The Essential Cosmic Perspective Test Questions
And Correct Verified Answers Latest Update
If you heat a gas so that collisions are continually bumping electrons
to higher energy levels, when the electrons fall back to lower energy
levels the gas produces -Answer:-an emission line spectrum
When an electron in an atom goes from a higher energy state to a
lower energy state, the atom -Answer:-emits a photon of a specific
frequency.
Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized
atoms of the same element -Answer:-have different sets of spectral
lines.
Which of the following objects is not a close approximation of a
thermal emitter? -Answer:-hot, thin gas
Which of the following statements about thermal radiation is always
true? -Answer:-A hot object emits photons with a higher average
energy than a cool object.
,A gas heated to millions of degrees would emit -Answer:-mostly X-
rays
From laboratory measurements, we know that a particular spectral
line formed by hydrogen appears at a wavelength of 121.6
nanometers (nm). The spectrum of a particular star shows the same
hydrogen line appearing at a wavelength of 121.8 nm. What can we
conclude? -Answer:-The star is moving toward us.
If we observe one edge of a planet to be redshifted and the opposite
edge to be blueshifted, what can we conclude about the planet? -
Answer:-The planet is rotating.
Suppose you see two stars: a blue star and a red star. Which of the
following can you conclude about the two stars? Assume that no
Doppler shifts are involved. (Hint: Think about the laws of thermal
radiation.) -Answer:-The blue star has a hotter surface temperature
than the red star.
, Which of the following is least reasonable regarding our perception
of color? -Answer:-A banana which appears yellow in white light
would appear blue when illuminated by blue light.
Currently, the largest optical telescope mirrors have a diameter of -
Answer:-10 m
Which of the following is not a good reason to place observatories
on remote mountain tops? -Answer:-to be able to observe at radio
wavelengths
Why do astronomers need different telescope designs to observe
across the electromagnetic spectrum? -Answer:-Photons of different
energy behave differently and require different collection strategies
The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is
the size of -Answer:-Earth
Which of the following wavelength regions cannot be studied with
telescopes on the ground? -Answer:-x rays and ultraviolet
And Correct Verified Answers Latest Update
If you heat a gas so that collisions are continually bumping electrons
to higher energy levels, when the electrons fall back to lower energy
levels the gas produces -Answer:-an emission line spectrum
When an electron in an atom goes from a higher energy state to a
lower energy state, the atom -Answer:-emits a photon of a specific
frequency.
Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized
atoms of the same element -Answer:-have different sets of spectral
lines.
Which of the following objects is not a close approximation of a
thermal emitter? -Answer:-hot, thin gas
Which of the following statements about thermal radiation is always
true? -Answer:-A hot object emits photons with a higher average
energy than a cool object.
,A gas heated to millions of degrees would emit -Answer:-mostly X-
rays
From laboratory measurements, we know that a particular spectral
line formed by hydrogen appears at a wavelength of 121.6
nanometers (nm). The spectrum of a particular star shows the same
hydrogen line appearing at a wavelength of 121.8 nm. What can we
conclude? -Answer:-The star is moving toward us.
If we observe one edge of a planet to be redshifted and the opposite
edge to be blueshifted, what can we conclude about the planet? -
Answer:-The planet is rotating.
Suppose you see two stars: a blue star and a red star. Which of the
following can you conclude about the two stars? Assume that no
Doppler shifts are involved. (Hint: Think about the laws of thermal
radiation.) -Answer:-The blue star has a hotter surface temperature
than the red star.
, Which of the following is least reasonable regarding our perception
of color? -Answer:-A banana which appears yellow in white light
would appear blue when illuminated by blue light.
Currently, the largest optical telescope mirrors have a diameter of -
Answer:-10 m
Which of the following is not a good reason to place observatories
on remote mountain tops? -Answer:-to be able to observe at radio
wavelengths
Why do astronomers need different telescope designs to observe
across the electromagnetic spectrum? -Answer:-Photons of different
energy behave differently and require different collection strategies
The largest effective telescope, created by radio interferometry, is
the size of -Answer:-Earth
Which of the following wavelength regions cannot be studied with
telescopes on the ground? -Answer:-x rays and ultraviolet
