Final Semester 1 - Astronomy Flashcards
Which of the following items is the largest?
universe
What is an example of a question that could be answered using cosmological models?
what stars are made of
How would cosmologists describe the overall content of the universe?
isotropic
Sandy takes a glass jar filled with clear paint and adds a few pinches of sand into it. She then uses a paint mixer to vigorously shake the jar, mixing the sand uniformly in it. When the jar is held to the light, the sand is evenly distributed throughout. What is this an illustration of?
the cosmological principle
What force binds a galaxy together?
gravity
What is the name of the galaxy we live in?
the Milky Way
What is the Sun?
a star
How old is the universe?
about 14 billion years old
What was the universe immediately before the Big Bang occurred?
a singularity
What causes cosmic microwave background energy?
cooling as the universe expands
What is happening to the universe today?
It is expanding in size.
Observation has shown that galaxies further away from us are moving away at a faster rate than galaxies closer to us. What does this evidence most directly support?
the Big Bang theory
What concept does Hubble’s Law most concern?
growing distance between galaxies
An astronomer notes that the celestial object they are observing is exhibiting a blueshift. What does this mean?
It’s moving towards the astronomer.
Tabitha knows the redshift value of a particular celestial object. What can she use this information most directly to find out?
the age and distance of the object
Which statement below is LEAST objective?
The sun is bright.
Marcy has just written down a question about a scientific observation that she’s made. In order to correctly follow the scientific method, what should she do next?
Form a hypothesis.
Javier is a navigator for the navy. His ship has just lost all power in the middle of the ocean, including access to your GPS. Which astronomical tool would be MOST helpful in this situation?
a sextant
A group of scientists have just concluded that all cow meat contains a bacteria that is harmful and in some cases deadly to humans. They are determined to share this information so that consuming beef would no longer be allowed. What is this an example of?
science for policy
Edward is a professional astronomer who observes that only one side of the moon faces the Earth at any given time. He asks himself why the moon appears to be facing our planet in the same direction all of the time. Continuing with the scientific method, which of the following would be a good hypothesis?
The moon rotates at the same rate it orbits the planet.
When following the scientific method, why would asking a subjective question be an inappropriate part of the procedure?
A subjective question deals with opinions, morals, and emotions and is not suited for science.
Which of these would be considered part of the natural world?
The Grand Canyon
Which of the following questions may be difficult to test scientifically?
Why is cheating wrong?
The statement “Earth is the third planet from the sun” is an example of a:
fact.