Astro 103 Final (Chapters 5-9)

Front 1

Why do astronomers need different telescope designs to observe across the electromagnetic spectrum?

Back 1

Photons of different energy behave differently and require different collection strategies.

Front 2

The spectra of most galaxies show redshifts. This means that their spectral lines

Back 2

have wavelengths that are longer than normal

Front 3

When an electron in an atom goes from a higher energy to a lower energy state, the atom

Back 3

can emit a photon of any frequency.

Front 4

True or False: Based on our theory of how our own solar system formed, we would expect that our solar systems would be quite common.

Back 4

True

Front 5

Where are most of the known asteroids found?

Back 5

between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Front 6

T of F: X rays, because they have more energy, travel through space faster than visible light.

Back 6

False

Front 7

When an atom loses an electron, it becomes

Back 7

ionized

Front 8

What happened during the accretion phase of the early solar system?

Back 8

Particles grew by colliding and sticking together.

Front 9

What causes stars to twinkle?

Back 9

bending of light rays by turbulent layers in the atmosphere

Front 10

The planet closest in size to Earth is

Back 10

Venus

Front 11

From lowest energy to highest energy, which of the following correctly orders the different categories of electromagnetic radiation?

Back 11

radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X rays, gamma rays

Front 12

T or F: Earth is the only planet in the solar system known to have plate tectonics

Back 12

True

Front 13

The study of energy levels in atoms is called

Back 13

quantum mechanics

Front 14

How do asteroids differ from comets?

Back 14

Asteroids are rocky bodies and are denser than the comets, which are made of icy material.

Front 15

Which of the following wavelength regions cannot be studied with telescopes on the ground?

Back 15

radio waves and X rays

Front 16

The age of our solar system is approximately

Back 16

4.6 billion years.

Front 17

Why are there fewer large craters on the seafloor than on the continents?

Back 17

The seafloor crust is younger than the continental crust.

Front 18

T or F: The more massive planets in the solar system tend to be less dense than the lower mass planets.

Back 18

True

Front 19

T or F: The process in which one plate slides under another is called subduction and is marked by deep ocean trenches.

Back 19

True

Front 20

What are the main constituents of the jovian planets?

Back 20

hydrogen and helium

Front 21

Which internal energy source is the most important in continuing to heat the terrestrial planets today?

Back 21

radioactivity

Front 22

Which of the following statements best describes the two principal advantages of telescopes over eyes?

Back 22

Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution.

Front 23

An atom of the element iron has an atomic number of 26 and an atomic weight of 56. If it is neutral, how many protons, neutrons, and electrons does it have?

Back 23

26 protons, 30 neutrons, 26 electrons

Front 24

T or F: X-ray telescope mirrors are very similar to optical telescope mirrors.

Back 24

False

Front 25

Which of the following statements about electrical charges is true?

Back 25

A positive charge and a negative charge will attract each other.

Front 26

Why do all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?

Back 26

The laws of the conservation or energy and conservation of angular momentum ensure that any rotating, collapsing cloud will end up as a spinning disk.

Front 27

Which of the following is an advantage of the Hubble Space Telescope over ground-based telescopes?

Back 27

It is closer to the stars

Front 28

A planet is most likely to have tectonic activity if it has

Back 28

high internal temperature

Front 29

T or F: All the planets in the solar system have at least one moon.

Back 29

False

Front 30

What percentage of the mass of the solar nebula consisted of elements other than hydrogen and helium?

Back 30

2 percent

Front 31

Which of the following has NOT been detected around the other stars in the Galaxy?

Back 31

terrestrial planets

Front 32

How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light?

Back 32

Longer wavelengths means lower frequency and lower energy.

Front 33

What is differentiation in planetary geology?

Back 33

the process by which gravity separates materials according to density.

Front 34

When we see a region of a planet that is not as heavily cratered as other regions, we conclude that

Back 34

the surface in the region is younger than the surface in more heavily cratered regions.

Front 35

Which of the following is not a characteristic of the inner planets?

Back 35

The all have substantial atmospheres.

Front 36

What was the frost line of the solar system?

Back 36

the distance from the sun where temperature were low enough for hydrogen compounds to condense into ices, between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Front 37

Which of the following is not an exception to the general patterns of motion in the solar system?

Back 37

the rings of Saturn

Front 38

T or F: The atomic nuclei of the same element always have the same number of neutrons.

Back 38

False

Front 39

Rank the five terrestrial worlds in order of size from smallest to largest:

Back 39

Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth

Front 40

What do astronomers mean by light pollution?

Back 40

Light pollution refers to light used for human activities that brightens the sky and hinders astronomical observations.

Front 41

Which planets have ring systems?

Back 41

All of the jovian planets.

Front 42

T or F: Most astronomical objects emit light over a broad range of wavelengths.

Back 42

True

Front 43

Observations of young stars tell us that when the Sun was young the solar wind

Back 43

was stronger than it is today.

Front 44

Why does Earth have the strongest magnetic field among the terrestrial worlds?

Back 44

It is the only one that has both a partially molten metallic core and reasonably rapid rotation.

Front 45

Which two properties are most important in determining the surface temperature of a planet?

Back 45

distance from the Sun and atmosphere.

Front 46

Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed?

Back 46

As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to kinetic energy and then into thermal energy.

Front 47

The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is the size of

Back 47

the continental USA.

Front 48

What is the purpose of adaptive optics?

Back 48

to eliminate the distorting effects of atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground.

Front 49

Which of the following statements is not an observed pattern of motion in our solar system?

Back 49

Most planets orbit at the same speed.