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Exploring the Cosmos 1X > Jan 2008 > Flashcards

Jan 2008 Flashcards

1
Q

Roughly how many stars are visible with the naked eye?

A. 60 B. 600 C. 6 000 D. 60 000

A

C

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2
Q

A meridian of longitude on the Earth is

A. a great circle. B. a small circle. C. parallel to the equator. D. perpendicular to the equator

A

D

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3
Q

Bessel was the first person to succeed in measuring the parallax of a star in the year

A. 1725. B. 1838. C. 1890. D. 1930.

A

B

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4
Q

Sirius is about four times brighter than Vega. The difference in their apparent magnitudes is

A. 1.5. B. 2. C. 2.5. D. 4.

A

A

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5
Q

The equation of time depends on

A. the obliquity of the ecliptic. B. the earth’s orbital eccentricity. C. both. D. neither.

A

C

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6
Q

The best time of year to visually observe a planet at Right Ascension 14 hours is in

A. late April B. late July C. late October D. late January

A

A

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7
Q

Spring tides occur at

A. new moon only. B. full moon only. C. either first or third quarter. D. either new or full moon.

A

D

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8
Q

The only ancient Greek philosopher to propose a heliocentric system was

A. Aristarchus. B. Eratothenes. C. Hipparchus. D. Ptolemy.

A

A

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9
Q

Which of the following did Galileo not discover?

A. Sunspots B. The moons of Jupiter. C. The phases of Venus. D. The rings of Saturn.

A

D

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10
Q

Newton’s second law of motion states that the force applied to a body is directly proportional to the body’s

A. acceleration. B. speed. C. momentum. D. velocity.

A

A

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11
Q

Pluto lost its status as a planet in 2006 and is now considered as a dwarf planet because

A. it has a moon (Charon). B. it is not orbiting around the Sun. C. it is not large enough to take on a nearly spherical shape. D. it does not clear its own orbit.

A

D

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12
Q

The two planets that have a large obliquity (greater than ) in the solar system are o90

A. Venus and the Earth. B. Venus and Uranus C. Jupiter and Saturn. D. Mercury and Uranus.

A

B

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13
Q

The main components of the Sun are

A. 73 % hydrogen, 25 % helium and 2 % heavier elements. B. 73 % helium, 25 % hydrogen and 2 % heavier elements. C. 73 % hydrogen, 25 % oxygen and 2 % heavier elements. D. 73 % hydrogen, 25 % carbon dioxide and 2 % heavier elements

A

A

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14
Q

The core of the Earth is predominantly made up of

A. basalt. B. iron and nickel. C. anorthosite. D. metal oxides.

A

B

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15
Q

Which of these statements is NOT true?

A. Mid ocean rifts are caused by material rising to the ocean floor and spreading outwards. B. Mid ocean rifts are caused by the subduction of an oceanic plate under another. C. Mid ocean rifts are made up of solidified molten rock, such as basalt. D. Mid ocean rifts show evidence for the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field.

A

B

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16
Q

Carbon dioxide was removed from the Earth’s atmosphere by

A. the creation of the ozone layer. B. the release of gases from the hot interior. C. volcanic activity. D. the presence of liquid water and live organisms

A

D

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17
Q

The Moon has no atmosphere because

A. it does not have a liquid metal core . B. its gravitational field is too weak. C. it cooled too rapidly. D. it has no water

A

B

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18
Q

The period of rotation of Venus is

A. 243 Earth days. B. 4 Earth days. C. 88 Earth days. D. 1 Earth day.

A

A

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19
Q

The interior of Mercury

A. is made up of a large mantle. B. is made up of a large metallic core. C. has a lower density than the Moon. D. has a thick crust.

A

B

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20
Q

Mars

A. has a strong magnetic field. B. has two moons named Ceres and Sedna. C. has an atmosphere consisting of 21 % carbon dioxide. D. has the largest volcano in the solar system

A

D

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21
Q

The centre of Jupiter is believed to consist mainly of

A. solid rock. B. ice. C. solid hydrogen. D. liquid metallic hydrogen

A

D

22
Q

The atmosphere of Jupiter consists of hydrogen and

A. helium. B. methane. C. nitrogen. D. only trace amounts of other gases

A

A

23
Q

Jupiter’s moon Io is volcanic because

A. it has not fully cooled down from its formation. B. it contains radioactive elements. C. it is heavily bombarded by meteorites. D. it experiences tidal deformations due to Jupiter.

A

D

24
Q

The ratio of the mean density of the planet Saturn to that of water is

A. 3.5. B. 2.9. C. 1.5. D. 0.7.

A

D

25
Q

Which of these is not a moon of Saturn?

A. Tethys B. Hyperion C. Umbriel D. Mimas

A

C

26
Q

Saturn’s moon Iapetus is unusual because

A. it contains the deepest chasm of any moon in the solar system. B. it generates geysers of ice. C. its surface is markedly black and white. D. it orbits Saturn in the opposite direction to the planet’s other moons

A

C

27
Q

The motion of Uranus is unusual because

A. its day equals its year. B. its axis of rotation is approximately in the plane of its orbit. C. its orbit is highly elliptical. D. it goes round the sun in the opposite direction to the other planets

A

B

28
Q

Neptune is blue because

A. its atmosphere contains methane. B. its outer atmosphere contains hydrogen. C. it is covered by an ocean of liquid water. D. it has an ocean of liquid hydrogen

A

A

29
Q

The Roche limit is

A. the outer edge of the asteroid belt. B. the outer edge of the solar system. C. the distance from a planet within which a moon cannot form. D. the inner radius of a system of planetary rings.

A

C

30
Q

Kuiper Belt objects are

A. small planetary objects beyond Neptune. B. asteroids that occur within the orbit of Mars. C. periodic comets. D. temporary stormy spots on Jupiter

A

A

31
Q

The radius of the Sun is

A. 12 000 km B. 1 400 000 km C. 1 AU D. 700 000 km

A

D

32
Q

The density of the Sun is

A. about the same as the Jovian planets. B. about the same as the density of Earth. C. 100 gcm-3. D. not known

A

A

33
Q

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A. Electromagnetic waves are characterised by wavelength and frequency. B. Electromagnetic waves need a carrier medium. C. Electromagnetic waves can be polarised. D. Electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light in free space.

A

B

34
Q

The wavelength range for visible light is

A. 400 – 800 m. B. 40 – 80 nm. C. 4 000 – 8 000 nm. D. 400 – 800 nm

A

D

35
Q

Temperature is

A. dependent on the velocity of a heated body. B. the amount of heat radiated by a body. C. a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a heated body. D. a measure of the electromagnetic waves emitted by a heated body

A

C

36
Q

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A. Spectral lines appear in emission spectra of hot gasses. B. Spectral lines appear in absorption spectra of cold gasses. C. Spectral lines can give information about magnetic fields. D. Spectral lines are produced by black body radiation.

A

D

37
Q

The photo-electric effect is evidence that

A. light consists of photons. B. colour corresponds to wavelength. C. electro-magnetic waves are transversely polarised. D. light is an electromagnetic wave.

A

A

38
Q

The most abundant elements on the Sun are

A. Hydrogen, Carbon and Oxygen B. Nitrogen and Oxygen C. Helium and Hydrogen D. Helium, Argon and Xenon

A

C

39
Q

Two adjacent sun spots are linked by

A. electric field lines. B. their temperatures. C. magnetic field lines. D. gravitational field

A

C

40
Q

Neutrinos from the Sun

A. are electromagnetic waves. B. are created by nuclear fusion processes. C. cause the Northern lights. D. carry electric charge

A

B

41
Q

To what does the Fermi paradox refer?

A. The lack of signs of alien life in our universe. B. The lack of oxygen on the surface of Mars. C. The presence of water beneath the surface of Europa. D. The disappearance of the dinosaurs from the Earth’s fossil record.

A

A

42
Q

Which of the following factors does not contribute to the Drake equation?

A. The fraction of stars in the galaxy which could sustain stable planetary orbits. B. The fraction of planets within a star’s habitable zone on which life develops. C. The number of planets from which we have detected radio signals. D. The number of planets which exist within a star’s habitable zone for 4 billion years

A

C

43
Q

What is the frequency range of the “Cosmic Water Hole” where SETI concentrates its search for extraterrestrial life?

A. 1.4 – 1.7 GHz B. 1.4 – 1.7 MHz C. 1.4 – 1.7 kHz D. 1.4 – 1.7 Hz

A

A

44
Q

Which gas dominates the atmosphere of Titan?

A. Nitrogen B. Oxygen C. Carbon dioxide D. Helium

A

A

45
Q

It is possible to determine whether a star is moving towards us or away from us by using which technique?

A. By carrying out a gas exchange experiment. B. By carrying out the Miller-Urey experiment. C. By measuring the size of the star. D. By measuring the Doppler shift of the star.

A

D

46
Q

Compared to the Earth’s atmosphere, what is the approximate pressure of the atmosphere of Mars?

A. 0.6 % B. 25 % C. 60 % D. 75 %

A

A

47
Q

What is ALH84001?

A. A crater on the surface of the Moon. B. A Martian meteorite found on Earth which was thought to contain signs of life. C. A canyon on the surface of Mars. D. The first satellite to orbit Mars

A

B

48
Q

What is the Habitable Zone of a star?

A. The region within the star where the elements which form life are created. B. The area surrounding a star where an orbiting planet would be able to sustain liquid water. C. The area surrounding a star where a planet has an unstable orbit. D. The regions of the surface of the planets orbiting a star where life and develop.

A

B

49
Q

Which planet in our Solar system has a runaway greenhouse effect?

A. Venus B. Mars C. Mercury D. Earth

A

A

50
Q

During the Earth’s Hadean era, which gas dominated the Earth’s atmosphere?

A. Carbon dioxide B. Nitrogen C. Helium D. Oxygen

A

A

Exploring the Cosmos 1X (9 decks)

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