Astronomy 120 - Stars and Galaxies » Fall 2022 » Unit 10 Quiz

Need help with your exam preparation?

Question #1
Where are the Cepheid and RR Lyrae variable stars located on the HR Diagram?
A.   in the variable strip
B.   in the instability strip
C.   outside the HR Diagram as missing items
D.   just above and to the right of O type stars
Question #2
Cepheids can be seen in distant galaxies and so can help determine the distance to those galaxies.
A.   True
B.   False
Question #3
Cepheid variable type stars, found on the instability strip of the HR diagram, are unstable because they have used up all their fuel and they are cooling and fading.
A.   True
B.   False
Question #4
Cepheid variables can be used to determine distances because their can be determined from their , which is observable.
A.   absolute magnitude; period
B.   distance; apparent magnitude
C.   apparent magnitude; absolute magnitude
D.   period; absolute magnitude
Question #5
Match the phrases to form complete sentences that hold scientifically true about Cepheid variable stars. Intrinsically bright cepheid variable stars
A.   pulsate quite quickly.
B.   pulsate rather slowly.
Question #6
Match the phrases to form complete sentences that hold scientifically true about Cepheid variable stars. Intrinsically dim cepheid variable stars
A.   pulsate rather slowly.
B.   pulsate quite quickly.
Question #7
Towards which end of the HR diagram's instability strip are Cepheid variable stars located?           
A.   Top
B.   Bottom
C.   Right
D.   Left
Question #8
Cepheid variable stars are unique in that their fuel combustion status is what leads to their variable luminosity. What are the combustion fuels in Cepheid variables and where are they burned?
A.   Helium and hydrogen in the core.
B.   Helium and hydrogen in the outer shell and carbon in the core.
C.   Helium in the core and hydrogen in the outer shell.
D.   Hydrogen in the core and helium in the outer shell.
Question #9
A Type Ia supernova is observed to have an apparent magnitude of 12.2. How far from us is it?
A.   17.4 million pc
B.   It is impossible to determine with the information provided.
C.   0.43 pc
D.   1.58 x 1032 pc
Question #10
Stars in a cluster form at the same time, but evolve at different rates. Which type of stars evolve the most quickly?
A.   G
B.   A
C.   O
D.   M
Question #11
The shortest possible distance that two stars in a binary system can be from one another while staying individual, isolated stars is called the
A.   Chandrasekhar limit.
B.   accretion limit.
C.   Roche limit.
D.   upper limit.
Question #12
We can determine the age of a star cluster by looking at the of main sequence on that star cluster's HR diagram.
A.   turn-off point
B.   ZAMS line
C.   curvature
D.   center
Question #13
Novae events are rare, and typically only a few can be seen in our galaxy every
A.   day.
B.   month.
C.   year.
D.   century.
Question #14
Which of these astronomical phenomena is the most luminous?
A.   Cepheid variable star
B.   RR Lyrae star
C.   Type II supernova
D.   Type Ia supernova
Question #15
To determine the age of a star cluster, first plot those stars (and only those stars) of that cluster on an HR diagram and then look for
A.   the number of red giants.
B.   the number of Cepheid variable stars.
C.   how many M type stars are present.
D.   the main sequence turn off point.
Question #16
According to Einstein, photons leaving a gravitational well
A.   decrease in energy.
B.   keep the same energy.
C.   increase in energy.
Question #17
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, the Apollo astronauts that travelled to the Moon in a rocket experienced time
A.   moving more slowly than earth-bound humans did.
B.   moving faster than earth-bound humans did.
C.   experienced the exact same passage of time as earth-bound humans did.
Question #18
Einstein explained that gravitational attraction is a result of the
A.   same thing as Newton's law of universal gravitation.
B.   curvature (or warping) of spacetime.
C.   weight of space.
D.   time slowing down.
Question #19
Twin sisters Marissa and Melody want to conduct an experiment to test Einstein's theory of special relativity. Marissa lives on Earth and Melody on the Moon (assuming one day this is possible). They simultaneously click "start" on the stopwatches they're using for this experiment. When Marissa's stopwatch reads 00:11:19 (11 minutes, 19 seconds), which of the following will likely show on Melody's stopwatch on the Moon?
A.   00:12:15
B.   00:11:00
C.   00:10:20
D.   00:04:22
Question #20
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, the faster a body moves,
A.   the mass remains constant.
B.   the more massive it becomes.
C.   the less mass it has.

Need help with your exam preparation?