ASTRO1 UCSB FINAL EXPECTED QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Question 1.
A THEORY is a pattern in nature thought to have predictive power. The test of a theory is a
prediction. That's where pseudo-science fails. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 2.
Red giant stars are powered by hydrogen burning in a shell surrounding a core, which has been
depleted of hydrogen. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 3.
Jovian planets have densities similar to that of water, and we know in fact that they are mostly
made of water. T/F
ANSWER
F - Jovian planets are gaseous
Question 4.
The Sun appears to circle the Celestial Sphere in one year because the Earth is circling the Sun.
The Sun's apparent path is called the horizon. T/F
ANSWER
F - it's called the ecliptic
Question 5.
A planet can occasionally act as a circumpolar star as seen from Santa Barbara. T/F
ANSWER
F
Question 6.
Opaque bodies approximately obey the blackbody laws: the Stefan-Boltzmann Law and Wien's
Law. T/F
ANSWER
T
1
, Question 7.
Venus's surface is very hot because it absorbs more sunlight than the earth does. T/F
ANSWER
B - its thick atmosphere keeps heat from escaping
Question 8.
Ozone depletion may have stabilized because of an international agreement to reduce emission
of certain industrial chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 9.
Under exotic conditions, intuition sometimes fails, e.g. speed of light is the same for all
observers. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 10.
ter. T/F
ANSWER
F
Question 11.
The Cosmic Microwave Background has a blackbody spectrum. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 12.
Old streambeds and other topographic features indicate that Mars once had liquid water on its
surface. T/F
ANSWER
T
2
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Question 1.
A THEORY is a pattern in nature thought to have predictive power. The test of a theory is a
prediction. That's where pseudo-science fails. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 2.
Red giant stars are powered by hydrogen burning in a shell surrounding a core, which has been
depleted of hydrogen. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 3.
Jovian planets have densities similar to that of water, and we know in fact that they are mostly
made of water. T/F
ANSWER
F - Jovian planets are gaseous
Question 4.
The Sun appears to circle the Celestial Sphere in one year because the Earth is circling the Sun.
The Sun's apparent path is called the horizon. T/F
ANSWER
F - it's called the ecliptic
Question 5.
A planet can occasionally act as a circumpolar star as seen from Santa Barbara. T/F
ANSWER
F
Question 6.
Opaque bodies approximately obey the blackbody laws: the Stefan-Boltzmann Law and Wien's
Law. T/F
ANSWER
T
1
, Question 7.
Venus's surface is very hot because it absorbs more sunlight than the earth does. T/F
ANSWER
B - its thick atmosphere keeps heat from escaping
Question 8.
Ozone depletion may have stabilized because of an international agreement to reduce emission
of certain industrial chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 9.
Under exotic conditions, intuition sometimes fails, e.g. speed of light is the same for all
observers. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 10.
ter. T/F
ANSWER
F
Question 11.
The Cosmic Microwave Background has a blackbody spectrum. T/F
ANSWER
T
Question 12.
Old streambeds and other topographic features indicate that Mars once had liquid water on its
surface. T/F
ANSWER
T
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