SNHU PHY-150 MODULE 2
PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS | ALREADY GRADED
A+<RECENT VERSION>
1) Which of the following statements about eclipses of the Sun is true -
answer For a total eclipse of the Sun to happen, the Moon must get
directly in front of the Sun, as seen from Earth
2) Recently, the media, always trying to make things sound sensational,
have started to call totally eclipsed moon "the blood moon." Why does
the Moon look reddish to us when there is a total lunar eclipse? -
answer The Earth's atmosphere bends different colors of light to a
different degree. During a total lunar eclipse, the red light of the Sun,
filtering through the Earth's atmosphere colors the Moon red
3) The number of degrees of arc that your location is north or south of the
Earth's equator is called your: - answer latitude
4) The earliest telescopes used by astronomers were: - answer refractors
5) We have two waves of light, A and B. Wave A has a higher frequency
than wave B. Then wave B must have: - answer longer wavelength
,6) Which of the following statements about electromagnetic radiation is
FALSE? - answer the radiation consists of tiny charged particles given
off by the nuclei of atoms
7) Why do different types of atoms (elements) give off or absorb different
spectral lines? - answer because the spacing of the energy levels is
different in different atoms
8) How do astronomers learn what elements are present in a given star? -
answer look at the absorption lines in its spectrum
9) Typically, astronomers express the right ascension of a star on the sky in
what units? - answer hours, minutes, and seconds
10) A friend of yours (who has not had the benefit of an astronomy
course) tells you about a report he has read in a tabloid newspaper. They
claim that on the dark side of the Moon, which is never in sunlight, there
is a secret base of aliens who cannot stand light, and who send UFO's to
Earth under the cover of darkness. Ignoring the UFO claim for a moment,
what is the scientific error in this story? - answer all sides of the Moon
are illuminated by sunlight in the course of a month; there is no dark side
11) An astronomer discovers a new star and wants to measure its
temperature. She would typically do this by: - answer making a
blackbody curve and finding the wavelength of the peak (maximum)
12) The most important function of an astronomical telescope is to: -
answer collect as much light as possible and bring it to a focus
13) _____ is the number of waves that cross a given point per unit time
(in radiation) - answer frequency
,14) During what phase of the Moon is the Moon up only during the
night hours and all night long? - answer full moon
15) _____ is the technique of transmitting radio waves to an object and
then detecting the radiation that the object reflects back to the transmitter;
used to measure the distance to, and motion of, a target object or to form
images of it - answer radar
16) A _____ is a telescope in which the principal light collector is a
lens or system of lenses - answer refracting telescope
17) _____ is an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon, caused by the passage
of the Moon in front of the Sun; solar eclipses can occur only at the time
of the new moon - answer solar eclipse
18) An _____ is a series or pattern of dark lines superimposed on a
continuous spectrum - answer absorption spectrum
19) A _____ is the distance from crest to crest or trough to trough in a
wave - answer wavelength
20) In the summer of 1996, the European Space Agency announced
that it would be suspending the operations of the International Ultraviolet
Explorer. Astronomers who were most unhappy about that
announcements were likely to be studying what types of objects? -
answer very hot stars
21) In 1911 Ernest Rutherford did a famous experiment using fast-
moving alpha particles as bullets and very thin gold foil as a target. The
results of this experiment showed that: - answer that the nucleus of an
atom was tiny compared to the size of the whole atom
, 22) _____ is the angular distance north or south of the celestial equator
- answer declination
23) The two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where the Earth's
atmosphere is transparent (radiation can get in) are visible light and: -
answer some radio waves
24) When a knowledgeable amateur astronomer tells you that she has a
14-inch telescope, what does the number 14 refer to? - answer the
diameter of the primary lens or mirror
25) ____ is the coordinate for measuring the east-west positions of
celestial bodies; the angle measured eastward along the celestial equator
from the vernal equinox to the hour circle passing through a body -
answer right ascension
26) ____ is the diameter of the primary lens or mirror of a telescope -
answer aperture
27) Planck's constant relates: - answer the frequency of a wave to
its energy (when thought of as a photon)
28) An _____ is an idealized object that absorbs all electromagnetic
energy that falls onto it - answer blackbody
29) Which of the following is NOT an advantage that the Hubble
Space Telescope has over large telescopes on Earth? - answer the
Hubble has a larger aperture than any visible-light telescope on Earth
30) If you want to locate someone precisely on the surface of the Earth,
you specify her exact latitude and longitude. If you want to locate a star
PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS | ALREADY GRADED
A+<RECENT VERSION>
1) Which of the following statements about eclipses of the Sun is true -
answer For a total eclipse of the Sun to happen, the Moon must get
directly in front of the Sun, as seen from Earth
2) Recently, the media, always trying to make things sound sensational,
have started to call totally eclipsed moon "the blood moon." Why does
the Moon look reddish to us when there is a total lunar eclipse? -
answer The Earth's atmosphere bends different colors of light to a
different degree. During a total lunar eclipse, the red light of the Sun,
filtering through the Earth's atmosphere colors the Moon red
3) The number of degrees of arc that your location is north or south of the
Earth's equator is called your: - answer latitude
4) The earliest telescopes used by astronomers were: - answer refractors
5) We have two waves of light, A and B. Wave A has a higher frequency
than wave B. Then wave B must have: - answer longer wavelength
,6) Which of the following statements about electromagnetic radiation is
FALSE? - answer the radiation consists of tiny charged particles given
off by the nuclei of atoms
7) Why do different types of atoms (elements) give off or absorb different
spectral lines? - answer because the spacing of the energy levels is
different in different atoms
8) How do astronomers learn what elements are present in a given star? -
answer look at the absorption lines in its spectrum
9) Typically, astronomers express the right ascension of a star on the sky in
what units? - answer hours, minutes, and seconds
10) A friend of yours (who has not had the benefit of an astronomy
course) tells you about a report he has read in a tabloid newspaper. They
claim that on the dark side of the Moon, which is never in sunlight, there
is a secret base of aliens who cannot stand light, and who send UFO's to
Earth under the cover of darkness. Ignoring the UFO claim for a moment,
what is the scientific error in this story? - answer all sides of the Moon
are illuminated by sunlight in the course of a month; there is no dark side
11) An astronomer discovers a new star and wants to measure its
temperature. She would typically do this by: - answer making a
blackbody curve and finding the wavelength of the peak (maximum)
12) The most important function of an astronomical telescope is to: -
answer collect as much light as possible and bring it to a focus
13) _____ is the number of waves that cross a given point per unit time
(in radiation) - answer frequency
,14) During what phase of the Moon is the Moon up only during the
night hours and all night long? - answer full moon
15) _____ is the technique of transmitting radio waves to an object and
then detecting the radiation that the object reflects back to the transmitter;
used to measure the distance to, and motion of, a target object or to form
images of it - answer radar
16) A _____ is a telescope in which the principal light collector is a
lens or system of lenses - answer refracting telescope
17) _____ is an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon, caused by the passage
of the Moon in front of the Sun; solar eclipses can occur only at the time
of the new moon - answer solar eclipse
18) An _____ is a series or pattern of dark lines superimposed on a
continuous spectrum - answer absorption spectrum
19) A _____ is the distance from crest to crest or trough to trough in a
wave - answer wavelength
20) In the summer of 1996, the European Space Agency announced
that it would be suspending the operations of the International Ultraviolet
Explorer. Astronomers who were most unhappy about that
announcements were likely to be studying what types of objects? -
answer very hot stars
21) In 1911 Ernest Rutherford did a famous experiment using fast-
moving alpha particles as bullets and very thin gold foil as a target. The
results of this experiment showed that: - answer that the nucleus of an
atom was tiny compared to the size of the whole atom
, 22) _____ is the angular distance north or south of the celestial equator
- answer declination
23) The two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where the Earth's
atmosphere is transparent (radiation can get in) are visible light and: -
answer some radio waves
24) When a knowledgeable amateur astronomer tells you that she has a
14-inch telescope, what does the number 14 refer to? - answer the
diameter of the primary lens or mirror
25) ____ is the coordinate for measuring the east-west positions of
celestial bodies; the angle measured eastward along the celestial equator
from the vernal equinox to the hour circle passing through a body -
answer right ascension
26) ____ is the diameter of the primary lens or mirror of a telescope -
answer aperture
27) Planck's constant relates: - answer the frequency of a wave to
its energy (when thought of as a photon)
28) An _____ is an idealized object that absorbs all electromagnetic
energy that falls onto it - answer blackbody
29) Which of the following is NOT an advantage that the Hubble
Space Telescope has over large telescopes on Earth? - answer the
Hubble has a larger aperture than any visible-light telescope on Earth
30) If you want to locate someone precisely on the surface of the Earth,
you specify her exact latitude and longitude. If you want to locate a star
