P16: Space

Question 1

What do dwarf planets orbit?

Answer 1

The Sun

Question 2

What are the natural satellites?

Answer 2

The moons that orbit planets

Question 3

How was the sun formed?

Answer 3

From a cloud of dust (nebula) pulled together by gravitational attraction

Question 4

What determines a star’s life cycle?

Answer 4

The size of the star

Question 5

How are naturally occurring elements produced?

Answer 5

Fusion processes in stars

Question 6

What is produced in a supernova?

Answer 6

Elements heavier than iron

Question 7

What distributes the elements throughout the universe?

Answer 7

The explosion of a supernova

Question 8

What is the function of gravity for planets?

Answer 8

It provides the force that allows planets and satellites to maintain their circular orbits

Question 9

What can gravity do for circular orbits?

Answer 9

It can lead to changing velocity but unchanged speed

Question 10

What must change if the speed stable orbits change?

Answer 10

Radius

Question 11

How is a protostar formed?

Answer 11

The big cloud of dust and gas (nebula), is pulled together due to the attractive force of gravity

Question 12

What happens as the protostar is squeezed?

Answer 12

It becomes more dense, allowing particles to collide more often, increasing the temperature and pressure

Question 13

What allows the main sequence star to stay in a long period of time?

Answer 13

The outward pressure from energy from nuclear fusion and the inward pressure by gravity

Question 14

What causes a white dwarf from the red giant?

Answer 14

The expelling of outer layers of dust and gas.

Question 15

Describe the white dwarf.

Answer 15

Hot, dense and solid

Question 16

What causes a black dwarf?

Answer 16

The white dwarf becoming cooler and darker due to it emitting all its energy

Question 17

What would be the product of a very big supernova?

Answer 17

A neutron star, which is a dense core

Question 18

What would be the product of a massive supernova?

Answer 18

A black hole.

Question 19

Where does black hole get its name from?

Answer 19

The fact that its so dense that the gravity can pull in any light that passes nearby, meaning they appear as empty spaces.

Question 20

What are asteroids made of?

Answer 20

Mostly rock and metal, between mars and venus

Question 21

What are comets?

Answer 21

Mostly ice and dust, with eliptical orbits

Question 22

What is a galaxy?

Answer 22

A collection of billions stars

Question 23

What is an orbit?

Answer 23

The curved path of one celestial object with another

Question 24

What results to a steady orbit?

Answer 24

Instantaneous velocity of the orbiting object and the gravitational pull of the orbited object

Question 25

What is instantaneous velocity?

Answer 25

The velocity of an object at a single moment or point in time

Question 26

How does the red-shift provide evidence for the Big Bang Theory?

Answer 26

If the universe is expanding, it makes sense that it started smaller, hence a single spot

Question 27

What keeps the sun’s core hot?

Answer 27

The energy from fusion reactions

Question 28

What causes the formation of a red giant?

Answer 28

When the hydrogen runs out from the main sequence star, and the star cools and expands. The outward force of pressure is larger than the inward.

Question 29

What do larger stars fuse hydrogen nuclei into?

Answer 29

Lithium and other lighter elements

Question 30

What is dark matter and dark energy?

Answer 30

An unknown substance that holds galaxies together but does not emit electromagnetic radiation. Dark energy is the thing that causes the universe to expand quickly