space physics Flashcards

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1
Q

what galaxy is our solar system part off

A

the Milky Way galaxy

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2
Q

how many planets do our solar system make up

A

8

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3
Q

what do the plants in our system orbit around

A

the sun

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4
Q

what type of body is the sun

A

a star

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5
Q

what type of force pulled together the cloud of dust and gas to form the sun

A

gravitational force of attraction

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6
Q

what word is used to describe a cloud of dust and gas

A

a nebula

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7
Q

what type of reactions take place at the start of a star lives cycle as dust and gas is drawn together

A

fusion reactions

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8
Q

what factor determines the type of lifecycle of a star undergoes

A

the size of the star

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9
Q

which two phases do all stars of the same or greater size than the sun undergo

A
  1. protostar phase
  2. main sequence phase
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10
Q

what do stars of a similar magnitude to the sun become at the end of their life-cycle

A

a black dwarf

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11
Q

what two things can stars much bigger than the sun become at the end of their lifecycle

A
  1. neutron star
  2. black hole
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12
Q

what 2 phases do stars of a similar size to the sun go through between being a main sequence star and a black dwarf

A
  1. red giant
  2. white dwarf
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13
Q

what 2 phases do stars of a greater size than the sun go through between being a main sequence star and a neutron star/black hole

A
  1. red super giant
  2. supernova
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14
Q

what are produced during the fusion processes in a star

A

all of the naturally occurring elements

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15
Q

what condition is required for fusion reactions to occur in a star

A

very high temps

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16
Q

how are elements heavier than iron produced

A

supernova

17
Q

what type of nuclei fuse together to form heavier elements in a star

A

hydrogen nuclei fuse to form heavier elements

18
Q

how are elements distributed throughout the universe

A

through the explosion of a massive star
supernova

19
Q

how are elements distributed throughout the universe

A

through the explosion of a massive star

20
Q

what allows planets and satellites to maintain circular orbits

A

gravity provides the gravitational force that acts as the objects centripetal force
the presence of a centripetal force allows for the object to maintain its circular orbit

21
Q

what type of satellite can a plants moon be described as

A

a natural satellite

22
Q

give 2 examples of artificial satellites

A
  1. tv satellites
  2. satellites used for satellite images
23
Q

explain why for a stable orbit, the radius of orbit must be change if the speed changes

A

at higher speeds, the object requires a greater centripetal force
for greater centripetal force, the gradational force must increase
this is achieve by the radius of the orbit being reduced

24
Q

explain how the force of gravity acting on a satellite affects its speed and velocity

A

the force can alter its velocity since the direction is continually changing
it cants cause a change of speed since there is no force component in the direction of motion

25
Q

what is red-shift

A

an observed increase in the wavelength of light from distant galaxies

26
Q

what two things can be said about the motion and wavelength of emitted light from a galaxy, the further away it is

A

the further away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving
the further away a galaxy is, the greater the observed increase in wavelength

27
Q

what does red-shift provide evidence for

A

provides evidence that the universe is expanding
supports the Big Bang theory

28
Q

what does the Big Bang theory suggest

A

the entire universe started from a very small, hot and dense region in space

29
Q

compare the observed red-shift of two galaxies, one further away than the other

A

the galaxy that is further away is travelling faster
the observed red-shift is greater the fitter away it is

30
Q

what did scientists observe to prove evidence that the universe is expanding at an ever faster rate

A

they observe supernovae which suggested that galaxies are moving away at an ever faster rate

31
Q

prior to observations of supernovae what was believed about the rate of expansion of the universe

A

the rate of expansion was expected to occur at an ever slower rate
it was thought that gravitational forces would cause this slowing down

32
Q

wat 2 ideas could explain the universes ever increasing rate of expansion

A

the existence of energy and mass that we cannot detect - known as dark matter and dark energy
these ideas are still be developed by scientists and are not yet fully understood