Physics Final Review (Semester 2) Flashcards
A light-year equals what distance
9.46 trillion km, 5.88 trillion miles
Which event began the universe
The Big Bang
A constellation’s changing position in the sky, at the same time of the evening, over a period of several weeks is evidence that
Earth revolves around the Sun
The telescope that solved the problem of color separation was the
reflecting telescope
The Coriolis effect provides evidence that
the Earth rotates
The Coriolis effect is
because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
Which telescope detects invisible electromagnetic radiation
A radio telescope
The period between successive full moons is
lunar month
Each of Earth’s standard time zones covers about how many degrees
15
A benefit that 20th and 21st century space programs have brought to an area outside of astronomy is
improved heart pumps and accurate weather predictions
The right combination of temperature, water, and oxygen
supports life on Earth (Goldilocks Zone)
Kepler’s first law states that planets orbit the sun in paths called
ellipses
Young Earth formed a core, mantle, and crust in a process called
differentiation
Early fresh water oceans became salty when
rainwater carried dissolved solid rock to the oceans
The two inner planets most alike in size, mass, and density are
Venus and Earth
Kepler’s third law describes the relationship between the average distance of a planet from the sun and the planet’s
orbital period
Which planet has volcanic regions that may still be active
Mars
Kepler’s second law states that equal areas are covered in equal amount of time as an object
completes an eclipse
What planet has to most complex ring system
Saturn
The early atmosphere developed when many volcanic eruptions released large amounts of gases in a process called
outgassing
Tides on Earth are caused by
Earth’s inertial force and the moon’s gravitational force
When a meteoroid hits Earth, it is called a
meteorite
The idea that the moon’s development began when a large object collided with Earth is called the
giant-impact theory
The moon today looks as it did 3 billion years ago because
it doesn’t have volcanoes
What is not a characteristic of one of the Galilean moons
Ganymede has lava plains
Kuiper Belt
Mainly icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune
Oort Cloud
distant spherical region of icy comet nuclei, farthest from the sun, and is the source of most long-period comets
How long is the average sunspot cycle
11 years
What is the hottest layer of the sun’s atmosphere called
corona
Energy is the result of
nuclear fusion
The temperature of the sun’s core is appoximately
15,000,000
What elements make up most of the sun’s mass
hydrogen (92.1%) and helium (7.9%)
Which of the following are part of the sun’s atmosphere
photosphere and chromosphere
Particles thrown off the sun’s corona that can affect Earth’s magnetic field are called
a coronal mass ejection
Einstein’s equation E=mc^2 helps scientists understand the sun’s energy because the equation
explains how mass can be converted into huge amounts of energy
The most common element in most stars is
hydrogen
Stars appear to move in circular paths through the sky because
Earth rotates on its axis
A nebula begins the process of becoming a protostar when the nebula
Begins to shrink and increases its spin
The brightest star in the night sky is
Sirius
A main sequence star generates energy by fusing
hydrogen and helium
The heaviest element formed in the core of a star is
Iron
The change in position of a nearby star as seen from different points on Earth’s orbit compared with the position of a faraway star is called
parallax
Describe what scientists think will happen to the sun in the next 5 billion years
It will expand into a giant red star (engulf Mercury + Venus + Earth) and turn into a white dwarf
If the spectrum of a star indicates that the star shines with red light, what is the approximate surface temperature of the star
2500K - 3500K
Explain why an old main -sequence star is made of a higher percentage of helium than a young main sequence star is
older stars have fused and converted greater amounts of hydrogen into helium
What is the unit for work and energy
Joules
