Space Physics

Question 1

What are some features of the sun?

Answer 1

•Produces its own light
•A star
•6000°C temperature
•halfway through its lifetime of 10,000million years

Question 2

What are the main features of the rocky planets?

Answer 2

•Mercury, Venus Earth and Mars
•Small
•Solid and rocky
•Layered structure

Question 3

What are the main features of the gas planets?

Answer 3

•Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus
•Made of gases
•Much larger
•Colder

Question 4

What are the main features of moons?

Answer 4

•Solid rocky surface
•Orbits planets
•Has craters from meteors etc

Question 5

What are the main features of asteroids?

Answer 5

•Consist of pieces of rock
•Various sizes
•Orbits between mars and Jupiter

Question 6

What are the main features of comets?

Answer 6

•Consist of dust embedded in ice from water and methane
•Density similar to the 4 outer planets
•Large elliptical orbits

Question 7

What is the order of the planets from the sun outwards?

Answer 7

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
(MVEMJSUNP)

Question 8

What does gravity provide that’s needed in space?

Answer 8

The force for initial motion of planets, comets, moons and satellites

Question 9

How do stars form?

Answer 9

When enough dust and gas from space is pulled together by gravitational attraction.

Question 10

What happens when smaller masses that form are attracted to larger mass?

Answer 10

Becomes planets

Question 11

What do the studies of light from stars show?

Answer 11

They’re are compressed from mainly hydrogen and helium and their energy is supplied by the fusion of hydrogen into helium

Question 12

What is formed by nuclear fusion in stars?

Answer 12

Naturally occurring elements apart from hydrogen

Question 13

What is the life cycle of stars of a small mass?

Answer 13

-Yellow dwarf
-Red giant
-White dwarf
-Red dwarf
-Black dwarf

Question 14

What is the life cycle of a star of a large mass?

Answer 14

-Blue star
-Blue supergiant
-Red supergiant
-Supernova
-Neutron star or black hole

Question 15

Why is a star stable during the ‘main sequence’ period of its life cycle?

Answer 15

The outward force of thermal expansion is balanced by the inward force of gravity

Question 16

What is the “main sequence” part of the stars life cycle?

Answer 16

Where a star spends most of its existence.

Question 17

Why do massive stars have a different life cycle after the ‘main sequence’ period?

Answer 17

They become red supergiants followed by a explosion which is called a supernova, this will then collapse and become neutron stars or black holes

Question 18

How did the universe begin and when?

Answer 18

As a big bang 14 billion years ago

Question 19

Why can nothing escape from a black hole?

Answer 19

Due to such a large gravitational field, with electromagnetic radiation such as light

Question 20

What is the evidence that the universe is expanding?

Answer 20

The observation that light from other galaxies is shifted to the red end of the spectrum. This shows all the galaxies are moving away from us.

Question 21

How were neutrons and protons formed?

Answer 21

After the Big Bang all the matter in the form of elementary subatomic particles moved in all directions

Question 22

How was nuclei formed?

Answer 22

With continued expansion and cooling

Question 23

How were hydrogen atoms formed?

Answer 23

After hydrogen nuclei was formed, Electrons were combined with hydrogen nuclei which formed hydrogen atoms.

Question 24

What is the further existence of the Big Bang?

Answer 24

Existence of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)

Question 25

What is the evidence for planets outside our solar system? And methods used for this?

Answer 25

•The Hubble telescope
•The SETI project which involves using radio telescopes to search for meaningful radio signals

Question 26

How can the composition of the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system be determined?

Answer 26

Examination of light passing through their atmospheres, in search for oxygen.

Question 27

Why are distances to stars and galaxies measured in light years?

Answer 27

The distances are very large

Question 28

What is a light year?

Answer 28

The distance light travels in one year

Question 29

What are the possibilities of space exploration in terms of distance and speed of travel?

Answer 29

•Manned space craft
•Unmanned probes and use of robots to transmit photographs or collect specimens
•Chemical analysis of gases in atmosphere to reveal presence of life
•the SETI project to detect radio signals in other galaxies

Question 30

What are the limitations of space exploration in terms of distance and speed of light?

Answer 30

•Space radiation,
•Isolation and confinement
•Distance from Earth,
•Gravity (and lack of it)
•Closed or hostile environments.

Question 31

How can you calculate speed of recession of a galaxy?

Answer 31

V (directly proportional to) S
or
V=H° x S

Question 32

How can you calculate age of galaxy or universe?

Answer 32

Age= Distance Apart S
——————— = —
Speed of recession V

Question 33

What is ‘H°’? (Space speed and distance calculations)

Answer 33

Hubble constant

Question 34

What is ‘V’? (Space speed and distance calculations)

Answer 34

Speed of recession

Question 35

What is ‘S’? (Space speed and distance calculations)

Answer 35

Distance