EAPS 105 - THE PLANETS EXAM 1
STUDY GUIDE
What does the Milky Way look like in the night sky? - Correct Answers -inwards spiral
How much of the solar system's mass is in the sun? - Correct Answers -99.86%
How much of the mass of the planets is in Jupiter? - Correct Answers -70%
Which are the terrestrial planets? - Correct Answers -Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Why does our moon create a perfect eclipse of the sun? - Correct Answers -right size
and right distance
What is an astronomical unit? - Correct Answers -the average distance from Earth to
the Sun-about 150 million km
The relative distance from the sun of the planets in our Solar System? - Correct
Answers -150 million km
Where did the first helium atoms originate? - Correct Answers -fusion of hydrogen
atoms after the Big Bang
difference between hydrogen ions and molecular hydrogen - Correct Answers -
Hydrogen ions have no electron. Very hot and emit light
Molecular hydrogen are 2 hydrogen atoms with electrons. They are cool and don't emit
light
, What remains the only way to fuse helium and create heat and light in the modern
universe? - Correct Answers -fusion must occur in the center of stars
Elements that can be created in the core of a low-mass star like our sun - Correct
Answers -hydrogen fuses into helium
helium fuses into beryllium
helium and beryllium fuse into carbon
helium and carbon fuse into oxygen
What happens when helium gets used up in the core of a low-mass star - Correct
Answers -molecular hydrogen is created
What are the two forces that maintain a force balance within a normally operating star? -
Correct Answers -gravity and fusion
What happens to the temperature of the core of the collapsing star and what is the
effect on the outer regions of the star? - Correct Answers -As the core contracts, it heats
up; the extra heat causes the outer regions of the star to greatly expand and cool
Why do red giants look red? - Correct Answers -cooler temperatures cause the star's
light to shift to the redder part of the redder part of the spectrum; the star becomes
bigger and redder and is thus referred to as a red giant
What is the fate of our sun? - Correct Answers -It will end up as a white dwarf
What are planetary nebula? - Correct Answers -relatively small gas clouds of ionized
hydrogen with low mass elements like carbon and oxygen, where stars and solar
systems are born
What is the fate of the largest stars? - Correct Answers -undergo greater internal
pressures, enabling heavier elements to fuse until the core is made of iron, for which
there is not enough pressure to fuse into heavier elements; when fusion ceases in a
massive star, the core collapses extremely fast causing a shock wave that makes the
outer part of the star to explode (this is called a supernova); they go from large star to
red supergiant to supernova to either a neutron star or a black hole
The relative lifespan of stars as a function of mass. - Correct Answers -the larger the
star, the quicker the death
The heaviest element that can be created in the core of a high-mass star - Correct
Answers -iron
STUDY GUIDE
What does the Milky Way look like in the night sky? - Correct Answers -inwards spiral
How much of the solar system's mass is in the sun? - Correct Answers -99.86%
How much of the mass of the planets is in Jupiter? - Correct Answers -70%
Which are the terrestrial planets? - Correct Answers -Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Why does our moon create a perfect eclipse of the sun? - Correct Answers -right size
and right distance
What is an astronomical unit? - Correct Answers -the average distance from Earth to
the Sun-about 150 million km
The relative distance from the sun of the planets in our Solar System? - Correct
Answers -150 million km
Where did the first helium atoms originate? - Correct Answers -fusion of hydrogen
atoms after the Big Bang
difference between hydrogen ions and molecular hydrogen - Correct Answers -
Hydrogen ions have no electron. Very hot and emit light
Molecular hydrogen are 2 hydrogen atoms with electrons. They are cool and don't emit
light
, What remains the only way to fuse helium and create heat and light in the modern
universe? - Correct Answers -fusion must occur in the center of stars
Elements that can be created in the core of a low-mass star like our sun - Correct
Answers -hydrogen fuses into helium
helium fuses into beryllium
helium and beryllium fuse into carbon
helium and carbon fuse into oxygen
What happens when helium gets used up in the core of a low-mass star - Correct
Answers -molecular hydrogen is created
What are the two forces that maintain a force balance within a normally operating star? -
Correct Answers -gravity and fusion
What happens to the temperature of the core of the collapsing star and what is the
effect on the outer regions of the star? - Correct Answers -As the core contracts, it heats
up; the extra heat causes the outer regions of the star to greatly expand and cool
Why do red giants look red? - Correct Answers -cooler temperatures cause the star's
light to shift to the redder part of the redder part of the spectrum; the star becomes
bigger and redder and is thus referred to as a red giant
What is the fate of our sun? - Correct Answers -It will end up as a white dwarf
What are planetary nebula? - Correct Answers -relatively small gas clouds of ionized
hydrogen with low mass elements like carbon and oxygen, where stars and solar
systems are born
What is the fate of the largest stars? - Correct Answers -undergo greater internal
pressures, enabling heavier elements to fuse until the core is made of iron, for which
there is not enough pressure to fuse into heavier elements; when fusion ceases in a
massive star, the core collapses extremely fast causing a shock wave that makes the
outer part of the star to explode (this is called a supernova); they go from large star to
red supergiant to supernova to either a neutron star or a black hole
The relative lifespan of stars as a function of mass. - Correct Answers -the larger the
star, the quicker the death
The heaviest element that can be created in the core of a high-mass star - Correct
Answers -iron
