Frontiers in Astronomy Test 1 UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
The celestial sphere - CORRECT ANSWER - The imaginary sphere on which objects in
the sky appear to reside when observed from Earth.
Circumpolar stars seem to make complete circles around - CORRECT ANSWER - polaris
The force of gravity ______ with distance. This causes the ______. - CORRECT
ANSWER - decreases, tides
Pluto is unusual because its orbit does not lie in the - CORRECT ANSWER - ecliptic
The nearest star (other than the Sun) - CORRECT ANSWER - is a few light years away.
Cepheids - CORRECT ANSWER - Stars whose luminosity that varies periodically over
time. are used to measure distances in astronomy.
Nearby objects seem to move when you blink your eyes. - CORRECT ANSWER - This
same general technique is used to measure the distance to other stars.
He was a great observational astronomer, able to measure the positions of objects to incredible
accuracy. - CORRECT ANSWER - Tycho Brahe
Suppose that the peak of a wave arrives every 1/2 second. The frequency of the wave is -
CORRECT ANSWER - 2 Hz
Suppose you observe light with a wavelength of 1 mile. This is - CORRECT ANSWER -a
radio wave.
, Ptolemy - CORRECT ANSWER - elaborated Aristotle's model and made it more
complicated.
What is one way sound waves differ from light waves? - CORRECT ANSWER - Light
waves do not need a medium to travel through.
The model of Copernicus - CORRECT ANSWER - was closer to reality than Ptolemy's
model but still had a significant flaw.
Suppose that Star A has a higher temperature than star B. Then - CORRECT ANSWER -
A will emit higher frequency light, on average, than B.
Who showed that orbits are not circular in reality? - CORRECT ANSWER - Kepler
What was an observation of Galileo's that cast doubt on geocentric models? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The orbits of the moons of Jupiter around the planet.
Consider two planets. If the mass of ONE planet doubles (the other stays the same) AND the
distance between them doubles, how does the gravitational force change? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It decreases by a factor of 1/2.
How are the accomplishments of Newton related to those of Kepler? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Newton's theory of gravity explained Kepler's laws.
Which is hotter, Mercury or Venus? - CORRECT ANSWER - Venus
Which of the following are major differences between outer and inner planets? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Outer planets are made of gas rather than rock.
What is the Sun made of? - CORRECT ANSWER - Hydrogen gas mainly.
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
The celestial sphere - CORRECT ANSWER - The imaginary sphere on which objects in
the sky appear to reside when observed from Earth.
Circumpolar stars seem to make complete circles around - CORRECT ANSWER - polaris
The force of gravity ______ with distance. This causes the ______. - CORRECT
ANSWER - decreases, tides
Pluto is unusual because its orbit does not lie in the - CORRECT ANSWER - ecliptic
The nearest star (other than the Sun) - CORRECT ANSWER - is a few light years away.
Cepheids - CORRECT ANSWER - Stars whose luminosity that varies periodically over
time. are used to measure distances in astronomy.
Nearby objects seem to move when you blink your eyes. - CORRECT ANSWER - This
same general technique is used to measure the distance to other stars.
He was a great observational astronomer, able to measure the positions of objects to incredible
accuracy. - CORRECT ANSWER - Tycho Brahe
Suppose that the peak of a wave arrives every 1/2 second. The frequency of the wave is -
CORRECT ANSWER - 2 Hz
Suppose you observe light with a wavelength of 1 mile. This is - CORRECT ANSWER -a
radio wave.
, Ptolemy - CORRECT ANSWER - elaborated Aristotle's model and made it more
complicated.
What is one way sound waves differ from light waves? - CORRECT ANSWER - Light
waves do not need a medium to travel through.
The model of Copernicus - CORRECT ANSWER - was closer to reality than Ptolemy's
model but still had a significant flaw.
Suppose that Star A has a higher temperature than star B. Then - CORRECT ANSWER -
A will emit higher frequency light, on average, than B.
Who showed that orbits are not circular in reality? - CORRECT ANSWER - Kepler
What was an observation of Galileo's that cast doubt on geocentric models? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The orbits of the moons of Jupiter around the planet.
Consider two planets. If the mass of ONE planet doubles (the other stays the same) AND the
distance between them doubles, how does the gravitational force change? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It decreases by a factor of 1/2.
How are the accomplishments of Newton related to those of Kepler? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Newton's theory of gravity explained Kepler's laws.
Which is hotter, Mercury or Venus? - CORRECT ANSWER - Venus
Which of the following are major differences between outer and inner planets? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Outer planets are made of gas rather than rock.
What is the Sun made of? - CORRECT ANSWER - Hydrogen gas mainly.
