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Astronomy Exam #1 > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

1
Q

About where is our solar system located within the Milky Way Galaxy?

A

about halfway from the center of the galaxy to the edge of the galactic disk

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2
Q

When we speak of the entire universe (as opposed to the observable universe), we mean

A

the total sum of all matter and energy

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3
Q

Which of the following is the largest distance

A

diameter of a typical galaxy

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4
Q

Which of the following statements does not use the term light-year in an appropriate way?

A

It will take me light-years to complete this homework assignment.

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5
Q

One light-minute is the distance that light travels in one minute. How far is this, in kilometers

A

18 million km (60s x 300,000km/s

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6
Q

Shortly after the Big Bang, the chemical composition of the universe was

A

almost entirely hydrogen and helium

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7
Q

Earth is made mostly of metals and rocks. Where did most of the elements that make up these materials (carbon, silicon, iron, etc.) from

A

they were produced by stars

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8
Q

Why would a scientist say that we are star stuff?

A

Nearly every atom from which we are made once (before the solar system formed)was inside of a star

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9
Q

The Sun is made primarily of

A

hydrogen and helium

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10
Q

Our Sun formed _______ our galaxy formed

A

billions of years after

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11
Q

In what sense are galaxies cosmic recycling plants?

A

New stars in galaxies form from gas that has been ejected by previous generations of stars

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12
Q

On the scale of the cosmic calendar, in which the history of the universe is compressed to 1year, when did the Sun and Earth form

A

September

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13
Q

On the scale of the cosmic calendar, in which the history of the universe is compressed to 1year, how long has human civilization (i.e., since ancient Egypt) existed

A

a few seconds

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14
Q

On the scale of the cosmic calendar, in which the history of the universe is compressed into 1year, when did the dinosaurs become extinct

A

in late December

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15
Q

On the scale of the cosmic calendar, in which the history of the universe is compressed into 1year, when did Kepler and Galileo first discover that we live on a planet in a solar system

A

1 second ago

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16
Q

On the scale of the cosmic calendar, in which the history of the universe is compressed into 1year, how long is the average human life span?

A

0.2 second

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17
Q

Approximately how fast is a person located at the Earth’s equator moving around Earth’s axis due to the rotation of the Earth

A

1700 km/hr

18
Q

Earth’s rotation causes a person at the North Pole to ____relative to the center of the Earth

A

spin in place once each day

19
Q

We say that Earth has an axis tilt of 23-1/2° because this is the angle between Earth’s

A

rotation axis and a line perpendicular (vertical) to the ecliptic plane

20
Q

About how long does it take our solar system to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy

A

230 million years

21
Q

From the fact that virtually every galaxy is moving away from us and more distant galaxies are moving away from us at a faster rate than closer ones, we conclude that

A

the universe is expanding

22
Q

What do astronomers mean when they say the universe is expanding?

A

Average distances are increasing between most galaxies

23
Q

According to astronomers, approximately how old is the universe?

A

14 billion years

24
Q

According to current scientific estimates, when did the Big Bang occur

A

about 14 billion years ago

25
Q

How many seconds are in one year? (Calculate this, do not look it up.

A

about 30 million

26
Q

Which of the following is a general difference between a planet and a star

A

Stars shine with energy released by nuclear fusion while planets shine primarily with light reflected from stars.

27
Q

Our solar system consists of

A

the Sun and all the objects that orbit it

28
Q

A typical galaxy is a

A

collection of millions or billions of stars, bound together by gravity and orbiting a common center

29
Q

Which of the following best describes what we mean by the term universe

A

The sum total of all matter and energy

30
Q

An astronomical unit (AU) is

A

the average distance between Earth and the Sun.

31
Q

A television advertisement claiming that a product is light-years ahead of its time does not make sense because

A

it uses “light-years” to talk about time, but a light-year is a unit of distance

32
Q

The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately

A

A few hundred billion.

33
Q

What do astronomers mean by the Big Bang

A

The event that marked the beginning of the expansion of the universe

34
Q

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding

A

Average distances between galaxies are increasing with time

35
Q

Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is about

A

14 billion years

36
Q

What is the ecliptic plane

A

the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun

37
Q

How long does it take the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun?

A

One year

38
Q

Which of the following has your “cosmic address” in the correct order

A

you, Earth, Solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster,Universe

39
Q

When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it

A

As it was 1,000 years ago

40
Q

Using the ideas discussed in your text, in what sense are we “star stuff”

A

Nearly every atom from which we are made was once inside of a star.

41
Q

Why do the patterns of the stars in our sky look the same from year to year?

A

Because the stars in the constellations are so far away

Astronomy Exam #1 (4 decks)

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