Question 1

Edwin Hubble discovered that the farther away a galaxy is the
A)faster it is receding from us.
B)more massive it is.
C)more energetic it is.
D)more black holes it contains.

Accepted Answer

Edwin Hubble discovered the relationship between a galaxy's distance from us and its redshift. He found that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is receding from us. This became known as Hubble's Law and was one of the key pieces of evidence for the expanding universe. Mass, energy, and black holes were not directly related to Hubble's discovery.

Question 2

Cosmology is the study of the overall structure and evolution of
A)the universe.
B)stars.
C)beauty.
D)galaxies.

Accepted Answer

Cosmology specifically focuses on the study of the universe as a whole, including its structure and evolution over time. While stars and galaxies are important components of the universe, they are individual parts that fall under the umbrella of cosmology. Beauty is subjective and not a relevant aspect of scientific study.

Question 3

Cepheids are types of stars that regularly change how bright they are over a period of a few
A)days.
B)months.
C)year.
D)decades.

Accepted Answer

Cepheids are a type of variable star that undergoes regular changes in brightness over a period of a few days to months, but most commonly, these changes occur over a period of days.

Question 4

The Big Bang
A)took place within space.
B)marked the beginning of space and time.
C)occurred as a result of disturbances within the Large Magellenic cloud.
D)took place within time.

Accepted Answer

The Big Bang is believed to have marked the beginning of both space and time, so choice B is correct. Choice A is incorrect because the Big Bang didn't take place within a pre-existing space, but rather it created space. Choice C is also incorrect because the Large Magellenic cloud is not believed to have caused the Big Bang. Choice D is partially correct because the Big Bang did take place within time, but it's more accurate to say that it marked the beginning of time.

Question 5

The currently accepted reasoning for why the cosmic background radiation is so uniform in temperature is because
A)this temperature uniformity was achieved in the moments before cosmic inflation.
B)as the universe has had time to cool,the hotter parts transferred their heat to the cooler regions.
C)microwaves can only function at a certain very limited range of temperature.
D)space is a vacuum and thus cannot retain heat very well.

Accepted Answer

The currently accepted explanation for why the cosmic background radiation is so uniform in temperature is due to cosmic inflation, which occurred in the moments before the Big Bang. During this period, the universe expanded exponentially, smoothing out any temperature differences and resulting in the uniform temperature we observe today. Options B, C, and D are not supported by current scientific understanding.

Question 6

The "redshift" of a galaxy refers to the rate
A)at which is receding.
B)at which it is approaching.
C)at which it is spinning.
D)of its fusion.

Accepted Answer

Redshift refers to the shift of the spectrum of light from a distant galaxy towards the red end of the spectrum. This occurs because the galaxy is moving away from us, and the wavelength of the light is stretched out (or redshifted) as it travels through expanding space. Therefore, the rate at which the galaxy is receding is related to its redshift.

Question 7

How did Mr.Hubble calculate the age of the universe?
A)by measuring the rate of expansion of the universe
B)by looking at the age of the oldest stars
C)by measuring the redshift of stars within 360 degrees of the center of our galaxy
D)by measuring the rate of radioactive decay within the farthest galaxies

Accepted Answer

Mr. Hubble calculated the age of the universe by measuring the rate of expansion of the universe. He discovered that the universe was expanding at a constant rate, which allowed him to work backwards and determine the age of the universe. This method is known as the Hubble Constant.

Question 8

In a flat universe parallel lines
A)never converge.
B)are concentric to each other.
C)are mirror images.
D)eventually meet.

Accepted Answer

In a flat universe, parallel lines never converge. This is because space is not curved, so the lines will continue in the same direction, never coming closer together. This is in contrast to a curved universe (such as a sphere) where parallel lines will eventually meet at a point.

Question 9

We are actually looking into the past when we look at
A)a distant star.
B)our physics book.
C)actually,both of these
D)none of these

Accepted Answer

The answer of We are actually looking into the past...

Question 10

According to calculations made by modern astronomers,the age of the universe is close to
A)14 billion years.
B)7 billion years.
C)21 billion years.
D)6000 years.

Accepted Answer

This calculation is based on various measurements, such as the rate of expansion of the universe, cosmic microwave background radiation, and the ages of the oldest-known stars. While there may be some slight variations in different models and measurements, the most widely accepted age of the universe is around 14 billion years.

Question 11

"Cosmological Redshift" refers to
A)the expansion of space itself.
B)the expansion of galaxies.
C)the expansion of red giants.
D)the tendency of light to expand when free of gravitational influences.

Accepted Answer

Cosmological Redshift refers to the stretching of light waves as they travel through expanding space, causing them to be shifted towards the red end of the spectrum. This is evidence of the expansion of the Universe.

Question 12

How is it possible that today's diverse universe was able to arise from that which was very homogeneous at its first moments?
A)Inflation magnified ultrasmall quantum variations in position and momenta.
B)There is evidence of a second,slightly smaller Big Bang that took place very shortly after the initial Big Bang,which would account for the variation in structure.
C)The rapidly cooling universe created massive quantities of hydrogen,and then helium,which interacted with each other to create regions of relative structure.
D)Entropy immediately came into effect,slowing down some areas of expansion,while increasing others.

Accepted Answer

The theory of cosmic inflation proposes that in the early moments of the universe, a rapid expansion occurred, during which quantum fluctuations were amplified, leading to the generation of density variations that became the seeds of galaxies and large-scale structure.

Answer: C
 As the universe expanded and cooled, the first atoms formed – mostly hydrogen and helium – and gravitational forces pulled matter closer together in some regions, creating regions of higher density that eventually led to the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies.

Therefore, the best choices are A and C.

Question 13

The Big Bang occurred
A)at the tip of your nose.
B)at the center of each galaxy.
C)at some undetermined yet vastly distant point.
D)within an unusually large supernova.

Accepted Answer

The Big Bang occurred everywhere in the universe simultaneously, meaning it happened at every point in space, including the tip of your nose. It was not localized to a specific point or location.

Question 14

Astronomers who subscribe to the Big Bang theory believe the Big Bang occurred
A)about 14 billion years ago.
B)at the beginning of time.
C)both of these
D)neither of these

Accepted Answer

The Big Bang theory posits that the universe began from a singular point approximately 14 billion years ago, marking the beginning of time and space as we understand it.

Question 15

Cosmic Inflation refers to
A)an extremely rapid expansion of the early universe that occurred in an extremely brief period of time.
B)the fact that there is an ever increasing energy cost in order for fusion within stars to occur.
C)the phenomenon of matter within the universe is becoming increasingly disordered.
D)is another way of referring to the Big Bang itself.

Accepted Answer

Cosmic inflation refers to the rapid expansion of the early universe that occurred in a very brief period of time (less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a second) immediately following the Big Bang. This rapid expansion is believed to have smoothed out irregularities in the universe and set the stage for the formation of galaxies and other structures.

B, C, and D are all incorrect answers as they do not accurately describe cosmic inflation.

Question 16

The Big Bang is regarded as the expansion of
A)space.
B)energy.
C)time.
D)matter.

Accepted Answer

The Big Bang is commonly described as the rapid expansion of space, which led to the formation of matter and energy. While matter and energy were present during the Big Bang, they were not the cause of the expansion. Time is also a concept that arose from the expansion of the universe, so it cannot be the cause of it.

Question 17

The "Big Bang" refers to the
A)point in time in which the known (and perhaps knowable)universe came into being.
B)phenomenon of rapid chain reaction supernovae during the first 100 seconds of the universe.
C)time when our Sun will become a nova,rendering Earth into molten lava.
D)end of the universe when simultaneous supernovae will transform the universe into a supergiant black hole.

Accepted Answer

The "Big Bang" refers to the point in time, around 13.8 billion years ago, in which the known (and perhaps knowable) universe came into being. It is the beginning of the universe as we know it. B refers to a phenomenon that occurred shortly after the Big Bang, while C and D are events that are expected to happen in the future.

Question 18

The difference between lightwaves approaching and lightwaves receding is
A)when approaching,lightwaves have higher frequency; when receding their frequency is lower.
B)when approaching,lightwaves have lower frequency; when receding their frequency is higher.
C)the frequency of approaching lightwaves remain constant,while receding lightwaves are invisible.
D)There is no difference

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the Doppler effect, which describes the change in frequency of a wave (in this case light waves) due to the relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer. When the source of light approaches the observer, the light waves are compressed, resulting in higher frequency. On the other hand, when the source of light recedes from the observer, the light waves are stretched, resulting in lower frequency. Therefore, choice A is the correct answer.

Question 19

Cosmic background radiation refers to
A)uniformly distributed residual radiation that resulted from the Big Bang.
B)pockets of radiation found in certain quadrants of the observable universe.
C)the radiation emitted from galactic nuclei.
D)redshifted microwave radiation being emitted from the center of the universe.

Accepted Answer

Cosmic background radiation refers to the uniformly distributed residual radiation that resulted from the Big Bang. This radiation is available throughout the observable universe and has a uniform temperature of 2.73 K. It is considered one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory.

Question 20

The formation of more protons than neutrons (at about a 7:1.ratio)was favored in the early universe because
A)it takes more energy to create a neutron from a proton than a proton from a neutron.
B)it takes more energy to create a proton from a neutron than a neutron from a proton.
C)the more massive neutrons made better targets for nucleon collisions.
D)the positively charged protons were repelled away from the explosion.

Accepted Answer

In the early universe, it takes more energy to create a neutron from a proton than a proton from a neutron due to the mass difference and the weak force interactions involved, leading to a higher abundance of protons.

Quiz 28: The Structure of Space and Time

Edwin Hubble discovered that the farther away a galaxy is the

Cosmology is the study of the overall structure and evolution of

Cepheids are types of stars that regularly change how bright they are over a period of a few

The Big Bang

The currently accepted reasoning for why the cosmic background radiation is so uniform in temperature is because

The "redshift" of a galaxy refers to the rate

How did Mr.Hubble calculate the age of the universe?

In a flat universe parallel lines

We are actually looking into the past when we look at

According to calculations made by modern astronomers,the age of the universe is close to

"Cosmological Redshift" refers to

How is it possible that today's diverse universe was able to arise from that which was very homogeneous at its first moments?

The Big Bang occurred

Astronomers who subscribe to the Big Bang theory believe the Big Bang occurred

Cosmic Inflation refers to

The Big Bang is regarded as the expansion of

The "Big Bang" refers to the

The difference between lightwaves approaching and lightwaves receding is

Cosmic background radiation refers to

The formation of more protons than neutrons (at about a 7:1.ratio) was favored in the early universe because