Question 1

Compared to most stellar objects, quasars are more

Accepted Answer

A)  distant.
B)  energetic.
C)  puzzling.
D)  all of these
E)  none of theseF) None of the above
G) A) and D)

Question 2

What determines if a star becomes a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole?

Accepted Answer

A)  The principal factor is mass.
B)  The principal factor is density.
C)  The principal factor is temperature.
D)  The principal factor is luminosity.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 3

We are actually looking into the past when we look at

Accepted Answer

A)  a distant star.
B)  our physics book.
C)  actually, both of these
D)  none of theseE) A) and C)
F) B) and C)

Question 4

The "Big Bang" refers to the

Accepted Answer

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 years 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.E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 5

The event that changes a protostar to a full-fledged star is

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational collapse.
B)  gravitational expansion.
C)  thermonuclear fusion.
D)  the emission of light.
E)  a catastrophic increase in temperature.F) A) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 6

What will be the predominant element within the Sun after it has died?

Accepted Answer

A)  helium
B)  nitrogen
C)  carbon
D)  phosphorousE) C) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 7

What prevents stars greater than about 100 times the Sun's mass from existing?

Accepted Answer

A)  The rate of thermal expansion would overcome gravitational attraction leading to explosion.
B)  The gravitational attraction would overcome the rate of thermal expansion leading to a black hole.
C)  Fusion cannot take place at these higher mass levels.
D)  The gaseous material of the universe is too widely dispersed to allow for the formation of stars of this mass.E) B) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 8

Supernovae are one of the most extreme events in the known universe. They are caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  the implosion of a white dwarf, which has run out of all its fuel.
B)  a supermassive supergiant star undergoing a massive nuclear chain reaction.
C)  the collapse of a supermassive supergiant star.
D)  any of the aboveE) All of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 9

The elements found on Earth have much to do with

Accepted Answer

A)  white dwarfs.
B)  neutron stars.
C)  pulsars.
D)  quasars.
E)  supernovae.F) C) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 10

A star's color tells us

Accepted Answer

A)  how much energy a star produces.
B)  its surface temperature.
C)  its rotational speed.
D)  both how much energy it produces and its surface temperature.E) C) and D)
F) A) and D)

Question 11

Most of the atoms in the universe are thought to be

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen.
B)  helium.
C)  about equal amounts of hydrogen and helium.
D)  iron.
E)  elements unknown at present.F) A) and C)
G) None of the above

Question 12

Dark energy

Accepted Answer

A)  is the phenomenon responsible for the acceleration of the universe.
B)  would be considered to be the opposite of gravity.
C)  is energy that exerts an outward pressure, causing spacetime to expand.
D)  all of the aboveE) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 13

Metals are relatively more abundant in

Accepted Answer

A)  old stars.
B)  new stars.
C)  neither in particularD) All of the above
E) A) and B)

Question 14

Because a white dwarf is no longer burning fuel, it is more accurately described as being a

Accepted Answer

A)  stellar remnant.
B)  failed star.
C)  protostar.
D)  black elf.E) A) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 15

Why can't any star, no matter how massive, fuse elements heavier than iron?

Accepted Answer

A)  because the nucleons within iron have the least mass as possible
B)  because elements heavier than iron have less average mass per nucleon
C)  It could happen, we just have not yet observed a star massive enough to do this.
D)  Actually, this occurs on a regular basis, which explains the great abundance of heavy elements.E) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 16

How does the mass of a giant star compare with the mass of the black hole it may become? How do the densities compare?

Accepted Answer

The masses are the same! A black hole is...

Question 17

A white dwarf is a former

Accepted Answer

A)  low-mass star.
B)  high-mass star.
C)  white giant.D) A) and B)
E) A) and C)

Question 18

Summer and winter constellations are different because

Accepted Answer

A)  of the spin of the Earth about its polar axis.
B)  the night sky faces in opposite directions in summer and winter.
C)  of the tilt of the Earth's polar axis.
D)  the Earth is at the solar perigee in winter and apogee in summer.
E)  the universe is symmetric and harmonious.F) B) and C)
G) B) and E)

Question 19

The temperature of a star is evidenced by its

Accepted Answer

A)  brightness.
B)  color.
C)  angular momentum.
D)  distance.
E)  rate of burning.F) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 20

A black hole has

Accepted Answer

A)  about the same mass as the original star from which it formed.
B)  infinite mass.
C)  about half the mass of the star from which it formed.
D)  a mass that widely fluctuates.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Exam 29: The Universe

What determines if a star becomes a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What will be the predominant element within the Sun after it has died?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why can't any star, no matter how massive, fuse elements heavier than iron?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

We are actually looking into the past when we look at

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How does the mass of a giant star compare with the mass of the black hole it may become? How do the densities compare?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe masses are the same! A black hole is...View AnswerShow Answer

What prevents stars greater than about 100 times the Sun's mass from existing?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Because a white dwarf is no longer burning fuel, it is more accurately described as being a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Supernovae are one of the most extreme events in the known universe. They are caused by

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A star's color tells us

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most of the atoms in the universe are thought to be

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to most stellar objects, quasars are more

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Dark energy

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The "Big Bang" refers to the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Metals are relatively more abundant in

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Summer and winter constellations are different because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A black hole has

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A white dwarf is a former

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The event that changes a protostar to a full-fledged star is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The elements found on Earth have much to do with

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The temperature of a star is evidenced by its

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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The masses are the same! A black hole is...
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