Test 1, Form D
1. The spectrum in Slide 1 is
a) a blackbody spectrum
b) an absorption-line spectrum
c) an emission-line spectrum
d) an x-ray spectrum
e) a flat spectrum
2. Who drew the picture in Slide 2?
a) Nicholas Copernicus
b) Galileo Galilei
c) Johannes Kepler
d) Tycho Brahe
e) Claudius Ptolemy
3. The picture displayed in Slide 3 was taken
a) near the north pole.
b) at mid-latitudes (such as the United States).
c) near the equator.
d) near the south pole.
e) no information about earth latitude is contained on the slide.
4. The diagram on the left in Slide 4 shows the portion of the Moon illuminated
by the Sun as the Moon orbits the Earth. Which position corresponds to the
phase of the Moon illustrated by the picture on the right?
a) Position 2
b) Position 6
c) Position 4
d) Position 7
e) Position 3
5. Kepler's second law (equal areas in equal times) says in effect that
a) more distant planets must orbit faster, to sweep out the same area in a similar time
b) planets move at a steady pace around the Sun
c) planets move slower as they near the Sun
d) planets move faster as they near the Sun
e) none of the above
6. We see different constellations in the summer than in the winter because
a) the stars have parallax.
b) the Earth goes around the Sun.
c) the direction of the earth's axis precesses.
d) the planets occasionally undergo retrograde motion.
e) the Earth is round.
7. The spectrum of the star Deneb shows a strong absorption line at wavelength
6565 A . We know that hydrogen absorbs photons at a wavelength of 6563 A .
If the absorption seen in Deneb is due to hydrogen in the star's atmosphere,
then
a) Deneb must be moving towards us.
b) Deneb must be rotating.
c) Deneb must emit mostly in the ultraviolet.
d) Deneb must be moving away from us.
e) Deneb must be a red star.
8. We see a full moon rise at
a) sunrise
b) around 9 p.m.
c) sunset
d) noon
e) midnight
9. What is the fundamental difference between a reflecting telescope and a
refracting telescope?
a) A reflecting telescope has less magnification than a refracting telescope.
b) A reflecting telescope gathers light with a mirror, while a refracting telescope gathers
light with a lens.
c) A reflecting telescope has a larger field-of-view than a refracting telescope.
d) A reflecting telescope has a longer tube than a refracting telescope.
e) A reflecting telescope can see fainter stars than a refracting telescope.
10. The Sun's position on the celestial sphere is contantly changing; the
path that it follows is called the ecliptic. About how long
does it take the Sun to complete one "trip" around the ecliptic?
a) 23 hours 56 minutes
b) 365 days
c) 27 days
d) 180 days
e) 24 hours
11. Imagine a planet whose rotation axis is perpendicular to its orbital plane. How would you describe the its seasons?
a) the same as those on Earth.
b) shorter than those on Earth.
c) longer than those on Earth.
d) constant -- there would be no seasons.
e) more intense than those on Earth.
12. Planets can be distinguished from stars with the unaided eye because
a) planets move in the sky relative to the stars.
b) planets can be seen during the day.
c) planets differ in color from the stars.
d) planets appear much brighter than any star.
e) planets appear much dimmer than any star.
13. We experience extra high tides (spring tides) during
a) full moon
b) first quarter moon
c) third quarter moon
d) new moon
e) both full and new moon
14. The circular shape of the Earth's shadow on the Moon led
early astronomers to conclude that
a) the Earth is at the center of the Solar System
b) the Moon must orbit the Sun
c) the Earth is a sphere
d) the Moon is a sphere
e) the Earth must be at rest
15. An astronomer speculates that there is a cloud of cold gas in between
us and the star mu ~Sgr. We can test this hypothesis by
a) observing the movement of the star through space.
b) observing absorption lines in the spectrum of the star.
c) observing the star's blackbody spectrum.
d) observing the scattered blue light in the spectrum of the star.
e) observing emission lines in the spectrum of the star.
16. Atoms have particular associated spectral lines because
a) electrons only have certain allowed orbits.
b) light consists of waves.
c) the speed of light is constant.
d) light waves can show the Doppler effect.
e) photons have only certain allowed orbits.
17. The fundamental reason why the Earth has seasons is that
a) the Earth is spinning on its axis.
b) the Earth's axis is precessing.
c) the Earth's axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane.
d) the Earth is in the center of the celestial sphere.
e) the Earth is going around the Sun.
18. Solar eclipses only occur
a) during a Full Moon.
b) during a New Moon.
c) during a high tide.
d) during the solstice.
e) during a neap tide.
19. Which type of photon carries the most energy?
a) a microwave photon
b) an infrared photon
c) a blue photon
d) an ultraviolet photon
e) an x-ray photon
20. The Sun is always
a) on the celestial equator.
b) north of the celestial equator (at least when seen from State College).
c) south of the celestial equator (at least when seen from State College).
d) opposite the Moon in the sky.
e) in a zodiac constellation.
21. The first person to place the Sun in the center of the Solar System was
a) Tycho Brahe
b) Galileo Galilei
c) Johannes Kepler
d) Isaac Newton
e) Nicholai Copernicus
22. A planet is 1.5 A.U. from the Sun. This means that
a) the planet is a superior planet.
b) the planet takes less than a year to go around the Sun.
c) the planet is in a circular orbit about the Sun.
d) the planet is closer from the Sun than the Earth.
e) the planet will never undergo retrograde motion.
23. Ancient astronomers found it difficult to explain the motions of the planets because
a) planets sometimes reverse their observed motion in the sky (retrograde motion)
b) planets move much faster than the Sun and the Moon
c) the Sun and the Moon always show retrograde motion
d) planets are much fainter than the Sun and the Moon
e) none of the above
24. Which type of light can be observed from the ground?
a) x-rays
b) gamma-rays
c) ultraviolet light
d) radio waves
e) none of the above can be observed from the ground.
25. The time it takes for one celestial body to orbit another
a) depends only on the masses of the two bodies.
b) depends on the masses of the two bodies and the focus of the ellipse.
c) depends only on the semi-major axis of the orbit.
d) depends on the masses of the two bodies and the semi-major axis of the orbit.
e) depends on the masses of the two bodies and the ellipticity of the orbit.
26. In 10,000 years,
a) Polaris will no longer be the north star.
b) the Moon will no longer cause eclipses.
c) a sidereal day will no longer be shorter than a solar day.
d) Orion and Scorpius will no longer be opposite each other on the sky.
e) the Earth will no longer have seasons.
27. Two stars have the same size and have the same temperature, but one
is twice as far away as the other. The more distant star
a) will appear identical to the nearer star.
b) will appear twice as dim and much bluer than the nearer star.
c) will appear four times dimmer than the nearer star.
d) will appear four times dimmer and much redder than the nearer star.
e) will appear twice as dim and much redder than the nearer star.
28. When Venus is in opposition (opposite the Sun), it
a) is visible near midnight.
b) appears to be moving backward against the background of stars.
c) is furthest from the Sun in its orbit.
d) is closest to the Sun in its orbit.
e) none of the above --- Venus is never seen in opposition!
29. X-ray radiation from astronomical objects is best studied
a) from space.
b) from the desert.
c) from mountaintops.
d) during the day.
e) from airplanes.
30. The sidereal day (a full rotation of the Earth measured relative to
distant stars) is shorter than a solar day (a full rotation of the
Earth relative to the Sun) because
a) the Earth orbits the Sun.
b) the Earth's axis is precessing.
c) the Earth's axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane.
d) the Moon orbits the Earth.
e) none of the above
31. What type of photon has the highest frequency?
a) a radio photon
b) a red photon
c) a microwave photon
d) an infrared photon
e) an ultraviolet photon
32. One reason early scientists resisted putting the Sun in the
center of the Solar System was that
a) no one knew the earth was round.
b) precession was unknown at the time.
c) there was no evidence for stellar parallax.
d) Ptolemy's system did a very good job predicting the positions of planets.
e) retrograde motion hadn't been discovered.
33. Pluto, which is in the outer part of our solar system, is 38 Astronomical
Units from the Sun. Consider an object at 76 Astronomical Units from the
Sun. The Sun's gravitational attraction on this object
a) would be much greater than it is on the Earth.
b) would be just as strong as it is on the Earth.
c) would be much less than it is on the Earth.
d) would depend on the composition of the object.
e) would be zero -- the object would be outside the gravitational influence of the Sun.
34. The reason we can't see blackbody radiation from other people is
a) the air in the room absorbs the light emitted by our body.
b) the dust in the air scatters the light emitted by our body.
c) the emission lines from our bodies are much stronger than the blackbody emission.
d) the radiation from room temperature objects (like people) emerges mostly in the infrared
region of the spectrum.
e) no reason -- that's how we do see each other.
35. In the Bohr model of the atom
a) electrons cannot interact with light.
b) protons can be at any distance from the nucleus.
c) electrons can orbit at any distance from the nucleus.
d) electrons cannot leave the atom.
e) electrons can only orbit at certain fixed distances from the nucleus.
36. A 10-pound iron ball which is 5-inches in diameter is heated to
6000 K. A 20-pound lead ball which is also 5-inches in diameter
is heated to 3000 K. According to what we know about light
a) the iron ball will glow brighter and appear redder than the lead ball.
b) the iron ball will glow dimmer and appear bluer than the lead ball.
c) the iron ball will glow brighter and appear bluer than the lead ball.
d) the iron ball will glow dimmer and appear redder than the lead ball.
e) the light emitted from both balls will be identical.
37. On December 21, the Sun will set
a) in the northeast
b) in the southeast
c) in the northwest
d) in the southwest
e) due west
38. A solar flare emits light at all wavelengths. Which reaches the
Earth first?
a) the x-rays
b) the optical light
c) the radio waves
d) the microwave light
e) all reach the Earth at the same time
39. Which did Galileo not observe?
a) the mountains of the Moon.
b) the moons of Jupiter.
c) the parallax of stars.
d) the rings of Saturn.
e) the phases of Venus.
40. What causes light from a star to be Doppler-shifted?
a) the distance between us and the star.
b) the gas and dust between us and the star.
c) the speed of the star toward or away from us.
d) temperature differences between us and the star.
e) none of the above.
41. During a full moon, how much of the total Moon's surface is being illuminated by the Sun?
a) less than half
b) none
c) more than half
d) half
e) all
42. If the Sun were to shrink to one-tenth its size (but keep its same mass),
what would happen to the orbit of the earth?
a) The Sun's greater gravity would cause the earth to orbit closer to the Sun.
b) Nothing.
c) The Sun's greater gravity would cause the earth to crash into the Sun.
d) The Sun's smaller gravity would cause the earth's orbit to become highly elliptical.
e) The Sun's smaller gravity would cause the earth to orbit farther from the Sun.
43. A 4-meter telescope
a) can see fainter than a 2-meter telescope.
b) can magnify more than a 2-meter telescope.
c) can see more of the electromagnetic spectrum than a 2-meter telescope.
d) has a larger field-of-view than a 2-meter telescope.
e) has better ``seeing'' than a 2-meter telescope.
44. The setting sun is red because
a) the air near the horizon is reddish.
b) dust scatters much of the Sun's blue light away from us.
c) the gases in the Earth's atmosphere absorb most of the blue light.
d) the ozone layer absorbs all the Sun's ultraviolet light.
e) the Sun emits most of its light in the red region of the spectrum.
45. Circumpolar constellations
a) cannot be seen from State College.
b) are visible from the equator during the summer.
c) are visible from the equator during the winter.
d) can be observed all night.
e) are also called zodiac constellations.
46. Which of these statements about planetary orbits in our solar system
is true?
a) Planets spend more time near their aphelion (furthest point) than perihelion (closest
point).
b) The planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at the precise center of the ellipse.
c) Inferior planets take more time to go around the Sun than superior planets.
d) Planets are usually found far from the ecliptic plane.
e) Planets always travel west to east in the sky.
47. What type of photon has the longest wavelength?
a) a gamma-ray photon
b) an x-ray photon
c) a yellow photon
d) a red photon
e) an infrared photon
48. The best test of a scientific hypothesis is how
a) well it agrees with known theories
b) simply it explains known observations
c) easily it is transcribed into mathematical notation
d) well it predicts new observations
e) well it explains known observations
49. During a lunar eclipse
a) the Earth stops turning
b) the Earth's shadow falls on the Sun
c) the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon
d) the Sun's shadow falls on the Moon
e) the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth
50. A mountaintop is a good location for optical telescopes because the site is
a) closer to astronomical objects.
b) above much of the atmosphere.
c) colder than the valleys.
d) cheaper to build on than in cities.
e) all of the above.