Quiz Facts 5; Physics & Space Science - Introductory Astronomy

1

A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of area 0.20 m2 separated by a distance of 1.0 mm. What is this capacitor's capacitance?

2

Current evidence suggests that life on Earth

3

Chandrasekhar's limit is 1.4 times the mass of our Sun

4

A spectral line produced in the atmosphere of a star may be seen as broad whereas interstellar _______________ lines are very narrow

5

If a proton inside the nucleus of an atom suddenly turned into a neutron, while the atom retained its original number of electrons, what properties of the atom would change?

6

The minimum period of light variations are used to find the ________ of the central engine in galactic cores

7

As viewed edge-on, we can see all the spurs and branches off the arms of the Milky Way galaxy

8

Olbers's paradox seeks the explanation for why the night sky is dark

9

Although theory says a massive black hole with an accretion disk should be emitting X-rays, many black holes emit:

10

The stellar epoch, which we are still in today, began:

11

The overall fusion reaction by which the Sun currently produces energy is

12

Which is the correct order of the Sun's atmospheric layers, from the innermost to outermost?

13

Which of the following general statements about light and Earth's atmosphere is not true?

14

Your Local Sky

Answers will vary with latitude; the following is a sample answer for latitude 40°N.

a. The north celestial pole appears in the sky at an altitude of 40°, in the direction due north.
b. The meridian is a half-circle that stretches from the point due south on the horizon, through the zenith, to the point due north on the horizon.
c. The celestial equator is a half-circle that stretches from the point due east on the horizon, through an altitude of 50° due south, to the point due west on the horizon.
d. Because the north celestial pole appears due north at an altitude of 40°, a star is circumpolar if it is within 40° of the north celestial pole. The north celestial pole has a declination of +90°, so within 40° means declinations greater than +50°.
e. On the fall equinox, the Sun rises due east, reaches an altitude of 50°S on the meridian, and sets due west.
f. On the winter solstice, the Sun rises more than 23.5° south of due east, reaches an altitude of 50° - 23.5° = 26.5° on the meridian in the south, and sets more than 23.5° south of due west.

15

Both the pressure and volume of a given sample of an ideal gas double. This means that its temperature in Kelvins must