ASTRO 101 EXAM 6 QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion
1) the orbit of a planet is an ellipse, with the Sun at one focus
2) a line from a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times
3) a planet's orbital period squared is proportional to its orbit size cubed (KNOW FOR TEST -
p^2=a^3)
Newton's 3 laws of basic mechanics
1) Every object moves in a straight line unless acted upon by a force. A body in motion will have
a tendency to keep moving because it has momentum. Momentum is a vector and is equal to the
product of mass and velocity (p = mv).
2) The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force exerted and inversely
proportional to the object's mass. F = ma, or force equals mass times acceleration.
3) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Kirchhoff's laws of spectra
(what produces a continuous spectrum, an emission line spectrum, or an absorbtion
spectrum, and what these spectra look like)
A set of rules that summarizes the conditions under which objects product thermal, absorption
line, or emission spectra.
1) an opaque object produces thermal radiation
2) an absorption line spectrum occurs when thermal radiation passes through a thin gas that is
cooler than the object emitting the thermal radiation
, 3) an emission line spectrum occurs when we view a cloud of gas that is worms than any
background source of light
the scientific method (testability, falsifiability)
Make observations
Ask a question
Suggest a hypothesis
Make a prediction
Preform a test - experiment or additional observation
~Test does not support the hypothesis: revise the hypothesis or choose a new one
~Test supports the hypothesis: make additional predictions and test them
Occam's razor
William of Occam suggested that the simplest idea that explains an observed phenomenon is
most likely the correct explanation.
What makes for a good hypothesis?
can be written as an if, then statement to establish cause and effect on the variables
What is a scientific paradigm? Examples...
a generally well-established scientific theory or set of theories
The earth is the center of the universe
Powers of 10 notation
In powers of ten notation, large numbers are written using ten to a power, or exponent. The
exponent tells you how many times ten is to be multiplied by iteslf to equal the number you wish
to write.
What does "star" mean?
A large, glowing ball that generates heat and light through nuclear fusion in its core
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion
1) the orbit of a planet is an ellipse, with the Sun at one focus
2) a line from a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times
3) a planet's orbital period squared is proportional to its orbit size cubed (KNOW FOR TEST -
p^2=a^3)
Newton's 3 laws of basic mechanics
1) Every object moves in a straight line unless acted upon by a force. A body in motion will have
a tendency to keep moving because it has momentum. Momentum is a vector and is equal to the
product of mass and velocity (p = mv).
2) The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force exerted and inversely
proportional to the object's mass. F = ma, or force equals mass times acceleration.
3) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Kirchhoff's laws of spectra
(what produces a continuous spectrum, an emission line spectrum, or an absorbtion
spectrum, and what these spectra look like)
A set of rules that summarizes the conditions under which objects product thermal, absorption
line, or emission spectra.
1) an opaque object produces thermal radiation
2) an absorption line spectrum occurs when thermal radiation passes through a thin gas that is
cooler than the object emitting the thermal radiation
, 3) an emission line spectrum occurs when we view a cloud of gas that is worms than any
background source of light
the scientific method (testability, falsifiability)
Make observations
Ask a question
Suggest a hypothesis
Make a prediction
Preform a test - experiment or additional observation
~Test does not support the hypothesis: revise the hypothesis or choose a new one
~Test supports the hypothesis: make additional predictions and test them
Occam's razor
William of Occam suggested that the simplest idea that explains an observed phenomenon is
most likely the correct explanation.
What makes for a good hypothesis?
can be written as an if, then statement to establish cause and effect on the variables
What is a scientific paradigm? Examples...
a generally well-established scientific theory or set of theories
The earth is the center of the universe
Powers of 10 notation
In powers of ten notation, large numbers are written using ten to a power, or exponent. The
exponent tells you how many times ten is to be multiplied by iteslf to equal the number you wish
to write.
What does "star" mean?
A large, glowing ball that generates heat and light through nuclear fusion in its core
