Astro Exam 2 Quiz questions

Which of the following has the greatest average energy of random atomic and molecular motion?

A cube of the sun

We have two waves of light, A and B. Wave A has a higher frequency than wave B. Then wave B must have:

A longer wavelength

This chapter discusses that light sometimes acts like a photon. What is a photon?

A self contained packet of electro-magnetic energy

5. A very wealthy donor decides to give a large sum of money to your college or university to build the world's largest visible-light gathering telescope. From an astronomical perspective, where would be the best location to put such a telescope?

A tall dry mountain peak

A Hertz is;

A unit of frequency

When astronomers do radar astronomy, they a. look for radar beams from civilizations on other planets b. they bounce a radar beam off the surface of solid objects in our solar system c. they send out radar waves that can eventually reach and measure other galaxies d. they send information from one telescope to another on Earth using radar waves e. they try to avoid getting speeding tickets on their way hope from the observatory

Correct Response b. they bounce a radar beam off the surface of solid objects in our solar system

The SOFIA Project is a. a small Lear jet with an 8-inch visible-light telescope on board, designed to search for lost NASA spacecraft b. an x-ray telescope flying many kilometers up (so high that it had to be automated) c. a balloon designed to fly above the ozone layer and search for ultraviolet radiation from space d. an airplane with an infra-red telescope on board designed to fly above much of the water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere e. a NASA aircraft used only by Hollywood movie-makers to teach what it's like in free fall

Correct Response d. an airplane with an infra-red telescope on board designed to fly above much of the water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere

38. Which of the following major telescopes was not located in space? a. the Hubble Space Telescope b. the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory c. the International Ultraviolet Explorer d. the Keck Telescope e. the Roentgensatellit (ROSAT) x-ray telescope Submit Your Answer

Correct Response d. the Keck Telescope

Of the following, which has the highest resolution (ability to make out fine detail): a. the German 100-meter radio dish b. the 305-meter Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico c. the 64-meter radio dish near Parkes, Australia d. the Very Large Array of radio telescopes in New Mexico e. the Very Long Baseline Array of Radio Telescopes, stretching from the Virgin Islands to Hawaii

Correct Response e. the Very Long Baseline Array of Radio Telescopes, stretching from the Virgin Islands to Hawaii

Christian Doppler discovered what we now call the "Doppler Effect" by measuring: a. the wavelengths of the Balmer lines of hydrogen b. the intensity of the red and blue light from the same star c. the changes in the radar gun used by his local police officers when they pointed at speeding cars d. the changes in the colors of a rainbow when the clouds were moving fast e. the properties of sound waves coming from a group of musicians on a moving, open railroad car

Correct Response e. the properties of sound waves coming from a group of musicians on a moving, open railroad car

41. The first x-ray telescope capable of forming images of x-ray source was called:

Einstein

The scientist who worked out the mathematics of the connections between electricity, magnetism, and light in the 19th century was:

James Clerk Maxwell

Which of the following is NOT a terrestrial planet? a. Mars b. Earth c. Jupiter d. Venus e. Mercury

Jupiter

The first radio telescope was built in the 1930's by

Karl Janksy

. You are the captain of an interplanetary tour ship and a wealthy tourist from Texas asks you to take him to see only the "largest darn planets" in the solar system. Which of the following would you NOT include in your tour? a. Mercury b. Jupiter c. Saturn d. Neptune e. Uranus

Mercury

The planet closest to the Sun in the solar system is:

Mercury (Think of the sun and how mercury is know as a hot material)

A politician who has just said something very dumb on an AM all-talk radio station suddenly remembers the astronomy class he had in college, and starts to worry that his words are now moving outward into space at the speed of light (and will embarrass him forever). Does he have a reason to worry?

No, because AM are bounced back or scatter by the ionosphere and don't get into space

The first trans-Neptunian object astronomers found (in 1930) is called

Pluto

In the future, several students living on board a space station decide to have a race among different types of electromagnetic radiation. Which of the following travels through space the fastest?

Radio waves

A fashion designer decides to bring out a new line of clothing which reflects the longest wavelength of visible light. What color will these articles of clothing be to the human eye?

Red

Most ultraviolet radiation does not penetrate to the Earth's surface. Instead it is absorbed in:

The ozone layer

Which of the following is not a type of electromagnetic wave with lower energy than visible light waves?

The sound coming from your transistor radio

How fast do electromagnetic waves travel?

The speed of light

The fastest speed in the universe is?

The speed of light

4. In the far future, a visiting tourist from another planetary system asks to see the most massive object in our solar system. Where would you take him/her/it?

The sun

(In the absence of a strong magnetic field), what is the chief factor that determines what type of electromagnetic radiation objects give off:

Their temperature

The largest refracting telescope in the world, financed by a Chicago millionaire in the 1890's, is at the:

Yerkes observatory

An idealized object that does not reflect or scatter any radiation that hits it, but simply absorbs every bit of radiation that falls on it is called:

a black body

In a radio telescope, the role that the mirror plays in visible-light telescopes is played by:

a large metal dish

A graduate student is trying to follow the weather on Jupiter for her PhD thesis. To see the big weather patterns in the upper atmosphere of the planet, she needs to have excellent resolution. What type of telescope would be best for her to use?

a large reflector in orbit above the earth's atmosphere

The largest visible-light telescopes in the world use what device to collect as much light as possible before the light is brought to a focus (to act as the "light bucket")?

a mirror

What type of telescope can be used routinely on the surface of the Earth during the DAY?

a radio telescope

Which of the following is NOT a detector of radiation from space that astronomers have used?

a refracting telescope

24. To break up light into the component colors that it contains, astronomers use a device called:

a spectrometer

Why do telescopes have to have a good motorized drive system to move them quickly and smoothly? a. because the Earth is rotating, with the telescope attached to it b. because astronomers typically have to look at many objects in the sky in a few minutes c. because all objects in the sky vary in brightness very quickly d. because the telescope can then be moved out from under the clouds to where it is clear e. You can't fool me, telescopes never move; they stay in one position all night

a. because the Earth is rotating, with the telescope attached to it

In the 19th century, it became clear that magnetism was not a separate force, but was always produced by the action of a. electric charges that were in motion b. the gravitational pull of the Earth c. the strong nuclear force acting on electrons d. light moving through a vacuum e. something possessed by all movie stars

a. electric charges that were in motion

You are an astronomer who wants to study a faint star in the process of being born, which gives off most of its faint radiation in the infra-red. Which of the following would NOT be a step you would want to take? a. heat your telescope, so its delicate optics are not cold b. try to have your telescope as high above the layers of water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere as possible c. shield your telescope from the radiation given off by your graduate students d. isolate your telescope in very cold surroundings e. make sure your telescope optics are kept as free of dust as possible

a. heat your telescope, so its delicate optics are not cold

Which of the following has the longest wavelength? a. radio waves b. visible light waves c. ultraviolet waves d. x-rays e. you can't fool me, all these have the same wavelength

a. radio waves

An astronomer observes two ordinary stars. The first one turns out to be twice as hot as the second. This means that the first one radiates:

about 16 times the energy the second

To overcome the problems that blur images and don't provide the best resolution from Earth, astronomers have started using flexible mirrors that change shape many times each second. This technique is called:

adaptive optics

35. Which of the following types of telescopes can be used ONLY above the Earth's atmosphere?

an xray telescope

The size of the device that collects radiation (such as light) is called a telescope's:

aperture

43. Why do astronomers prefer to put infrared telescopes on high-flying airplanes or on satellites in space? a. because no infrared radiation can exist anywhere near the Earth's surface b. because the water vapor in the lower atmosphere is very good at absorbing infrared c. because high up the Sun's energy can be used to heat the infrared telescope d. because that way they are significantly closer to the objects they observe e. You can't fool me, all infrared telescopes are located on the Earth's surface

b. because the water vapor in the lower atmosphere is very good at absorbing infrared

A new technique called adaptive optics allows astronomers to: a. change the eyepieces of their telescopes much more quickly than ever before b. compensate for changes in the Earth's atmosphere and achieve better resolution c. increase the aperture of their telescopes by connecting several telescopes d. change the region of the electro-magnetic spectrum in which their telescope is able to detect radiation e. use the observatory shop to make better eye-glasses for their graduate students

b. compensate for changes in the Earth's atmosphere and achieve better resolution

Which of the following has the highest frequency? a. visible light b. gamma rays c. radio waves d. ultraviolet waves e. you can't fool me, all these have the same frequency

b. gamma rays

Which of the following statements about infrared radiation is TRUE? a. it is the band of the electromagnetic spectrum where each wave or photon has the greatest energy b. it was first discovered in 1800 in an experiment using sunlight and thermometers c. unlike light, infrared can never travel as fast as the speed of light d. while many stars give off infrared, there is nothing on Earth at the right temperature to emit it e. it is the radiation responsible for giving sunburns (or in large doses, skin cancer)

b. it was first discovered in 1800 in an experiment using sunlight and thermometers

An astronomer discovers a new star and wants to measure its temperature. She would typically do this by: a. measuring the Doppler shift of its spectral lines b. making a blackbody curve and finding the wavelength of the peak (maximum) c. measuring the intensity of radio waves the star gives off d. measuring how much light the star reflects e. sending a graduate student with a very long (and durable) thermometer to the star's vicinity

b. making a blackbody curve and finding the wavelength of the peak (maximum)

26. An astronomer who is observing visible light from a glowing cloud of gas in space uses an instrument which contains a grating with thousands of grooves on its surface. What will this instrument allow our astronomer to do? a. take photos with much higher resolution b. spread out the light from the cloud into a spectrum c. observe radio waves from the cloud at the same time as visible light d. turn a reflector into a refractor

b. spread out the light from the cloud into a spectrum

17. When they build big new (visible -light) telescopes, astronomers want to put them in places where they will get the best views of the sky. Which of the following is not an important part of how astronomers select places for new telescopes?" a. the place must have clear weather on as many nights as possible b. the place must be near a university or college c. the sky above the place must be dark (no light pollution) d. the place must be dry (not too much water vapor in the air) e. the air at the place must be quiet, not turbulent

b. the place must be near a university or college

The Balmer Series of lines in the hydrogen atom was very important in the history of physics and astronomy. What made it so important? a. It helped Rutherford explain the workings of the atomic nucleus b. Balmer's experiments with these lines helped prove Wien's Law c. When electrons change levels to produce the Balmer series, the emitted light is in the visible part of the spectrum, so the lines were easy to see with our eyes d. The Balmer series of lines can only be observed from outer space; so the competition to see these lines led to the space race e. Mr. Balmer never got the Nobel prize, which made everyone in the field of spectroscopy so angry, they worked extra hard

c. When electrons change levels to produce the Balmer series, the emitted light is in the visible part of the spectrum, so the lines were easy to see with our eyes

17. Which of the following statements about photons is FALSE? a. photons always travel at the speed of light b. photons each carry a specific amount of energy c. a photon of visible light cannot pass through the atmosphere of the Earth, and thus cannot be seen at the Earth's surface d. high energy photons have a high frequency (when thought of as waves) e. a gamma-ray photon carries more energy than a visible light photon

c. a photon of visible light cannot pass through the atmosphere of the Earth, and thus cannot be seen at the Earth's surface

21. When an astronomer involved in a research project says he is going to look at the observatory's plate collection, what will he be looking at? a. a collection of souvenir plates, with painting of other observatories from around the world (astronomers collect these as a hobby) b. a series of metal disks used for changing the aperture of reflecting telescopes c. a series of glass plates, with light-sensitive chemicals on them, on which the appearance of the sky was recorded d. a series of insulated plastic shields, which are used to prevent stray infra-red radiation from the observatory from interfering with observations e. what the special-of-the-day is in the observatory cafeteria Submit Your Answer

c. a series of glass plates, with light-sensitive chemicals on them, on which the appearance of the sky was recorded

54. The fact that each type of atom has a unique pattern of electron orbits helps explain why a. some atoms don't have any isotopes b. each type of atom contains different numbers of neutrons c. each type of atom shows different absorption or emission spectra d. most atoms don't have a ground state e. astronomers have not been able to figure out what atoms stars are made of

c. each type of atom shows different absorption or emission spectra

44. When the James Webb Space Telescope is finally launched, what will be its distinguishing characteristic (what about it will really help astronomers)? a. it will observe gamma-rays from the most energetic events in the universe b. it will be the same size and design as the Hubble Space Telescope, which is wearing out c. it will have the largest mirror ever put into space for observing faint objects d. it will allow us to take pictures with the same resolution as a radio dish e. it will be in low Earth orbit, and thus easy for astronauts to repair Submit Your Answer

c. it will have the largest mirror ever put into space for observing faint objects

How do astronomers learn what elements are present in a given star? a. look at what color light dominates its continuous spectrum b. listen for coded signals in the radio waves it gives off in the FM band c. look at the absorption lines in its spectrum d. send spacecraft like Voyager to examine its make-up from close-up e. compare visible-light photographs of the star (taken with large telescopes) to those of the Sun.

c. look at the absorption lines in its spectrum

Which of the following is NOT an advantage that the Hubble Space Telescope has over large telescopes on Earth? a. the Hubble is above the Earth's atmosphere, while on the ground star images twinkle and jiggle b. the Hubble can observe at wavelengths (such as UV) which cannot be seen from the ground c. the Hubble has a larger aperture than any visible-light telescope on Earth d. the Hubble has a better resolution than visible-light telescopes on Earth (not counting adaptive optics) e. you can't fool me, all of these are advantages the Hubble has over earth-bound telescopes

c. the Hubble has a larger aperture than any visible-light telescope on Earth

When the twin Keck telescopes were built in the 1990's, what distinguished them from other very large telescopes of the time? a. they were reflectors, while other large telescopes were all refractors b. they were on a mountain, while all other telescopes had been built near big cities c. they used a mirror assembly that was made of 36 smaller hexagonal mirrors working together d. they had a smaller overall aperture, which made it easier to take pictures e. they had a motorized drive system to allow the telescope to move smoothly Submit Your Answer

c. they used a mirror assembly that was made of 36 smaller hexagonal mirrors working together

30. Radio telescopes of modest size can't make out as much detail (have a lower resolution) than visible light telescopes. How do astronomers overcome this limitation? a. they have built a radio telescope in the desert that completely covers 1000 square miles b. this problem can't be solved; radio telescopes will always show poor detail c. we can connect several radio telescopes some distance apart together electronically to give us the resolution of a larger telescope d. we have launched a small radio telescope satellite into orbit, which (being above the atmosphere) can make out much more detail than any visible light telescope e. the same engineers responsible for the shape of the mirror for the Hubble Space Telescope are working on this problem; stay tuned

c. we can connect several radio telescopes some distance apart together electronically to give us the resolution of a larger telescope

What is the most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30-40 years than all of history before then. a. astronomers today are a lot smarter than astronomers were earlier b. the Hubble Space Telescope c. we have been able to send spacecraft to gather information about planets and moons up close d. radio telescope arrays allow astronomers to make out details on the planets that they have never been able to see before e. the planets (moving in their slow orbits around the Sun) happen to be closer to the Earth in the last 30 years than at any previous time in human history

c. we have been able to send spacecraft to gather information about planets and moons up close

Your friend, a graduate student in astronomy, is giving you a special tour of the local observatory. You notice that you are viewing the image from the big telescope from underneath the primary mirror; the beam of light has come through a small hole in the main mirror to an eyepiece below. This telescope uses what focusing arrangement?

cassegrain focus

The most important function of an astronomical telescope is to:

collect as much light as possible and bring it into focus

Which of the following is not an advantage that a reflector telescope has over a refractor telescope? a. reflectors can be built with much bigger apertures b. reflectors avoid the problem of chromatic aberration in the lens c. the device that collects the light is more easily supported in a reflector d. a reflector doesn't have to deal with the twinkling of the stars, as a refractor does e. flaws and bubbles in the material inside a thick mirror are not a problem, while flaws and bubbles in the material inside a thick lens are

d. a reflector doesn't have to deal with the twinkling of the stars, as a refractor does

20. Which of the following has a longer integration time (can collect light for a longer period of time) than the human eye? a. photographic film b. photographic plates c. a CCD (charge coupled device) d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above

25. Why is an image recorded with a CCD better for astronomers than an image recorded on photographic film or plates? a. CCD's are more efficient; more of the light is recorded and not wasted b. CCD's allow more accurate measurements of the brightness of each part of the image c. CCD's have digital output that can go directly to a computer d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above

At the largest and most modern astronomical observatories on Earth today, which of the following regularly happens to the image formed by the telescope? a. it is viewed by a group of graduate students who then make a sketch of it to have a permanent record b. it is recorded on a piece of black & white film, which is then developed in a bath of chemicals c. it is reflected by a special arrangement of mirrors back into the beam and up into the sky d. it is recorded using an electronic detector called a CCD for later analysis e. it is sent to the FBI so they can check for evidence of Russian hacking

d. it is recorded using an electronic detector called a CCD for later analysis

45. The U.S. has plans to build a 30-meter telescope, while the Europeans are thinking about 39-meter telescope. What technological innovation allows astronomers to be thinking about telescopes with that large an aperture? a. they can put telescopes on tall mountains now, which we could not ever do before b. they can build much larger lenses for their telescopes with new kinds of plastics c. adaptive optics technology allows them to design a huge mirror which hardly weighs anything d. the mirror in these telescopes will be constructed from many smaller mirrors which will work together e. those big telescopes are just a dream right now; no one can think of a technology for building them.

d. the mirror in these telescopes will be constructed from many smaller mirrors which will work together

39. What was the major problem with the Hubble Space Telescope when it was first launched into orbit? a. its antenna wouldn't open, so the data could not be sent back to Earth b. it was in the wrong orbit, so it dipped down into the Earth's thicker atmosphere regularly c. its spectroscope broke during the launch d. the mirror's shape was slightly wrong, so all the light did not come to a single focus e. the mirror cover was stuck in the "partly on" position, making part of the mirror not usable

d. the mirror's shape was slightly wrong, so all the light did not come to a single focus

Of the following, which consists of electro-magnetic waves with the shortest wavelength? a. a beam of green light b. TV transmissions bringing us Monday night football c. the sound of the instructor's voice d. the waves of a dental x-ray e. the rays that tan a sunbather on the beach

d. the waves of a dental x-ray

After a nice dinner around the campfire on a camping trip, you and a friend decide to get away from the fire to observe the stars. As you get farther and farther away, you see the brightness of the fire:

decreased as the distance squared

Which of the following statements about the nucleus of a typical atom (such as a carbon atom in your little finger) is FALSE: a. the nucleus has an overall positive charge b. the nucleus takes up a very small amount of space compared to the entire atom c. the nucleus contains both protons and neutrons Correct Response d. the nucleus repels the electrons which move around it e. the nucleus contains most of the mass of the atom

e. The nucleus contains the atom's mass

Two stars are giving off electromagnetic radiation. The hotter star will: a. give off more radiation at all wavelengths b. will have a higher average frequency of radiation c. will radiate energy at more than one wavelength d. will give off a continuous spectrum of waves e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Which of the following ways that jovian (giant) planets differ from the terrestrial planets is NOT CORRECT? a. jovians have more mass than the terrestrials b. jovians are further from the Sun than terrestrials c. jovians are made of lighter elements on average than terrestrials d. jovians have rings while terrestrials do not e. jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials

e. jovians (being larger) rotate significantly more slowly than terrestrials

18. Not all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation can penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. Of the following types of waves that come from space, which one are you likely to be able to detect most easily from our planet's surface: a. x-rays b. gamma rays c. infrared waves d. ultraviolet waves e. radio waves of the wavelength that carry FM broadcasts

e. radio waves of the wavelength that carry FM broadcasts

Which of the following statements about electromagnetic radiation is FALSE? a. it always spreads out at the speed of light b. it is given off by all objects that are not at a temperature of absolute zero c. it is typically produced when charged particles oscillate d. different waves of electromagnetic radiation differ in their wavelength or frequency e. the radiation consists of tiny charged particles given off by the nuclei of atoms

e. the radiation consists of tiny charged particles given off by the nuclei of atoms

Which of the following characteristics do all four terrestrial planets have in common? a. the all have one or more moons b. all have liquid water on their surfaces c. they all rotate in 24 hours or less d. they all have thick atmospheres e. they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them

e. they all have solid surfaces with signs of geological activity on them

3. Which planet in the solar system has not been examined by spacecraft instruments that have either flown by or orbited them? a. Earth b. Neptune c. Venus d. Saturn e. you can't fool me, spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system

e. you can't fool me, spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system

The Chandra Observatory orbiting the Earth is designed to

examine sources of cosmic X-rays

The first person who regularly turned a telescope to astronomical observations (and published his observations) was:

galileo galeli

The energy of random atomic and molecular motion is called

heat

You are alone in a large, completely dark auditorium on Earth. What kind of telescope should I use from the other side of the auditorium to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by your body?

infa-red

One reason that human eyes evolved to detect visible light is:

it is a band of energy where the sun puts out a great deal of energy

Consider a radio wave from the transmitter of your favorite radio station, which has just reached the antenna of the radio in your room. Which of the following statements about this radio wave is CORRECT?

its wavelength is much longer than the wavelength of the light you see reflected from the page of this exam

How do astronomers learn what elements are present in a given star?

look at the absorption lines on in its spectrum

I want to examine the surface of a planet that is covered by a thick atmosphere (which includes oxygen and contains a very thick layer of water clouds that never clears). What wavelength of electromagnetic radiation would I be smartest to use:

radar waves

When a star or galaxy is moving away from us, we observe the Doppler effect by seeing the lines in its spectrum

red shifted (shifted toward the red end of the light spectrum)

The earliest telescopes used by astronomers were:

refractors

How could you make an ordinary atom that is minding its own business into an ion?

remove one or more electron

All the planets (without exception)

revolve around the Sun in the same direction

The two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where the Earth's atmosphere is transparent (radiation can get in) are visible light and:

some radio waves

Two stars have the same diameter and are at the same distance from us (but in different parts of the sky.) Star A has a temperature of 4000 K, while star B has a temperature of 8000K. Which of the following statements is true:

star b has 16 times the energy flux (luminosity) that star a has

Astronomical observatories have been available since ancient times, and many cultures set aside special sites for astronomical observations. The thing modern observatories have that was missing from these older observatories until about 1610 was: a. a dark site, where lights did not get in the way b. graduate students or other assistants for sharing the astronomer's work c. a method of keeping good records d. a way of measuring from what general direction in the sky a beam of light was coming e. telescopes

telescopes

The Stefan-Boltzmann Law relates the energy flux coming from a blackbody (such as a star) to its:

temperature

Wien's Law relates the wavelength at which a star gives off the greatest amount of energy to the star's

temperature

We observe a glowing cloud of gas in space with a spectroscope. We note that many of the familiar lines of hydrogen that we know on Earth seem to be in a different place. They are shifted toward the blue or violet end of the spectrum compared to their positions in the spectrum of glowing hydrogen gas on Earth. From this we can conclude that:

the cloud is moving toward us.

When a knowledgeable amateur astronomer tells you that she has a 14-inch telescope, what does the number 14 refer to?

the diameter of the primary lens or mirror

The ground state in an atom is

the lowest possible energy state of an atom

Our textbook discusses that radio astronomers are building more and more arrays of radio telescopes, where many "dishes" are connected together. What advantage do such arrays have?

the provide higher resolution than single dishes

An astronomer is studying galaxies of stars that are very far away and thus look extremely faint (using visible light). What kind of telescope should she and her graduate students apply for time on?

the telescope with the biggest aperture possible

40. In the summer of 1996, the European Space Agency announced that it would be suspending the operations of the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Astronomers who were most unhappy about that announcements were likely to be studying what types of objects?

very hot stars

5. The light which allows you to see this very interesting exam is made up of waves. In these waves, the distance between crests is called the:

wavelength