PHYS 284 1-6 Midterm exam with answers
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1) What is the meaning of the word cosmos?
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A) the origin of Earth and life upon it
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B) the light from a distant astronomical object
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C) the Milky Way
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D) the sum total of all matter and energy, that is,
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everything within and between all galaxies
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E) the dark sky - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: D
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2) Which of the following has your "address" in the
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correct order? |\ |\
A) you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local
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Supercluster, Milky Way |\ |\ |\
B) you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local
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Supercluster, Local Group |\ |\ |\
C) you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way, Local
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Supercluster
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D) you, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar
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system, Milky Way |\ |\ |\
E) you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Group, Local
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Supercluster - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: E |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
,3) About where is our solar system located within the
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Milky Way Galaxy? |\ |\ |\
A) at the center of the galaxy
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B) about 10 percent of the way from the center of the
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galaxy to the outskirts of the galactic disk
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C) about two-thirds of the way from the center of the
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galaxy to the outskirts of the galactic disk
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D) near the far outskirts of the galactic disk
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E) in the halo of the galaxy above the galactic disk -
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CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\ |\
4) Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy?
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A) 1 billion
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B) 100 billion
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C) 10 billion
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D) 100 million
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E) 100 trillion - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: B
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5) Modern telescopes are capable of seeing bright
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galaxies up to about |\ |\ |\ |\
A) 1 million light-years away.
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B) 10 million light-years away.
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C) 1 billion light-years away.
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,D) 10 billion light-years away.
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E) 1 trillion light-years away. - CORRECT ANSWERS
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✔✔Answer: D |\
, 6) Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a
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grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the eight
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planets of the solar system cover?
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A) the size of a typical dorm room
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B) the size of a typical campus building
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C) the size of a typical campus
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D) the size of a small city
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E) the size of a western state (e.g., Colorado) - CORRECT
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ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\
7) What do we mean when we say that the universe is
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expanding? |\
A) Average distances are increasing between star
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systems within galaxies. |\ |\ |\
B) Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size.
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C) Average distances are increasing between galaxies.
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D) The statement is not meant to be literal rather, it
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means that our knowledge of the universe is growing.
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E) Individual galaxies are gradually growing in size. -
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CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\ |\
8) The age of the universe is
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A) between 10 million and 16 million years.
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B) between 100 million and 160 million years.
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1) What is the meaning of the word cosmos?
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
A) the origin of Earth and life upon it
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
B) the light from a distant astronomical object
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
C) the Milky Way
|\ |\ |\ |\
D) the sum total of all matter and energy, that is,
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
everything within and between all galaxies
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
E) the dark sky - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: D
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
2) Which of the following has your "address" in the
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
correct order? |\ |\
A) you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
Supercluster, Milky Way |\ |\ |\
B) you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
Supercluster, Local Group |\ |\ |\
C) you, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way, Local
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
Supercluster
|\ |\
D) you, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
system, Milky Way |\ |\ |\
E) you, Earth, solar system, Milky Way, Local Group, Local
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
Supercluster - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: E |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
,3) About where is our solar system located within the
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
Milky Way Galaxy? |\ |\ |\
A) at the center of the galaxy
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
B) about 10 percent of the way from the center of the
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
galaxy to the outskirts of the galactic disk
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
C) about two-thirds of the way from the center of the
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
galaxy to the outskirts of the galactic disk
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
D) near the far outskirts of the galactic disk
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
E) in the halo of the galaxy above the galactic disk -
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\ |\
4) Roughly how many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy?
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
A) 1 billion
|\ |\ |\
B) 100 billion
|\ |\ |\
C) 10 billion
|\ |\ |\
D) 100 million
|\ |\ |\
E) 100 trillion - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: B
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5) Modern telescopes are capable of seeing bright
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
galaxies up to about |\ |\ |\ |\
A) 1 million light-years away.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\
B) 10 million light-years away.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\
C) 1 billion light-years away.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\
,D) 10 billion light-years away.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\
E) 1 trillion light-years away. - CORRECT ANSWERS
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✔✔Answer: D |\
, 6) Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the eight
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
planets of the solar system cover?
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
A) the size of a typical dorm room
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
B) the size of a typical campus building
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
C) the size of a typical campus
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
D) the size of a small city
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
E) the size of a western state (e.g., Colorado) - CORRECT
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\
7) What do we mean when we say that the universe is
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
expanding? |\
A) Average distances are increasing between star
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
systems within galaxies. |\ |\ |\
B) Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
C) Average distances are increasing between galaxies.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
D) The statement is not meant to be literal rather, it
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
means that our knowledge of the universe is growing.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
E) Individual galaxies are gradually growing in size. -
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Answer: C |\ |\ |\
8) The age of the universe is
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
A) between 10 million and 16 million years.
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
B) between 100 million and 160 million years.
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