Deck 9: Probing the Dynamic Sun

Question 1

Babcock's magnetic dynamo model explains how the differential rotation of the Sun causes sunspot groups.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The layer of the atmosphere of the Sun with the hottest temperature is the chromosphere.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Magnetic fields deflect moving electrically charged objects.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In the conversion from hydrogen to helium,four protons are converted to one helium nucleus.

Question 5

The energy produced by the Sun is caused by nuclear fission.

Question 6

Fusion only occurs on the surface of the Sun.

Question 7

Sunspots are areas of very low magnetic fields.

Question 8

The heat of the Sun is caused by burning of hydrogen similar to the process of a log burning in a fire.

Question 9

Violent,eruptive events on the Sun that occur in complex sunspot groups are called spicules.

Question 10

The Sun's polarity pattern (north and south magnetic poles)of sunspots reverses itself every 11 years.

Question 11

The core of the Sun is very dense and incredibly hot.

Question 12

Sunspots are dark because they are hotter than the surrounding material on the Sun.

Question 13

There is a large increase in temperature in the transition region between the chromosphere and the corona.

Question 14

Spicules are usually located directly above the edges of granules groups.

Question 15

The three forms of energy transport are conduction,convection,and radiative diffusion.

Question 16

Aurorae are usually seen as ring-shaped patterns above Earth's polar regions.

Question 17

Turning mass into energy violates the law of conservation of energy.

Question 18

The most efficient means of energy transport in the sun is through conduction.

Question 19

In the famous equation E = mc²,c stands for the speed of light.

Question 20

Energy diffuses outward from the core of the Sun slower than a snail's pace.

Question 21

The neutrino is

A) an uncharged nuclear particle with mass intermediate between those of the electron and the proton,like a low-mass neutron,capable of penetrating large thicknesses of matter.
B) another name for an electron that carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge.
C) a heavy,uncharged nuclear particle,easily detected.
D) an elusive,subatomic particle having little or no mass,and very difficult to detect.

Question 22

Which of the three ways by which heat energy can be transmitted from one place to another-radiation,conduction,convection-is important in the solar interior below the surface of the Sun?

A) Radiation and convection
B) Conduction and radiation
C) Conduction and convection
D) Radiation alone,by photons of energy

Question 23

The phrase "hydrostatic equilibrium" in the Sun refers to the

A) balance of gas pressure outward and magnetic forces inward.
B) creation of one helium nucleus for the "destruction" of every four hydrogen nuclei.
C) balance of gas pressure inward and heat outward.
D) balance of gravity inward and gas pressure outward.

Question 24

What is nuclear fusion?

A) A heavy nucleus splitting apart to form two lighter nuclei
B) The attachment of electrons to nuclei to form atoms
C) Two nuclei combining to form a new,heavier nucleus
D) The stripping off of electrons to form ions

Question 25

About how much longer can the Sun continue to generate energy by nuclear reactions in its core?

A) 500,000 years
B) 50 billion years
C) 5 billion years
D) 5 million years

Question 26

What is a positron?

A) The nucleus of a helium atom
B) A positive electron
C) The nucleus of a hydrogen atom
D) A chargeless,massless particle

Question 27

Where is most of the mass of the Sun concentrated?

A) It is spread uniformly through the Sun.
B) In the inner core
C) In the photosphere
D) In the convective zone

Question 28

When four protons collide to form helium,what fraction of the original mass of the protons is converted to energy?

A) 20%
B) 0.7%
C) 100%
D) 4%

Question 29

When two protons and two neutrons combine to form 4He,it is found that this helium nucleus is less massive than the sum of the four original particles used to construct it.What is the significance of this?

A) The lost mass is transferred into energy.
B) The mass is lost through friction.
C) The "lost" mass can be accounted for by the masses of the particles emitted as radioactive decay during the interaction.
D) The mass disappears without a trace.

Question 30

Approximately where is the Sun in terms of its total lifetime?

A) It is about 1/2 of the way through its life.
B) It is only 1/10 of the way through its life.
C) It is about 3/4 of the way through its life.
D) It is about 1/4 of the way through its life.

Question 31

The average time taken for energy generated by thermonuclear fusion in the center of the Sun to reach the surface layers and escape is calculated to be

A) just a few seconds because this energy travels at the speed of light.
B) about 10 million years.
C) about 1 year.
D) 170,000 years.

Question 32

Just outside the radiation zone lies the

A) convection zone.
B) conduction zone.
C) photosphere.
D) corona.

Question 33

The Sun's source of energy at the present time is thought to be

A) thermonuclear fusion (combining)of hydrogen atoms.
B) thermonuclear fission (splitting)of heavy elements into hydrogen.
C) chemical burning of hydrogen gas with oxygen.
D) gravitational contraction.

Question 34

What process provides the power for the Sun?

A) Fusion of helium into carbon
B) Fission of uranium to form lead
C) Fission of oxygen to form carbon
D) Fusion of hydrogen into helium

Question 35

What is the dominant mechanism by which energy is transported through the outer regions of the solar interior?

A) By photons (radiative transport of energy)
B) By neutrinos streaming outward through the Sun's material (particle transport of energy)
C) By collisions of faster-moving particles with slower-moving particles (conductive transport of energy)
D) By hotter gas rising and cooler gas falling (convective transport of energy)

Question 36

What happens to the positrons produced by the nuclear reactions in the core of the Sun?

A) They collide with electrons,producing energy.
B) They collide and stick together to form helium.
C) They combine with neutrons to form protons.
D) They escape from the Sun into space.

Question 37

Any massive object will collapse under its own weight unless something stops it.In an ordinary star like the Sun,this collapse is prevented by

A) the rotation of the star.
B) the star's solid core.
C) gas pressure pushing outward.
D) turbulence and upwelling in the atmosphere of the star.

Question 38

From the center outward,the order of the layers or parts of the Sun is

A) radiative zone,convection zone,corona,chromosphere,photosphere.
B) radiative zone,convection zone,chromosphere,photosphere,corona.
C) corona,chromosphere,convection zone,photosphere,radiative zone.
D) radiative zone,convection zone,photosphere,chromosphere,corona.

Question 39

In the thermonuclear process that heats the Sun,the nuclei of which chemical elements are converted to other nuclei to produce the requisite energy?

A) Hydrogen to helium
B) Uranium to lead
C) Helium to hydrogen
D) Splitting of the very abundant iron to lighter elements in a chain reaction,eventually leading to hydrogen

Question 40

Which of the following lines of research is NOT used in the study of the solar interior?

A) The Kepler satellite transit search
B) Neutrino astronomy
C) Observations of surface oscillations on the Sun
D) Magnetic field and sunspot studies

Question 41

What is the corona on the Sun?

A) The Sun's outer atmosphere
B) The region above the Sun's north and south poles
C) The large region beyond (outside of)the Sun's atmosphere,where the solar wind interacts with the interplanetary magnetic field
D) The Sun's inner atmosphere,just above the photosphere

Question 42

What is the solar wind?

A) The storm of waves and vortices on the Sun's surface generated by a solar flare
B) The constant flux of photons from the Sun's visible surface
C) The circulation of gases between the equator and the poles of the Sun
D) The Sun's outer atmosphere streaming out into space

Question 43

The visible corona of the Sun is most effectively photographed

A) during lunar eclipses,when the sky is darker.
B) at solar maximum periods,over a period of a few years.
C) during solar eclipses.
D) in spring and fall seasons,because of the tilt of the spin axis of the Sun.

Question 44

The temperature of the corona of the Sun is

A) about the same as that of the photosphere,5800 K.
B) about twice as hot as the photosphere,12,000 K.
C) very cool because it is farthest from the heat source.
D) very hot-about 106 K.

Question 45

What is the photosphere of the Sun?

A) the core of the Sun,where nuclear energy is generated
B) the region of convecting gases below the visible surface of the Sun
C) the middle layer of the Sun's atmosphere
D) the visible "surface" of the Sun

Question 46

Why should you NEVER look directly at the Sun?

A) It uses up valuable time.
B) Looking directly at the Sun causes blindness.
C) It can lead to baldness.
D) It is bad for the complexion.

Question 47

Which part of the Sun has the lowest density?

A) The core
B) The photosphere
C) The chromosphere
D) The corona

Question 48

What is the name of the layer of the Sun's atmosphere that appears as a pinkish ring just outside the visible disk of the Sun during a total solar eclipse?

A) The chromosphere
B) The convective zone
C) The photosphere
D) The corona

Question 49

The temperature of the Sun's photosphere is

A) about 10,000 K.
B) 4400 K.
C) 5800 K.
D) close to 1 million K.

Question 50

Where is the chromosphere on the Sun?

A) It is the visible surface of the Sun.
B) It is the layer above the visible surface of the Sun.
C) It is the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere.
D) It is the layer below the visible surface of the Sun.

Question 51

What name is given to the outer atmosphere of the Sun?

A) The corona
B) The chromosphere
C) The radiative zone
D) The convective zone

Question 52

The surface of the Sun is divided into light-colored areas with dark boundaries in a cellular pattern.What are these cells called?

A) Granules
B) Spicules
C) Sunspots
D) Filaments

Question 53

Which part of the Sun is the origin of most of the light we see?

A) The core
B) The photosphere
C) The chromosphere
D) The corona

Question 54

What causes the granular appearance of the surface of the Sun?

A) The regular impact of meteoroids and comets on the solar surface
B) Differential rotation of the surface layers
C) Thermonuclear fusion in its interior
D) Convective motion under the solar surface

Question 55

In order from lowest to highest,what are the names of the three layers in the Sun's atmosphere?

A) Photosphere,chromosphere,corona
B) Chromosphere,photosphere,corona
C) Corona,chromosphere,photosphere
D) Photosphere,corona,chromosphere

Question 56

What name is given to the visible "surface" of the Sun?

A) Corona
B) Chromosphere
C) Prominence
D) Photosphere

Question 57

The solar wind appears to originate mainly from which regions of the Sun?

A) Sunspots
B) All over the surface,with no preferred location
C) Granulation cells
D) Coronal holes

Question 58

Coronal holes are thought to be the source of

A) the solar wind.
B) powerful loops of magnetic field linked to active regions.
C) influence on human behavior (e.g. ,astrology).
D) dust released from the Sun.

Question 59

Spectral lines observed in the granules on the Sun's surface near the center of the Sun's disk

A) are split by the Zeeman effect due to the strong magnetic fields in the granule.
B) are always redshifted because granules are caused by gas descending into the Sun.
C) are redshifted near the center of the granule and blueshifted near the edge of the granule.
D) are blueshifted near the center of the granule and redshifted near the edge of the granule.

Question 60

What is the name of a jet of rising gas in the chromosphere of the Sun?

A) A spicule
B) A granule
C) A flare
D) A sunspot

Question 61

Which astronomer first detected the rotation of the Sun by watching sunspot motions?

A) Ptolemy
B) Halley
C) Galileo
D) Copernicus

Question 62

Which one of the following is NOT considered to be a feature of the quiet Sun?

A) A sunspot
B) The solar wind
C) A granule
D) A spicule

Question 63

Sunspots are

A) cooler regions of the Sun's high corona.
B) the shadows of cool,dark curtains of matter,hanging above the solar surface.
C) cooler,darker regions on the Sun's surface.
D) hotter,deeper regions in the Sun's atmosphere.

Question 64

What specific physical effect was used to verify the existence of intense magnetic fields in sunspots?

A) Observation of ionized atoms in the region of the sunspots
B) The Zeeman effect,the splitting of spectral absorption lines
C) The measurement of relative strengths of spectral absorption lines from various atoms
D) Doppler shift of light from sunspots

Question 65

Where on the Sun do sunspots occur?

A) The core
B) The photosphere
C) The chromosphere
D) The corona

Question 66

What is the rotation period of the Sun?

A) About 4 rotations per month
B) About 2 rotations per year
C) About 1 rotation per day
D) About 1 rotation per month

Question 67

Sunspots are cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface,sometimes by as much as 1500 K.What would be the peak wavelength of the radiation from the sunspot,when compared to that from the rest of the Sun?

A) It would be at a shorter wavelength.
B) It would be at a longer wavelength.
C) It could be at a shorter or longer wavelength,depending on the position of the spot.
D) It would be the same because the light still originates from the hydrogen gas of the Sun.

Question 68

The rotation of the Sun is

A) fastest at the equator,slowest at mid-latitudes,and rises to intermediate speeds near the poles.
B) fastest at mid-latitudes,slower at the equator,and slowest near the poles.
C) fastest at the equator,slower at mid-latitudes,and slowest near the poles.
D) slowest at the equator,faster at mid-latitudes,and fastest near the poles.

Question 69

Galileo observed the phenomenon of solar rotation in the early 1600s by

A) watching bright regions of hydrogen gas drift across the sun.
B) noting the periodic (monthly)variation of auroral disturbances or northern lights.
C) watching sunspots move across the solar surface with a telescope.
D) measuring the Doppler wavelength shift of hydrogen spectral lines from east and west limbs of the Sun.

Question 70

What is the Zeeman effect?

A) When a light source is moving relative to an observer,the wavelengths of its spectral lines are shifted to longer or shorter wavelengths.
B) When the temperature of a light source is increased,the wavelength of maximum emission decreases.
C) When light shines on a metal surface,electrons are ejected from the metal only if the wavelength of the light is shorter than some critical wavelength.
D) When a light source is located in a magnetic field,the spectral lines it emits are split into two or more components.

Question 71

What is magnetic reconnection?

A) The reversal of the Sun's magnetic field,which occurs approximately every 11 years
B) The cancellation of the magnetic fields of the northern and southern sunspots when they meet at the Sun's equator
C) The rearrangement of magnetic fields in adjacent arches in the solar atmosphere,with the consequent release of great energy
D) The merging of the triplet of spectral lines in the Zeeman effect into a single line when the magnetic field is removed

Question 72

Which of the following statements is NOT true for sunspots?

A) They increase and decrease in number,relatively regularly.
B) They often occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity.
C) They are cooler than the surrounding photosphere of the Sun.
D) They occur in regions of lower-than-average magnetic fields.

Question 73

What causes sunspots?

A) Magnetic fields inhibit the emission of radiation from atoms in the solar surface.
B) Magnetic fields below the photosphere pull gas down,creating holes in the photosphere.
C) Differential rotation on the Sun creates vortices,or eddies,which are cooler and darker than the rest of the solar surface.
D) Magnetic fields breaking through the photosphere inhibit gas motion where the field is strong,lowering the amount of heat transferred to the surface.

Question 74

The Zeeman effect describes what change in spectral lines?

A) Splitting of lines,because the atoms are within an intense magnetic field
B) The change in relative intensity of different lines from sources of different temperature
C) Their shift because of the movement of the source
D) Broadening associated with high temperatures

Question 75

What is the structure of a typical large sunspot?

A) An irregular dark area of uniform darkness
B) A dark center surrounded by a less dark area
C) A roughly circular,dark region with a lighter central area
D) Usually round and of uniform darkness

Question 76

All of the following bodies exhibit differential rotation EXCEPT

A) the Moon.
B) the Sun.
C) Jupiter.
D) Saturn.

Question 77

What is the average length of time from one maximum in the number of sunspots on the Sun to the next maximum?

A) About 2 months
B) 7 years
C) 11 years
D) 22 years

Question 78

Which of the following phenomena on the Sun do NOT appear to be sources of particles traveling out into the solar system from the Sun?

A) Spicules
B) Flares
C) Coronal mass ejections
D) Eruptive prominences

Question 79

An arching column of gas suspended over a sunspot group is called a

A) coronal hole.
B) prominence.
C) flare.
D) spicule.

Question 80

What is a prominence on the Sun?

A) A loop of gas supported by magnetic fields
B) A jet of gas shot out of the center of a sunspot
C) A shock wave created by the eruption of a solar flare
D) Another name for a sunspot