Earth's place in the Universe test

Question 1

Out of the four elements shown above, which one has the highest atomic number? (Diagram in Review Sheet)

Answer 1

Element 4

Question 2

How much of an original sample remains after one half-life? Two half-lives?

Answer 2

50% and then 25% after two half-lives.

Question 3

What elements can be found in a nebula created by a supernova explosion of a high mass star?

Answer 3

All of the Elements

Question 4

Which of the shapes below is most eccentric? (Choices are in the Review Sheet)

Answer 4

3 (The more oval it is, the higher the eccentricity, the more circular, the less eccentric it is)

Question 5

According to the diagram above, what variable has the greatest impact on the life cycle of a star?

Answer 5

Mass

Question 6

What are the life stages of the sun?

Answer 6

Protostar, sun, red giant, planetary nebula, and then white dwarf

Question 7

Where can meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites be found?

Answer 7

Meteoroids- Space
Meteors- The atmosphere
Meteorites- On the Ground

Question 8

How old are most of the meteorites that we find on Earth?

Answer 8

4.6 Billion years old

Question 9

What gets emitted when an electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level?

Answer 9

Light

Question 10

What planet in our solar system reflects red light and appears reddish when viewed from the Earth?

Answer 10

Mars

Question 11

When are elements heavier than iron created?

Answer 11

In Supernovas

Question 12

How do the age of meteorites compare to the age of the Earth? Why?

Answer 12

Around the same age as the Earth because when the big bang happened the particles in the solar system are around the same age.

Question 13

What do we call rocky Earth-like planets?

Answer 13

Terrestrial planets

Question 14

What do we call gaseous and icy Jupiter-like planets?

Answer 14

Gas Giants/Jovian Planets

Question 15

How long ago did the big bang occur?

Answer 15

13.77 billion years ago

Question 16

Kepler’s Third Law of planetary motion (P2=A3) describes a relationship between what two variables?

Answer 16

Orbital period (P) to average distance (A)

Question 17

What scientist developed 3 laws of planetary motion?

Answer 17

Kepler

Question 18

What stage of life do all stars experience?

Answer 18

Protostar

Question 19

What orbital shape do all planets follow?

Answer 19

Elliptical/Ellipse

Question 20

What do we call the time it takes for half of the nuclei in a sample of a radioactive isotope to decay?

Answer 20

Half-Life

Question 21

Which one of the following is NOT one of Kepler’s laws?

Answer 21

Review Sheet Answer (B) An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Question 22

The average distance from the sun to Mars is 1.524 AU. What is its orbital period?

Answer 22

1.88 years

Question 23

What process occurs inside stars that convert mass to energy and causes it to “shine”?

Answer 23

Nuclear fusion

Question 24

How long ago did the sun form? How long ago did the planets form?

Answer 24

Around 4.6 Billion years ago

Question 25

Describe 3 characteristics of the solar system that support the solar nebula concentration theory.

Answer 25

Planets revolve and rotate counterclockwise, planets orbit the sun on the same plane.

Question 26

What structure holds 99% of the mass in our solar system?

Answer 26

The Sun

Question 27

What atoms were created in the big bang?

Answer 27

Hydrogen and Helium

Question 28

Give 3 pieces of information that support the big bang theory.

Answer 28

Expansion of Space, CMB, Relative abundance of hydrogen, Redshift of distant galaxies.

Question 29

Give examples of 3 types of objects that are part of our solar system.

Answer 29

Planets, comets, the sun, asteroids, and moons

Question 30

What is the most important factor that will determine how long a star will live?

Answer 30

Mass - The more mass, the shorter the lifespan, the less mass, the longer the life span is.

Question 31

Imagine you are searching for dense and rocky planets in a newly discovered planetary system. Based on what you know about our solar system, where would you most likely find this type of planet?

Answer 31

Close to a Star

Question 32

The half-life of radioactive Carbon-14 is 5730 years. If you have 200 grams of Carbon-14 today, approximately how much will remain 11,460 years later?

Answer 32

50 grams (2 half lives)

Question 33

Why can meteorites help us determine the age of the solar system?

Answer 33

Because they’re made of the same materials as the materials in the solar system.

Question 34

While in space, astronaut Don Pettit shook a baggie filled with salt grains and noticed that they combined into larger clumps. What idea does this experiment best support?

Answer 34

Formation of planets

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT evidence of the solar nebula condensation theory

Answer 35

Review Sheet Answer (D) All of the planets orbit the sun in an elliptical shape

Question 36

What is shown in the iconic image above? What event produced this energy? How old is this energy? What caused the wavelength of this energy to change?

Answer 36

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) The Big Bang 13.7 Billion Years Space Expanded

Question 37

What is the primary source of information scientists use to learn about stars?

Answer 37

Light

Question 38

Below is a list of the phases of the formation of the solar system. What is the correct chronological order according to the solar nebula condensation theory?

Answer 38

1) Nearby supernova triggers gravitational Collapse of Nebula 2) Onset of nuclear fusion in central protostar 3) Single rotating nebula of gas and dust 4) Stellar wind clears residual gas 5) Accretion of planetesimals into two types of planets: terrestrial and Jovian

Question 39

Where are most stars found on the H-R diagram above?

Answer 39

The main sequence

Question 40

Why are there more red than blue stars in the H-R diagram above?

Answer 40

Blue stars are bigger and hotter than red stars which means they extinguish faster.

Question 41

According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram above, what is the surface temperature and brightness of the sun?

Answer 41

4,800 degrees kelvin and has a brightness of 1 solar unit.

Question 42

Why do distant galaxies appear red when viewed from the Hubble space telescope?

Answer 42

Because Space is expanding and causes the wavelength to increase

Question 43

Your body contains approximately 7 x 1027 carbon atoms. Where were these atoms created?

Answer 43

Stars

Question 44

What is the life span of the sun?

Answer 44

10 Billion years

Question 45

Where are atoms heavier than iron created?

Answer 45

In supernova explosions

Question 46

Discuss the life cycle of stars and how this cycle can result in the production of elements over time.

Answer 46

The universe formed 13.7 billion years ago in the Big Bang, and created all of the hydrogen and helium. The hydrogen and helium creates most of the gas giants and stars, blue stars have a shorter life and burn faster and red stars have longer lives and burns slower.