Intro to Astrophysics

Who is credited with beginning the field of astrophysics in the 17th century?

• Nicolaus Copernicus
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Galileo Galilei
• Johannes Kepler

What does the astronomical unit (AU) approximately measure?

• Average distance between the Earth and the Sun
• Distance between the Sun and the Moon
• Distance between the Earth and Mars
• Distance between the Moon and the Earth

What is the typical distance between stars in the Milky Way measured in parsecs?

• 1-2 solar units

• 1-2 parsecs

• 1-2 AU

• 1-2 lightyears

What does a logarithmic map help with in astrophysics?

• Representing large ranges of values in a more manageable way
• Studying the behavior of comets
• Calculating the mass of black holes
• Plotting star positions on a 2D graph

What phenomenon compresses celestial objects to higher densities?

• Planetary alignment
• Black hole expansion
• Solar flare eruption
• Gravitational compression

What principle prevents a white dwarf from collapsing?

• Einstein's theory of relativity

• Gravity repulsion force
• Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

• Proton degeneracy pressure

What phenomenon becomes significant when observing light at the scale of its wavelength?

• Absorption
• Refraction
• Reflection
• Diffraction

What is the Bohr radius?

• The radius of an electron's orbit in a hydrogen atom

• The typical radius of a neutrino's path

• The distance at which nuclear forces become negligible

• The minimum possible radius of a nucleus

What particle is known for its incredibly small mass and weak interaction with other matter?

• Photon
• Neutrino
• Proton
• Electron

What force is responsible for holding the nucleus together despite the repulsive electromagnetic force between protons?

• Strong nuclear force
• Gravitational force
• Electromagnetic force
• Weak nuclear force