Identifying Stellar Spectral Lines

Fill in the blank: An astronomer studying a star often starts by identifying the lines in the object's _______.

• mass

• spectrum

• temperature

• distance

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

If a star is moving toward Earth, its light will experience a:

• Redshift

• Blueshift

• Wavelength expansion

• Frequency decrease

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

Fill in the blank: The element with wavelengths 492.2 nm and 587.6 nm is ____.

• H

• He

• Na

• Ca

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-1

Fill in the blank: The element with wavelengths 454.1 nm and 541.2 nm is ____.

• H

• He

• He+

• Na

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

Which element is associated with the wavelength 388.9 nm?

• H

• He

• Na

• Ca

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

The bottom spectrum shown to the left is the elemental emission reading for a distant star. Use the reference spectra to analyze the star spectrum to answer the following question. What are the elements that the star is NOT emitting?

• Hydrogen (H)

• Lithium (Li)

• Sodium (Na)

• Helium (He)

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

Which element is associated with the wavelength 449.1 nm?

• H

• He

• Na

• Ca

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

Which is hotter−a red star or a blue star?

• A red star and a blue star have the same surface temperature.

• A blue star is hotter than a red star.

• A red star is hotter than a blue star.

What are the primary elements that make up a star?

• Oxygen and Carbon

• Hydrogen and Helium

• Nitrogen and Sulfur

• Iron and Silicon

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

What happens when a photon is absorbed by an atom?

• The atom is destroyed

• An electron jumps to a higher energy orbital

• The atom emits white light

• The atom loses mass