©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
Astro 101 Final Exam Questions And
Answers |Latest 2025 | Guaranteed Pass.
Hypothesis - Answer✔-possible explanation
-a collection of ideas that seem to explain what is observed
-must always agree with existing observations and experiments (b/c difference with what is
observed implies that the hypothesis is wrong)
theory - Answer✔-has been tested
-successful MANY times
-cannot ever be proven correct, BUT cannot be proven incorrect
-a body of related hypotheses pieced together into a self-consistent description of nature
ex. theory that planets are held in the their orbits around the sun by the sun's gravitational
force
model - Answer✔-successful hypothesis
-has made correct predications
-hypotheses that have withstood observational and experimental tests
-tells us about properties and behaviors of some object or phenomenon
ex. model of an atom- electrons orbiting a central nucleus
-uses mathematics to make detailed predictions
good theories do what? - Answer✔-explain reality well
-can be used to explain new observations
important part of scientific theory? - Answer✔ability to make predictions that can be tested by
other scientists
-an idea that cannot be tested by observation or experiment does not qualify as a scientific
theory
1
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
units - Answer✔SI units/ MKS (meters, grams, seconds) units
AU
1 Astronomical unit (AU) - Answer✔distance from earth to the sun
light year - Answer✔distance light travels in a year
speed of light= C=3 x 10^8m/s
-we can see the earth from billions of years ago b/c thats how long it takes for it to get back to
the earth
constellations - Answer✔-a group of bright stars
-not all the same distance from earth
why are constellations not scientifically useful? - Answer✔because their only relationship is that
their in the same direction in the sky- their not related
scientific method - Answer✔-approach used by scientists to explore physical reality differs from
other forms of intellectual endeavor that is based on observation, logic and skepticism
skepticism - Answer✔-the more radical the hypothesis, the more skepticism and critical
evaluation it will receive
-extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
-why UFO claims aren't accepted- flawed evidence
describe space- big to small - Answer✔-universe (everything)
-clusters of galaxies
-galaxies (group of stars)
-stars
-planets
-moon/satellites
what makes our solar system? - Answer✔stars, planets, moons
planets in order - Answer✔-mercury
-mars
-earth
-venus
-jupiter
2
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
-saturn
-uranus
-neptune
steps of the scientific method - Answer✔-observation/data
-formulate question
-hypothesis
-prediction only
-test prediction- get dada
-repeat
why do the sun and moon move in a diurnal motion? - Answer✔due to the earth rotation
forms of light invisible to the human eye - Answer✔x rays, gamma rays, radio waves,
microwaves, and ultra violet and infrared radiation
meteorites - Answer✔-oldest objects found on earth
-bits of interplanetary debris that fall onto our surface
-have allowed us to see that our entire solar system is 4.56 billion years old
what is the nearest star to earth? - Answer✔the sun
how does the sun shine? - Answer✔-center of the sun is thermonuclear reactions (converting H
to He at high tempts)
- releases a ton of energy, makes its way to the suns surface and escapes as light
-same way all stars shine at night
why can't all stars last forever? - Answer✔thermonuclear reactions- the way they shine-
consumes material of which stars are made
nebulae - Answer✔huge clouds of interstellar gas found across the sky
ex. the orion nebula - stars are born from the material of the nebula itself
supernova - Answer✔star ends its life by blowing itself apart
where do we get carbon from? - Answer✔when stars die, they release gas into interstellar
space- this gas has heavy elements like carbon
-intersteller space builds up all these heavy elements/gases
-sun and planets were formed from the interstellar material
3
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
- heavy elements like iron, nickel, carbon- make up earth, us and everything else
galaxies - Answer✔group of stars
quasars - Answer✔most distant and bright objects in the sky
-shines as bright as a hundred galaxies
-draw their energy from material falling into black holes
motion of distant galaxies explains what? - Answer✔the universe is expanding
-will continue and is expanding faster
angular measure - Answer✔size of an angle exactly
why do astronomers use angular measure? - Answer✔they use it to describe the apparent size
of a celestial object- how wide it appears on the sky
why is the power-of-ten notation useful? - Answer✔-short hand system for writing numbers
(for very large and very small numbers)
-more convenient
who is AU unit convenient to use? - Answer✔for measuring large distances between planets
and even larger distances between stars
advantage to using light year as a unit of distance - Answer✔-measures things very far from us
-measuring stars we can see how long it would take to get back to us in terms of distance
diurnal (daily) motion - Answer✔-daily motion of stars moving across the sky
-sun and moon too
diurnal motion of constellations - Answer✔-entire pattern of stars shift positions daily - you
won't see the same constellations in the same place every day
-only after a year will the night sky appear the same as it did a year before
why does the sky go through diurnal motion? - Answer✔earth rotates from west to east,
making one complete rotation every 24 hours- its why we have a daily cycle of day and night
why do stars appear to rise in the east and set in the west? - Answer✔earth's rotation- 1
rotation every 24 hours
why do constellations visible at night change throughout the year? - Answer✔b/c earth orbits
around the sun completely in a year
-night time side of earth turns towards different parts of space
4
Astro 101 Final Exam Questions And
Answers |Latest 2025 | Guaranteed Pass.
Hypothesis - Answer✔-possible explanation
-a collection of ideas that seem to explain what is observed
-must always agree with existing observations and experiments (b/c difference with what is
observed implies that the hypothesis is wrong)
theory - Answer✔-has been tested
-successful MANY times
-cannot ever be proven correct, BUT cannot be proven incorrect
-a body of related hypotheses pieced together into a self-consistent description of nature
ex. theory that planets are held in the their orbits around the sun by the sun's gravitational
force
model - Answer✔-successful hypothesis
-has made correct predications
-hypotheses that have withstood observational and experimental tests
-tells us about properties and behaviors of some object or phenomenon
ex. model of an atom- electrons orbiting a central nucleus
-uses mathematics to make detailed predictions
good theories do what? - Answer✔-explain reality well
-can be used to explain new observations
important part of scientific theory? - Answer✔ability to make predictions that can be tested by
other scientists
-an idea that cannot be tested by observation or experiment does not qualify as a scientific
theory
1
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
units - Answer✔SI units/ MKS (meters, grams, seconds) units
AU
1 Astronomical unit (AU) - Answer✔distance from earth to the sun
light year - Answer✔distance light travels in a year
speed of light= C=3 x 10^8m/s
-we can see the earth from billions of years ago b/c thats how long it takes for it to get back to
the earth
constellations - Answer✔-a group of bright stars
-not all the same distance from earth
why are constellations not scientifically useful? - Answer✔because their only relationship is that
their in the same direction in the sky- their not related
scientific method - Answer✔-approach used by scientists to explore physical reality differs from
other forms of intellectual endeavor that is based on observation, logic and skepticism
skepticism - Answer✔-the more radical the hypothesis, the more skepticism and critical
evaluation it will receive
-extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
-why UFO claims aren't accepted- flawed evidence
describe space- big to small - Answer✔-universe (everything)
-clusters of galaxies
-galaxies (group of stars)
-stars
-planets
-moon/satellites
what makes our solar system? - Answer✔stars, planets, moons
planets in order - Answer✔-mercury
-mars
-earth
-venus
-jupiter
2
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
-saturn
-uranus
-neptune
steps of the scientific method - Answer✔-observation/data
-formulate question
-hypothesis
-prediction only
-test prediction- get dada
-repeat
why do the sun and moon move in a diurnal motion? - Answer✔due to the earth rotation
forms of light invisible to the human eye - Answer✔x rays, gamma rays, radio waves,
microwaves, and ultra violet and infrared radiation
meteorites - Answer✔-oldest objects found on earth
-bits of interplanetary debris that fall onto our surface
-have allowed us to see that our entire solar system is 4.56 billion years old
what is the nearest star to earth? - Answer✔the sun
how does the sun shine? - Answer✔-center of the sun is thermonuclear reactions (converting H
to He at high tempts)
- releases a ton of energy, makes its way to the suns surface and escapes as light
-same way all stars shine at night
why can't all stars last forever? - Answer✔thermonuclear reactions- the way they shine-
consumes material of which stars are made
nebulae - Answer✔huge clouds of interstellar gas found across the sky
ex. the orion nebula - stars are born from the material of the nebula itself
supernova - Answer✔star ends its life by blowing itself apart
where do we get carbon from? - Answer✔when stars die, they release gas into interstellar
space- this gas has heavy elements like carbon
-intersteller space builds up all these heavy elements/gases
-sun and planets were formed from the interstellar material
3
, ©FYNDLAY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1:25PM A+
- heavy elements like iron, nickel, carbon- make up earth, us and everything else
galaxies - Answer✔group of stars
quasars - Answer✔most distant and bright objects in the sky
-shines as bright as a hundred galaxies
-draw their energy from material falling into black holes
motion of distant galaxies explains what? - Answer✔the universe is expanding
-will continue and is expanding faster
angular measure - Answer✔size of an angle exactly
why do astronomers use angular measure? - Answer✔they use it to describe the apparent size
of a celestial object- how wide it appears on the sky
why is the power-of-ten notation useful? - Answer✔-short hand system for writing numbers
(for very large and very small numbers)
-more convenient
who is AU unit convenient to use? - Answer✔for measuring large distances between planets
and even larger distances between stars
advantage to using light year as a unit of distance - Answer✔-measures things very far from us
-measuring stars we can see how long it would take to get back to us in terms of distance
diurnal (daily) motion - Answer✔-daily motion of stars moving across the sky
-sun and moon too
diurnal motion of constellations - Answer✔-entire pattern of stars shift positions daily - you
won't see the same constellations in the same place every day
-only after a year will the night sky appear the same as it did a year before
why does the sky go through diurnal motion? - Answer✔earth rotates from west to east,
making one complete rotation every 24 hours- its why we have a daily cycle of day and night
why do stars appear to rise in the east and set in the west? - Answer✔earth's rotation- 1
rotation every 24 hours
why do constellations visible at night change throughout the year? - Answer✔b/c earth orbits
around the sun completely in a year
-night time side of earth turns towards different parts of space
4
