Deck 1: Why Learn Astronomy

Question 1

The Local Group is a member of the Virgo Supercluster.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

According to the figure below, the Earth is located approximately:

A) at the center of the Milky Way
B) near the center of the Milky Way
C) about halfway out from the center of the Milky Way
D) at the farthest outskirts of the Milky Way
E) outside the Milky Way, which is why we can see it as a band across the night sky

Answer 2

about halfway out from the center of the Milky Way

Question 3

Science proceeds by presuming that observed patterns in nature can be attributed to an underlying physical explanation.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The number of classical planets in our Solar System is:

A) eight
B) nine
C) twelve
D) six
E) four

Question 5

According to the figure below, if you were to specify your address in the universe, listing your membership from the smallest to largest physical structures, it would be:

A) Earth, Local Group, Solar System, Andromeda, the universe
B) Earth, Solar System, Local Group, Milky Way, the universe
C) Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, the universe
D) Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Fornax Supercluster, the universe
E) Earth, Fornax Supercluster, Milky Way, Solar System, the universe

Question 6

Our Sun is one of the most massive and luminous stars in the Milky Way.

Question 7

The Copernican principle states that there is nothing special about our local region of the universe.

Question 8

Pluto is the only dwarf planet in our Solar System.

Question 9

The heavy elements that make up most of Earth were formed via nuclear fusion in the center of the Sun.

Question 10

One consequence of the principle of universality is that gravity works the same here on Earth as it does on the planet Jupiter.

Question 11

A light-year is a unit commonly used in astronomy as a measure of time.

Question 12

A crucial component of a scientific theory is that it is able to be tested by observations and thus proven true or false.

Question 13

There are nearly 1,000 times more galaxies in the observable universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.

Question 14

The word astronomy means:

A) "patterns among the stars"
B) "to study the stars"
C) "discovering the universe"
D) "the movement of the stars"
E) "personality traits set by the stars"

Question 15

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) The Local Group is a member of the Virgo Supercluster, which contains thousands of galaxies.
B) The Local Group contains two large spiral galaxies and a few dozen dwarf galaxies.
C) Our Solar System has eight classical planets.
D) The Milky Way galaxy contains approximately 100 million stars.
E) The Virgo Supercluster is one of many superclusters in the universe

Question 16

Human beings are composed almost entirely of elements that were created in the Big Bang.

Question 17

Once a scientific theory is declared to be true, it is believed from that time onward.

Question 18

If a scientific theory cannot be tested, it is assumed to be true.

Question 19

The invention of satellites advanced astronomy because telescopes on satellites can observe wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, that cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 20

A great majority of the matter in our universe is not visible.

Question 21

The average distance between the Earth and Sun is 1.5 * 10¹¹ m, and light from the Sun takes approximately _________ to reach Earth.

A) 8 seconds
B) 8 minutes
C) 8 hours
D) 8 days
E) 8 years

Question 22

What is the approximate number of stars in the Milky Way?

A) 10 million
B) 300 million
C) 10 billion
D) 300 billion
E) 1 trillion

Question 23

If an event were to take place on the Sun, how long would it take for the light it generates to reach us?

A) 8 minutes
B) 11 hours
C) 1 second
D) 1 day
E) It would reach us instantaneously.

Question 24

The figure below measures distances in the amount of time it takes light to travel. If the circumference of Earth is a snap of your fingers (1/7 sec), the diameter of the Solar System is approximately equal to:

A) the length of a quick lunch
B) the time to turn a page in a book
C) the length of the work day
D) the time you spent in high school
E) a human lifetime

Question 25

The distance to the center of the Virgo cluster of galaxies is 5 * 10²³ m. How long does it take light to travel from these galaxies to us?

A) 7,000 years
B) 54,000 years
C) 120,000 years
D) 12 million years
E) 54 million years

Question 26

After the Sun, the next nearest star to us is approximately _________ away.

A) 8 light-seconds
B) 80 light-minutes
C) 40 light-hours
D) 4 light-years
E) 200 light-years

Question 27

The early universe was composed mainly of which two elements?

A) hydrogen and helium
B) carbon and oxygen
C) hydrogen and oxygen
D) carbon and iron
E) nitrogen and oxygen

Question 28

Our universe is approximately 13.7 _________ years old.

A) million
B) billion
C) trillion
D) thousand
E) hundred

Question 29

The majority of the energy in our universe is:

A) radiated by stars from the nuclear fusion going on in their cores
B) the kinetic energy found in the collisions of galaxies
C) the gravitational potential energy of superclusters
D) emitted in radioactive decays of unstable elements
E) made up of dark energy that permeates space

Question 30

Which is an important element in the composition of your body that was produced by nuclear fusion inside a star or an explosion of a star?

A) iron
B) calcium
C) oxygen
D) carbon
E) all of the above

Question 31

The Local Group is the environment around:

A) the Earth-Moon system
B) the Sun that contains about a dozen stars
C) the Sun that contains over a million stars
D) the Milky Way that contains a few dozen galaxies
E) the Milky Way that contains a few thousand galaxies

Question 32

Which presently observed element or isotope was NOT produced in appreciable amounts in the very early universe shortly after the Big Bang?

A) hydrogen
B) helium-4
C) deuterium
D) carbon
E) helium-3

Question 33

The distance to the nearest large spiral galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, is 2.4 *10²² m. How long does it take light to travel from Andromeda to us?

A) 4.4 years
B) 360 years
C) 1.2 thousand years
D) 2.5 million years
E) 4.5 billion years

Question 34

If the diameter of the Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light-years, then our galaxy is _________ times larger than our Solar System. For reference, Pluto's orbit has an approximate diameter of 80 AU.

A) 100
B) 1,000
C) 10,000
D) 10⁶
E) 10⁸

Question 35

One of the nearest stars is Alpha Centauri, whose distance is 4.2 * 10¹⁶ m. How long does it take light to travel from Alpha Centauri to us?

A) 1.25 seconds
B) 8.3 minutes
C) 4.4 years
D) 560 years
E) 6,200 years

Question 36

The majority of the mass in our universe is made up of:

A) planets
B) stars
C) galaxies
D) dust
E) dark matter

Question 37

The most massive elements such as those that make up terrestrial planets like Earth were formed:

A) in the early universe
B) inside stars and supernovae
C) through meteor collisions
D) in the core of Earth
E) during the formation of the Solar System

Question 38

If you compared the diameter of the Earth, which is 13,000 km, to 1 second, then what unit of time would be equivalent to the size of the Milky Way, whose diameter is 10²¹ m, and what significant milestone would this time correspond to in our evolution?

A) 2 million years, the length of time humans have existed on Earth
B) 30,000 years, the length of time humans have lived in North America
C) 400 years, the length of time humans have been exploring the skies with telescopes
D) 4 billion years, the age of the Solar System
E) 14 billion years, the age of the universe

Question 39

The speed of light is approximately:

A) 3,000 km/s
B) 30,000 km/s
C) 300,000 km/s
D) 3 million km/s
E) 3 billion km/s

Question 40

A light-year is a unit commonly used in astronomy as a measure of:

A) time
B) speed
C) mass
D) distance
E) acceleration

Question 41

If the radius of circle B is twice the radius of circle A, and the area of a circle is proportional to the radius squared (A $\infty$ r²), then the ratio of the area of circle B to that of circle A is:

A) 4
B) 0.5
C) 0.25
D) 2
E) 1.414

Question 42

A scientific theory can be shown to be wrong if:

A) cultural beliefs evolve to contradict it
B) scientists gather new data that contradicts its predictions
C) it cannot explain all phenomena
D) it was first proposed as a conjecture
E) a majority of people do not accept it

Question 43

Because of _____________, we can conclude that gravity works the same way on Earth as it does on Mars.

A) Newton's theory of relativity
B) Einstein's special theory of relativity
C) Sagan's planetary principle
D) the principle of universality
E) the hypothetical statute

Question 44

Scientific notation is used in astronomy primarily because it allows us to:

A) write very large and very small numbers in a convenient way
B) talk about science in an easy way
C) change easy calculations into hard calculations
D) change hard calculations into easy calculations
E) explain science to engineers

Question 45

_________ is the idea that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the correct one.

A) Newton's hypothesis
B) Occam's razor
C) Aristotle's test
D) Einstein's excuse
E) The Copernican principle

Question 46

Albert Einstein is best known for his revolutionary theory of:

A) relativity
B) quantum mechanics
C) astronomy
D) electricity
E) mathematics

Question 47

A _________ becomes a _________ when repeated testing of its predictions does not disprove it.

A) hypothesis; scientific method
B) theory; scientific revolution
C) phenomenon; theory
D) hypothesis; theory
E) law; theory

Question 48

The cosmological principle states that:

A) the universe is expanding in all directions at the same rate
B) a unique center of the universe exists
C) the universe looks the same everywhere and in all directions as long as you look on large enough spatial scales
D) physical laws change from place to place in the universe
E) the universe is in a "steady state"

Question 49

Which is NOT an advantage of placing telescopes in space? From space, a telescope:

A) has better access to high energy radiation such as ultraviolet light and X-rays
B) has better access to low energy radiation such as infrared and microwave radiation
C) avoids the blurring of images caused by the Earth's atmosphere
D) avoids light pollution from big cities
E) is closer to the objects being observed

Question 50

If you have a stuffy nose, a fever, chills, and body aches and a doctor treats you for the flu rather than four separate diseases that account for each of your symptoms, this is an application of:

A) Newton's hypothesis
B) Occam's razor
C) Aristotle's test
D) Einstein's relativity
E) Copernican principle

Question 51

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) A scientific theory is an undisputed fact.
B) If continual testing of a hypothesis shows it to be valid, it may become an accepted theory.
C) A hypothesis must always have one or more testable predictions.
D) A scientific theory may eventually be proven wrong when scientists acquire new data.
E) Scientific observations are used to test a hypothesis.

Question 52

If the radius of circle B is 5 times the radius of circle A, then the ratio of the area of circle B to that of circle A is:

A) 25
B) 5
C) 0.2
D) 0.04
E) 0.025

Question 53

(1.2*0 10⁹ ) /(4 *10^-3) =

A) 3 *10⁶
B) 3 * 10⁵
C) 3 *10¹⁰
D) 3 * 10¹¹
E) 3 * 10¹²

Question 54

The figures above show the night sky as it appears for an observer in the United States at the same time of the night but at four different seasons of the year. Which conclusion below is NOT reasonable based on these observations?

A) Constellations do not change their location relative to one another, but which constellations appear in the night sky does change from season to season.
B) There are some constellations such as Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, and Cephus that are always seen in the night sky.
C) Some constellations such as Capricornus and Sagittarius are only visible during summer and fall.
D) A good time to harvest crops would be when the constellation Pegasus is directly overhead.
E) A good time to plant crops would be when the constellation Sagittarius is directly overhead.

Question 55

The number 123,000 written in scientific notation is:

A) 1.23 *10⁶
B) 1.23 * 10⁵
C) 1.23 * 10^-3
D) 1.23 *10^-6
E) 1.23 *10³

Question 56

An unmanned robotic spacecraft has NOT landed on:

A) an asteroid
B) Mars
C) Venus
D) Pluto
E) Titan, Saturn's largest moon

Question 57

The scientific method is a process by which scientists:

A) prove theories to be known facts
B) gain confidence in theories by failing to prove them wrong
C) show all theories to be wrong
D) test the ideas of Aristotle
E) survey what the majority of people think about a theory

Question 58

The language of science is:

A) Greek
B) mathematics
C) calculus
D) Java
E) Latin

Question 59

(6 * 10⁵) * (3 * 10^-2)=

A) 1.8 * 10³
B) 1.8 * 10⁴
C) 1.8 * 10⁶
D) 1.80 * 10³
E) 1.8 *10^-3

Question 60

When you see a pattern in nature, it is usually evidence of:

A) a theory being displayed
B) quantum mechanics in action
C) a breakdown of random clustering
D) an underlying physical law
E) A decrease in entropy

Question 61

If you compare the diameter of the Earth to 1 minute of time, then what interval of time would represent the diameter of the Solar System? Assume the diameter of the Solar System is approximately 80 AU.

Question 62

Using the method of comparing distances to time intervals to get a handle on the large distances in astronomy, compare the diameter of our Solar System, which is 6 * 10¹² to the diameter of the Galaxy, which is 1.2 * 10²¹ by calculating the time it would take for light to travel these diameters. For reference, the speed of light is 3 * 10⁸ m/s.

Question 63

Pluto's status was changed from a classical planet to a dwarf planet primarily because of its:

A) lack of an atmosphere
B) small mass
C) large distance
D) ice-covered surface
E) many moons.

Question 64

What is the only thing that makes the Sun an exceptional star?

Question 65

What is the slope of the line in the figure shown below?

A) 0.1 km/hr
B) 1 km/hr
C) 6 km/hr
D) 10 km/hr
E) 60 km/hr

Question 66

Using the method of comparing times to get a handle on the large distances in astronomy, compare the size of Earth to the size of the visible universe. Start by making the size of the Earth comparable to a snap of your fingers, which lasts about 1/7 seconds. Show your computation.

Question 67

Which of the graphs shown below illustrates a linear relationship between the variables x and y?

A) (a)
B) (b)
C) Both (a) and (b) show linear relationships.
D) Neither (a) nor (b) show linear relationships.

Question 68

The study of whether or not life exists elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond is called:

A) origins
B) biochemistry
C) cosmology
D) astrobiology
E) exoplanetology

Question 69

Describe briefly why the phrase "we are stardust" is literally true.

Question 70

The decision to classify Pluto as a dwarf planet was made by:

A) its discoverer Clyde Tombaugh in 1930
B) the president of the U.S. Naval Observatory in 2001
C) the International Astronomical Union in 2006
D) the Secretary General of the United Nations in 2001
E) a vote of the majority of Americans in 2006

Question 71

The type of mathematics that deals with infinitesimal changes is called:

A) algebra
B) calculus
C) arithmetic
D) geometry
E) topology

Question 72

If the radius of sphere B is 5 times the radius of sphere A, then the ratio of the volume of sphere B to the volume of sphere A is:

A) 0.008
B) 0.2
C) 5
D) 25
E) 125

Question 73

The area of a circle is related to its diameter by the formula . Using algebra to invert this formula, we find that:

A)

B)

C)

D)

E)

Question 74

The volume of a sphere is related to its radius by the formula . Using algebra to invert this formula, we find that:

A)

B)

C)

D)

E)

Question 75

The orbital period of Mercury is 1.9 years. What is its orbital period in units of seconds?

A) 60,000 seconds
B) 6 million seconds
C) 6 billion seconds
D) 600 billion seconds
E) 60 million seconds

Question 76

If the speed of light is 3 * 10⁵ km/s and 1 km = 0.62 miles, what is the speed of light in miles/hr?

A) 670 million miles/hr
B) 670 thousand miles/hr
C) 186 miles/hr
D) 186 thousand miles/hr
E) 3.2 billion miles/hr

Question 77

On which objects in our solar system, other than Earth, have humans actually landed? On which objects have unmanned robot spacecraft landed?

Question 78

Suppose you were writing to a pen pal in another universe. What address would you put on the envelope that included all the major structures in which we reside? (Hint: Your cosmic address should begin with "Earth" and end with "the universe.")

Question 79

Pluto is classified as a:

A) planet
B) dwarf planet
C) asteroid
D) comet
E) meteroid

Question 80

What would you say to someone who said, "It would take light-years to get to the Andromeda galaxy"?