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Stellar Astronomy Unit Summative - May, 2022

Total questions: 62

Worksheet time: 2hrs 4mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What are the two most abundant elements in a main sequence star?

a)

a) carbon and hydrogen

b)

b) hydrogen and helium

c)

c) helium and carbon

d)

d) carbon and heavy metals

2.

The life cycle path followed by a star is determined by the star’s initial:

a)

a) mass & size

b)

b) temperature & origin

c)

c) luminosity & color

d)

d) luminosity & structure

3.

Which factor determines a star’s absolute magnitude (luminosity)?

a)

a) The star’s temperature

b)

b) The star’s distance

c)

c) The star’s shape

d)

d) b & c

4.

What is the Sun’s luminosity?

a)

1

b)

102

c)

-102

d)

105

5.

Gamma rays, X-rays, visible light, and radio waves are all types of

a)

Nuclear energy

b)

Ultraviolet radiation

c)

Low energy waves

d)

Electromagnetic energy/radiation

6.

The unit used to measure Earth’s average distance from the Sun is called:

a)

A kepler

b)

A light year

c)

An Earth year

d)

An Astronomical Unit (AU)

7.

The distance between stars is measured in

a)

light years (ly).

b)

nuclear fusion.

c)

dark energy.

d)

astronomical units (AU).

8.

Our Sun is considered average because its temperature and absolute magnitude place it near the center in the ____ _________ of the H-R diagram.

a)

white dwarf

b)

red giant

c)

main sequence

d)

supergiant

9.

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shows that main-sequence stars

a)

are mostly hot and dim.

b)

are mostly cool and bright.

c)

increase in brightness as they increase in temperature.

d)

decrease in brightness as they increase in temperature.

10.

Look at the diagram: According to the HR diagram, what is the approximate absolute magnitude of Rigel?

a)

0

b)

+1

c)

-2

d)

-5

11.

Look at the diagram: Compared to our Sun, Alpha Centauri A would be

a)

hotter and brighter

b)

cooler and brighter

c)

hotter and dimmer

d)

cooler and dimmer

12.

Look at the diagram: The North Star (Polaris) is described best as

a)

a yellow, bright star at 6000 K

b)

a white, dim star at 5800 K

c)

a bright yellow supergiant at 6000 K

d)

a yellow main sequence star at 5800 K

13.

The diagram below shows the types of electromagnetic energy given off by the Sun. The shaded part of the diagram shows the approximate amount of each type actually reaching Earth’s surface. Which conclusion is best supported by the diagram?

a)

a) All types of electromagnetic energy reach Earth’s surface.

b)

b) Gamma rays and x-rays make up the greatest amount of electromagnetic energy reaching Earth’s surface.

c)

c) Visible light makes up the greatest amount of electromagnetic energy reaching Earth’s surface.

d)

d) Ultraviolet and infrared radiation make up the greatest amount of electromagnetic energy reaching Earth’s surface.

14.

On the list below, which type of radiation has the shortest wavelength?

a)

a) radar

b)

b) ultraviolet

c)

c) visible light

d)

d) infrared

15.

Which statement about electromagnetic energy is correct?

a)

a) Violet light has a longer wavelength than red light.

b)

b) X-rays have a longer wavelength than infrared waves

c)

c) Radar waves have a shorter wavelength than ultraviolet rays

d)

d) Gamma rays have a shorter wavelength than visible light

16.

What is the name of the cloud that a star is formed in?

a)

Nebula / Stellar Nursery

b)

Supernova

c)

Main Sequence

d)

Dwarf

17.

When a Red Giant runs out of fuel, it becomes a….

a)

Supernova

b)

Nebula

c)

White Dwarf

d)

Main Sequence Star

18.

What is fusion?

a)

It is the measure of brightness of a star.

b)

The process of merging atoms together to create energy.

c)

It is the process of analyzing stars for what atoms they contain.

d)

It is a description of how massive a star is.

19.

What is a supernova?

a)

The measure of brightness of a star.

b)

Something that only low mass stars can do.

c)

A star that explodes, creating a great amount of light and energy.

20.

A neutron star is

a)

One possible end phase of a massive star.

b)

A star made up of only protons.

c)

The type of star you have before it turns into a supergiant.

21.

What determines if a star becomes a giant or a supergiant?

a)

star's initial mass

b)

star's temperature

c)

star's color

d)

star's luminosity

22.
What color of star is the hottest?
a)
Blue
b)
Red
c)
Yellow
d)
Orange
23.
What color of star is the coolest?
a)
Red
b)
Yellow
c)
Blue
d)
White
24.

The color of a star tells us its

a)

magnitude

b)

temperature

c)

size

d)

age

25.

An astronomer collects data on a star that indicates it has a very high luminosity (100,000 times that of our Sun) but has a temperature that is cooler than the Sun. What can you conclude about this observation?

a)

a) It could be a main sequence star.

b)

b) It may be very large (a red supergiant).

c)

c) This is a typical characteristic of stars.

d)

d) There must be an error in measurement.

26.

What factor below usually determines whether a star is currently on the main sequence of the H-R Diagram?

a)

a) age (where star is in its stellar evolution or life)

b)

b) elements in composition (what the star is made of)

c)

c) frequency of starquakes

d)

d) distance from our Sun

27.

What process produces the Sun’s energy?

a)

solar flares

b)

electromagnetic waves

c)

nuclear fusion in the Sun’s core

d)

nuclear fission on the Sun’s surface

28.

Why do other stars appear so much smaller than the Sun?

a)
They are much smaller
b)
They are so far away
c)
They are not as bright
d)
They are dwarf stars
29.
What is the name of the largest stars?
a)
Protostars
b)
Supergiants
c)
Red Giants
d)
Dwarf Stars
30.

Why does the Sun look small in the sky to us?

a)
It is 93,000,000 miles away
b)
It is smaller than Earth
c)
It is not very bright
d)
It travels around Earth
31.
True or False
Constellations are stars that appear to be in a pattern.
a)
True
b)
False
32.
A black hole is an object so dense with so much gravity that even ________ cannot escape.
a)
man
b)
bacon
c)
spaceships
d)
light
33.

All stars on the main sequence are middle aged. That is, they are fusing ________ into ________ in their cores.

a)
hydrogen into helium
b)
helium into carbon
c)
oxygen into iron
d)
helium into hydrogen
34.

How did the matter and elements we have on Earth get here?

a)
They are all man-made.
b)
They were formed in stars that eventually exploded in supernova.
c)
The sun created all of our elements through fusion.
d)
Elements blew to earth through solar wind.
35.

What is the relationship between the size of a star and its lifetime?

a)
The larger the star, the shorter the lifetime.
b)
The larger the star, the longer the lifetime.
36.

Why won't our Sun ever become a black hole?

a)
It is too massive
b)
It is too old
c)
It is too young
d)
It is too small
37.
The belt between Mars and Jupiter
a)
Comets
b)
Asteroids
c)
Meteors
d)
Stars
38.

A meteorite is DIFFERENT from a meteoroid mainly because it

a)

has a tail of ice and gas.

b)

is found in orbit between Jupiter and Mars.

c)

hits or strikes the Earth.

d)

has a nucleus made of rock and snow.

39.

These objects have a hydrogen cloud, coma, and a nucleus and are almost invisible except when their obits take them near the Sun. ________ are sometimes called "dirty snowballs".

a)

Asteroids

b)

Stars

c)

Meteors

d)

Comets

40.
The tail of a comet usually faces
a)
toward the sun
b)
toward the Earth
c)
away from the Sun
d)
away from the Earth
41.

_________ and _________ are composed mainly of rock and metal.

a)
comets and stars
b)
stars and meteors
c)
asteroid and meteors
d)
comets and asteroid
42.

A rock entering a planet's atmosphere is a _______, which may also be called a “shooting star.”

a)
meteor
b)
meteorite
c)
asteroid
d)
comet
43.

Which of the following does the radiation from a star tell us?

a)
temperature
b)

moving toward (blue shift) or away (red shift)

c)
composition
d)
all of these
44.
light emitted from an object moving towards you will have its wavelength shorted and will be considered
a)
red shiffted
b)
blue shiffted
45.
Both reflecting and refracting telescopes are designed to
a)
break visible light into colors of the spectrum.
b)
separate visible light from ultraviolet and radio waves.
c)
gather and focus visible light.
d)
work better with short-wavelength radiation.
46.
If a star is being observed from Earth and it's light has shifted towards the blue side of the electromagnetic spectrum it would be...
a)
Moving towards the Earth
b)
Moving away from the Earth
c)
This is a trick question that cannot be answered
d)
It isn't a star, it is a very large blueberry.
47.
If a star is being observed from Earth and it's light has shifted towards the red side of the electromagnetic spectrum it would be...
a)
Moving towards the Earth
b)
Moving away from the Earth
c)
This is a trick question that cannot be answered
d)

It isn't a star, it is a comet.

48.

If something that makes light or sound is moving away from you, it spreads the wavelengths out. This application of the Doppler effect is known as ___.

a)

blue shift

b)

green shift

c)

red shift

d)

black shift

49.

A date that is usually accepted for the Big Bang is ____ years ago.

a)

100,000

b)

250 million

c)

13.7 billion

d)

Ten trillion

50.

Most distant galaxies show a red shift. This is considered evidence that the universe is ___.

a)

getting cooler

b)

expanding

c)

condensing into a small point

d)

swirling around

51.

Big Bang theorists believe that there should be energy left over from the Big Bang, and it should be in the form of ___.

a)

low level microwave energy

b)

extreme heat

c)

a swirling vortex

d)

visible light

52.

How does Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation support the Big Band Theory?

a)

Microwaves are found everywhere in the universe.

b)

Microwaves occurred at the time of the Big Bang

c)

Microwaves are useful in our everyday lives

d)

Only A & B

53.

What is the name of the galaxy in which Earth is located?

a)

Big Band

b)

Milky Way

c)

Mars

d)

Universe

54.

What type of galaxy is the Milky Way galaxy?

a)
b)
c)
d)
55.

Which of the following statements best describes a galaxy?

a)

A system of planets with an elliptical orbit

b)

A giant nuclear reactor held together by gravity

c)

A cloud that produces stars

d)

A system of gas, dust and billions of stars held together by gravity

56.

What unit of length is equal to the distance that light travels through space in one year?

a)

light year

b)

speed of light

c)

galaxy

d)

solar mass

57.

A light year is a measurement of

a)

time

b)

distance

c)

temperature

d)

mass

58.

What are the TWO factors working against each other that will determine how the universe ends?

a)

Gravity

b)

expansion rate (less mass in a given volume of space as acceleration of the explosion continues)

c)

Antimatter

d)

Nuclear fusion

59.

One possible end of the universe: Similar to overstretched rubber band, the universe continues to expand until it suddenly snaps back to its original singularity point. Crushing everything to an infinitesimally small space, it possibly causes a new big bang .and the cycle begins again.

a)

Big Rip

b)

Big Crunch

c)

Big Freeze

60.

One possible end of the Universe: The universe stops expanding at an accelerating rate but doesn’t contract or expands at a constant non accelerating rate. Slowly, all energy is converted to heat; there are no more useful energy conversions, and the universe freezes to death.

a)

Big Rip

b)

Big Crunch

c)

Big Freeze

61.

What is the "Big Rip"?

a)

An hypothesis that the universe will end when every atom in Universe will be ripped apart like an exploded balloon.

b)

Our local group of our stars will explode in a series of supernovas.

c)

Black holes eat the entire Universe

62.

When you use a telescope to look out into space across vast distances, you are actually looking ….

a)

at the blue shift of elements that make up all stars.

b)

at the Sun’s twin Nemesis.

c)

forward into the future.

d)

back through time.