She later calls saying that she's been driving at 60 mph directly away from you the whole time and is now 60 miles away. How long has she been gone? A. 1 minute B. 30 minutes C. 60 minutes D. 120 minutes
C. 60 minutes
(L23) 11. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the universe explained by inflation? A) the near-perfect uniformity of temperature and density B) the density of the universe nearly equaling the critical density C) The origin of structure D) the relative abundance of hydrogen and helium
D) the relative abundance of hydrogen and helium
(L22) 5b-At the beginning of the universe, A- The temperature was fantastically high B-The density was enormously high C- Matter could turn into energy and vice versa D- All of the above E- Only A and B
D- All of the above
(L22) 3. 3- As we go back in time toward the Big Bang we see the Universe get A- Hotter B- Denser C- Smaller D- all of the above E- Only A and C
D- all of the above
(L22) 9-The cosmic microwave background from the Big Bang has been mapped in detail. What does it look like? A-It is all over the sky. B- It is seen even where space is "empty". C- It is generally uniform all over the sky. D- If you look very closely, there are slight fluctuations from place to place. E- All of the above.
E- All of the above.
(L25) 6. How do we know that all living organisms have evolved from a common ancestor from long ago? A- The fossil record shows sequences of organisms of similar appearance that change with time. B- DNA shows remarkable similarities among all life forms. C- DNA is more similar among closely related forms. D- Not only useful but also useless or "junk" DNA is found to be similar among different organisms. E- All of the above.
E- All of the above.
(L23) 9. How many pounds of rice would you have to put on the last square? (1 lb rice = 100,000 grains) A. less than 1 lb B.1 lb C.100 lb D.1000 lb E. more than 1000 lb
E. more than 1000 lb
(L25) 8. What spectroscopic signature from an extrasolar planet would indicate life? A.carbon dioxide B.water C.sulfuric acid D.nitrogen E.oxygen
E.oxygen
