Sun Test Review

Sun's mass is how many times larger than Earth's?

• 300,000
• 30,000
• 300
• 30

Which statement about Sunspots is/are correct?

• Cooler than surrounding photosphere of the Sun
• Increase and decrease in number fairly regularly
• Occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity
• All of the above

Why do Earth seasons occur?

• Sun moves through the sky at different altitudes, warming the Earth differently as it moves
• Sun goes through minimum and maximum cycles, as it relates to Earth
• Tilt of the Earth allows for revolutions that cause the Earth to have areas closer to the Sun's energy at different times of the year
• None of the above

What causes Granulation?

• Convection of material near the surface
• Hydrogen rising from the Sun's center
• Helium rising from the Sun's center
• Differential Rotation

In a Sunspot, this acts like a "plug" that stops the normal upward convective flow.

• Radiation
• Strong magnetic field
• Convection currents
• Conductive forces

A modern hypothesis that fits the data for the sunspot cycle:

• Relies on changing magnetic field of the Sun
• Holds that rate of fusion within the Sun changes with the same frequency
• Relies on changing gravitational fields of the Sun
• Is not able to explain why the location of the greatest density of spots changes during the cycle

Sunspots are:

• Hotter and darker than surrounding regions
• Cooler and brighter than surrounding regions
• Hotter and brighter than surrounding regions
• Cooler and darker than surrounding regions

The visible surface of the Sun is called the

• Photosphere
• Corona
• Chromosphere
• Heliosurf

What  causes prominences, solar flares, and CMEs?

• Convection currents reach the surface of the photosphere
• Fusion reactions occurring in the solar atmosphere
• Twisted magnetic field lines that suddenly release, sending out a huge amount of energy
• Electromagnetic radiation blasts through the photosphere and out into the corona

What keeps the Sun from collapsing due to its strong gravitational field?

• Chemical reactions that tend to make it explode
• Heat that results from fusion reactions at the core
• Heat that results from fission reactions at the core
• Gravitational force from objects that orbit the Sun