Astro Test 2 Flashcards
A high-luminosity star …
A: is always at a larger distance than a low-luminosity star
B: emits more light than a low-luminosity star
C: is always redder than a star with a lower luminosity
D: is at a lower temperature than a low-luminosity star
E: is always at a smaller distance than a low-luminosity star
B
If a red giant appears the same brightness as a red main sequence star, which one is
farther away?
A: the red giant
B: we cannot tell
C: it depends on the phase of the Moon
D: the main sequence star
E: they are at the same distance
A
The heaviest nuclei of all are formed …
A: during helium burning
B: as part of the p-p chain
C: during carbon burning
D: during a supernova explosion
E: during all stages of stellar evolution of massive stars
D
Fill in the blank in the following chemical reaction that occurs in the Sun:
Hydrogen-2 + proton = _____ + energy:
A: Hydrogen-2
B: Hydrogen-1
C: Helium-3
D: Carbon-12
E: Helium-4
C
- Which of the following has the smallest radius?
A: type A main sequence star
B: main sequence star with surface temperature 8000 K
C: type K main sequence star
D: white dwarf
E: neutron star
E
Why does the main sequence part of a star’s life end?
A: The Helium in the core is exhausted.
B: The gravitational force is no longer large enough to balance the pressure.
C: The Hydrogen in the core is exhausted.
D: The temperature drops so that nuclear reactions are no longer possible.
E: Much of the mass of the star has evaporated.
C
Which of the following will have the shortest lifetime on the main sequence?
A: main sequence star with surface temperature 20000 K
B: main sequence star with surface temperature 3000 K
C: main sequence star with luminosity one tenth that of the Sun
D: the Sun
E: main sequence star with mass 2 times the Sun’s
A
Many of the brightest 100 stars viewed from Earth are not on the main sequence
(even though most stars are) because …
A: only high mass stars formed near to us in the Galaxy.
B: the most luminous stars are giants and supergiants that have already
finished their main sequence lifetimes.
C: our region of the Galaxy is very young.
D: the main sequence is the shortest part of a star’s life so stars do not spend
much time there.
E: our region of the Galaxy is very old.
B
A 2-solar-mass main sequence star is at the same distance as a 0.2-solar-mass main
sequence star. Which star appears brighter?
A: depends on the phase of the Moon
B: the 2 solar mass main sequence star appears brighter
C: the stars are approximately the same brightness
D: the 0.2 solar mass main sequence star appears brighter
E: we cannot tell with the information given
B
The temperature of the photosphere of the Sun is closest to …
A: 10^7 Kelvin
B: 10^6 Kelvin
C: 100 Kelvin
D: 600,000 Kelvin
E: 6000 Kelvin
E
An estimate of the number of communicating / technological civilizations that we
expect in our Galaxy would be a larger number if …
A: the average lifetime of a communicating civilization were smaller
B: the star formation rate in our Galaxy were smaller
C: the average number of planets that could support life for each star were larger
D: it were more difficult for life to develop intelligence, once life had formed
E: a smaller percentage of stars formed planets
C
If the Sun had twice its mass, then which of these planets would be in its habitable
zone?
A: Mercury
B: Venus
C: Earth
D: Neptune
E: Jupiter
E
What is the exoplanet’s orbital period, and the percent brightness drop in light, for
the case in the image above from the Kepler Exoplanet Transit Hunt activity?
A: 60 days and 0.15 %
B: 20 days and 0.15 %
C: 10 days and 0.15 %
D: 5 days and 0.30 %
E: 60 days and 0.30 %
D
How do astronomers measure the temperature of stars?
A: The inverse square law is used.
B: Temperature is determined from the radius of the star that is measured by
radar.
C: By looking at which absorption lines are present in the star’s spectrum.
D: The rate of change of the color of the star is measured.
E: By comparing the luminosity and apparent brightnesses.
C
In the inverse square law activity above, what would the wattage of the top
lightbulb need to be, such that it appeared as bright as the bottom lightbulb which
is a 25-Watt bulb?
A: 400 Watts
B: 100 Watts
C: 50 Watts
D: 25 Watts
E: 20 Watts
B
The largest fraction of nearby stars (e.g., within 100 light years) are …
A: neutron stars
B: Sun-like stars
C: blue main sequence stars
D: red main sequence stars
E: blue supergiants
D
Which of the stars, in the diagram above, is the hottest?
A: A
B: B
C: C
D: D
E: E
D
If they were all formed at the same time, which of the stars in the diagram above
will live the longest?
A: A
B: B
C: C
D: D
E: E
B
The parallax angle of a nearby star is measured to be 0.02 arcseconds. What is the
distance to the star?
A: 20 parsecs
B: 2 light years
C: 50 parsecs
D: 0.2 light years
E: 200 light years
C
Which of the following is the sequence of events for a 40-solar mass star
(one of the most-massive stars)?
A: planetary nebula, protostar, Sun-like star on main sequence, blue giant,
red giant
B: stellar nursery, protostar, Sun-like star on main sequence, red giant,
planetary nebula, white dwarf
C: stellar nursery, blue giant, Sun-like star on main sequence, red giant,
Type II supernova, neutron star
D: stellar nursery, protostar, blue star on main sequence, Type II supernova,
black hole
E: black hole, neutron star, white dwarf, Sun-like star on main sequence,
red giant, Type II supernova
D
Star A is 9 times as luminous as Star B. The two stars appear the same brightness.
What is true about their distances?
A: Star A is 9 times farther away than Star B.
B: Star B is 9 times farther away than Star A.
C: Star A is 3 times farther away than Star B.
D: Star B is 3 times farther away than Star A.
E: Stars A and B are at the same distance.
C
In the p-p chain, shown in the above diagram, what particles must be input in order
to produce one 4He nucleus?
A: 8 protons, but 2 of them are returned when the 4He is produced
B: 6 protons, but 2 of them are returned when the 4He is produced
C: 2 photons and 2 positrons
D: 2 protons and 4 neutrons
E: 4 neutrons
B
What is the name of the slightly cooler layer of the Sun just outside the
photosphere?
A: core
B: corona
C: convective zone
D: chromosphere
E: radiative zone
D
How does a star move on the H-R diagram during the period of time it is converting
hydrogen to helium in its core?
A: It moves from the far lower right corner of the diagram to the far upper left
corner of the diagram, along the main sequence.
B: It moves from the upper left of the diagram to the lower right of the diagram,
along the main sequence.
C: It remains nearly fixed at a certain point on the main sequence and does
not move on the H-R diagram.
D: It moves from the upper right of the diagram to the lower left of the diagram.
E: It moves from the lower left of the diagram to the upper right of the diagram
C
If the entire mass of Earth were concentrated in a region the size of a marble, the
resulting object would be …
A: a Sun-like star
B: a white dwarf
C: a neutron star
D: a black hole
E: a planetary nebula
D