PSU ASTRO 7N UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What happens when an atom absorbs photons of certain energies from a
background continuum source? - ✔✔Dark lines arise in a spectrum
✔✔In the spectroscopy game, what did you do to produce a continuous spectrum with a
bluer color? - ✔✔raised the temperature of the lamp
✔✔In the spectroscopy game, after you zoomed in on the atoms, how did you decide
what atom to click on to produce a certain emission line in the spectrum? - ✔✔you
matched the energy with the energy emitted when electrons jumped from high to low
energy levels
✔✔What is a continous spectrum? - ✔✔light at all wavelengths
✔✔What kind of light does not get through Earth's atmosphere? - ✔✔X-ray
✔✔How much more light does a 12 meter telescope collect than a 6 meter telescope? -
✔✔4 times more
✔✔A reflecting telescope collects light - ✔✔in proportion to the area of its mirror
✔✔According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, if the next force acting on the object
increases while the mass of the object remains constant, what happens to the
acceleration? - ✔✔acceleration increases
✔✔If the Earth were moved to half its current distance from the Sun, how would the
force of gravity by the Sun on the Earth change? - ✔✔It would become fours time
stronger
✔✔What did Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation tell us about how gravity works? -
✔✔The force of gravity from the Sun will be stronger on an object with more mass.
✔✔The Earth radius is about 6400 km. If you were in orbit in the Space Station 150 km
above the ground, the force of gravity you feel from Earth would be: - ✔✔Slightly
weaker than when you are standing on Earth
✔✔If you were to sit on the ground, there would be a force due to gravity pulling you
toward the Earth. Which of the following is true according to Newton's 3rd Law? -
✔✔You are pushing the Earth away from yourself with the same force
, ✔✔What would happen to Earth if the Sun's gravity somehow 'turned off'
instantaneously? - ✔✔It would continue to move in a line in the same direction it was
moving when the gravity turned off.
✔✔Consider a planet whose rotation axis is NOT tilted with respect to its orbital plane.
What are the seasons like on this planet? - ✔✔there are no seasons
✔✔If the Earth rotated on its axis more slowly than it does now: - ✔✔its day would be
longer
✔✔If Earth had its orbit changed so that at all points along its orbit it was always the
same distance from the Sun (circular orbit), how would this affect the seasons on Earth?
- ✔✔they would be the same as they are now
✔✔A new planet orbits its star faster than the Earth orbits the Sun and it rotates more
slowly than the Earth rotates. Which of the following is true? - ✔✔The new planet has a
shorter year than Earth and a longer day than earth
✔✔How much of the total surface area of the Moon is illuminated by sunlight during the
Full Moon phase? - ✔✔one half
✔✔At approximately what time does the third quarter Moon rise? - ✔✔midnight
✔✔Approximately two weeks after a Solar Eclipse, what phase will the Moon be in? -
✔✔Full
✔✔A moon orbits a planet in exactly the same plane as the planet orbits its star. How
often does this planet experience a solar eclipse? - ✔✔Once every orbit of its moon (its
month)
✔✔From Earth, in which constellations might you find the planet Saturn? - ✔✔Taurus
✔✔Why don't we see the constellation Orion all year? - ✔✔As the Earth orbits the Sun,
its nighttime side points to different constellations at different points along its orbit.
✔✔Constellations close to the North Pole of the earth.... - ✔✔Move in a circle around
the North Star, Polaris, over the course of a single night
✔✔There are a total of 88 constellations. Roughly how many of these can be seen at
any given time from a single location on a clear night? - ✔✔44
✔✔If the frequency of radiation is twice as large than its wavelength is - ✔✔half as large
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What happens when an atom absorbs photons of certain energies from a
background continuum source? - ✔✔Dark lines arise in a spectrum
✔✔In the spectroscopy game, what did you do to produce a continuous spectrum with a
bluer color? - ✔✔raised the temperature of the lamp
✔✔In the spectroscopy game, after you zoomed in on the atoms, how did you decide
what atom to click on to produce a certain emission line in the spectrum? - ✔✔you
matched the energy with the energy emitted when electrons jumped from high to low
energy levels
✔✔What is a continous spectrum? - ✔✔light at all wavelengths
✔✔What kind of light does not get through Earth's atmosphere? - ✔✔X-ray
✔✔How much more light does a 12 meter telescope collect than a 6 meter telescope? -
✔✔4 times more
✔✔A reflecting telescope collects light - ✔✔in proportion to the area of its mirror
✔✔According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, if the next force acting on the object
increases while the mass of the object remains constant, what happens to the
acceleration? - ✔✔acceleration increases
✔✔If the Earth were moved to half its current distance from the Sun, how would the
force of gravity by the Sun on the Earth change? - ✔✔It would become fours time
stronger
✔✔What did Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation tell us about how gravity works? -
✔✔The force of gravity from the Sun will be stronger on an object with more mass.
✔✔The Earth radius is about 6400 km. If you were in orbit in the Space Station 150 km
above the ground, the force of gravity you feel from Earth would be: - ✔✔Slightly
weaker than when you are standing on Earth
✔✔If you were to sit on the ground, there would be a force due to gravity pulling you
toward the Earth. Which of the following is true according to Newton's 3rd Law? -
✔✔You are pushing the Earth away from yourself with the same force
, ✔✔What would happen to Earth if the Sun's gravity somehow 'turned off'
instantaneously? - ✔✔It would continue to move in a line in the same direction it was
moving when the gravity turned off.
✔✔Consider a planet whose rotation axis is NOT tilted with respect to its orbital plane.
What are the seasons like on this planet? - ✔✔there are no seasons
✔✔If the Earth rotated on its axis more slowly than it does now: - ✔✔its day would be
longer
✔✔If Earth had its orbit changed so that at all points along its orbit it was always the
same distance from the Sun (circular orbit), how would this affect the seasons on Earth?
- ✔✔they would be the same as they are now
✔✔A new planet orbits its star faster than the Earth orbits the Sun and it rotates more
slowly than the Earth rotates. Which of the following is true? - ✔✔The new planet has a
shorter year than Earth and a longer day than earth
✔✔How much of the total surface area of the Moon is illuminated by sunlight during the
Full Moon phase? - ✔✔one half
✔✔At approximately what time does the third quarter Moon rise? - ✔✔midnight
✔✔Approximately two weeks after a Solar Eclipse, what phase will the Moon be in? -
✔✔Full
✔✔A moon orbits a planet in exactly the same plane as the planet orbits its star. How
often does this planet experience a solar eclipse? - ✔✔Once every orbit of its moon (its
month)
✔✔From Earth, in which constellations might you find the planet Saturn? - ✔✔Taurus
✔✔Why don't we see the constellation Orion all year? - ✔✔As the Earth orbits the Sun,
its nighttime side points to different constellations at different points along its orbit.
✔✔Constellations close to the North Pole of the earth.... - ✔✔Move in a circle around
the North Star, Polaris, over the course of a single night
✔✔There are a total of 88 constellations. Roughly how many of these can be seen at
any given time from a single location on a clear night? - ✔✔44
✔✔If the frequency of radiation is twice as large than its wavelength is - ✔✔half as large
