Exploring the Universe Test #1, Key #1 Dr. Cobb s Lecture



Exploring the Universe Test #1, Key #1 Dr. Cobb’s Lecture

NAME________________________

Please circle the Lab you are in: M 12:00-2:00, T 12:00-2:00, T 2:00-4:00

Multiple choice questions. Please indicate your answers on the answer sheet.

Each question is worth 2 points unless noted otherwise.

1. Which constellation contains stars which “point” to the north star

a) Big Dipper

b) Orion

c) Little Dipper

d) Northern Cross

2. The special thing about the North star is that it is

a) always on the North horizon

b) contained in a constellation which forms a “N”

c) is near the celestial pole

d) one of the brightest stars in the sky

3. In the terrestrial coordinate system, which coordinate measures the distance from the equator

a) Latitude

b) Longitude

c) Zenith

d) Horizon

4. In the equatorial coordinate system used to locate stars, the Declination of a star

a) determines how far a star is from Greenwich, England

b) determines how bright a star is

c) what Zodiac the star is located in

d) determines how far from the celestial equator the star is

5. The angular distance represented by a knuckle at arms length is approximately

a) one radian

b) 10 degrees

c) 360 degrees

d) 2 degrees

6. The Horizon coordinate system uses which coordinates

a) Azimuth and Altitude

b) Right Ascension and Declination

c) Longitude and Latitude

d) North, South, East, West

7. The projection of the Earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere defines the

a) circumpolar region

b) celestial equator

c) the Right Ascension

d) sidereal time

8. The imaginary line running from the South horizon through the zenith and to the North is the

a) Meridian

b) Azimuth

c) Declination

d) Longitude

9. Aliens abduct me but then set me down at a different place on the Earth (I think). I observe the diurnal motion of the stars and note that they rise straight up in the East go overhead and set straight in the West. Where am I?

a) North Pole

b) South Pole

c) Equator

d) Can’t Tell

10. Aliens again abduct and return me to Earth. This time the stars rotate around a point directly overhead in a counter-clock wise motion. Where am I.

a) North Pole

b) South Pole

c) Equator

d) Can’t Tell

11. I have determine that the North Celestial Pole is about 35 degrees above the Northern horizon. What can I say about my location?

a) you are at the equator

b) you are at the North Pole

c) you are at a latitude of 35 degrees north of the equator

d) you are at a latitude of 55 degrees north of the equator

12. The diurnal motion of the sun and stars is caused by

a) the revolving of the Earth about the Sun

b) the rotation of the Earth about its axis

c) the Earth’s orbit being tipped by 23.5 degrees

d) the Moon

13. The seasons on the Earth are the result of which effect

a) Earth is closer to the Sun in the Summer and further away in the winter

b) the Earth’s axis is tipped 23.5 degrees with respect to its orbit

c) the Sun’s rays bounce off more particles in the winter before it reaches the Earth

d) the solar cycle produces periodic changes in the Sun’s power output

14. I wake up in the middle of the night and notice that it is 12:00 midnight and that the Moon is on my meridian. What is the phase of the Moon that I see?

a) new Moon

b) first quarter

c) full Moon

d) third quarter

15. The diurnal motion of the Moon is

a) from East to West

b) from West to East

c) from North to South

d) from South to North

16. The monthly motion of the Moon is

a) from East to West

b) from West to East

c) from North to South

d) from South to North

17. Using the equation S = R( ,If an UFO has an angular size of two knuckles at arm’s length and then moves a factor of two further away. What is the new angular size of the UFO

a) the same, two knuckles

b) reduced by one half (one knuckle)

c) increased by two (four knuckles)

d) depends on the time of day

18. How did Aristotle determine the shape of the Earth?

a) sailed around the Earth

b) measured the curvature of the Earth with mirrors and trees

c) observed the Earth’s shadow on the Moon

d) observed that the horizon always seems curved

19. What is the relative size of the Moon to the Earth?

a) 1/4 as big

b) 1/2 as big

c) 1/3 as big

d) 1/10 as big

20. Who measured the size of the Earth by measuring shadow lengths at different latitudes?

a) Ptolemy

b) Aristarchus

c) Aristole

d) Eratosthenes

21. The changing in the direction of the Earth’s rotation axis is called

a) parallax

b) precession

c) it does not change it is fixed

d) the seasons

22. One of the major deficiencies of the geocentric model of the solar system was

a) the length of the year was wrong

b) could not explain seasons

c) could not explain retrograde motion well

d) could not explain the tides

23. Which of the following astronomers had a gold nose and died from a ruptured bladder

a) Isaac Newton

b) Tycho Brahe

c) Copernicus

d) Galileo

24. Kepler’s second law of equal areas in equal times is a demonstration of what

a) how to draw an ellipse

b) the reason for the season

c) conservation of angular momentum

d) inertia

25. The apparent path the Sun takes through the stars is called the

a) celestial equator

b) constellation

c) meridian

d) ecliptic

26. Which has the greater gravitational effect on the Earth

a) the Moon

b) the Sun

c) the alignment of the planets

d) the galaxy

27. Given the equation F = Ma, if an object suddenly increases its mass by a factor of two and has the same amount of force applied to it, what happens to its acceleration.

a) stays the same

b) increases by a factor of two

c) decreases by a factor of two

d) averages to zero

28. Given the equation FG = GMm/d2 , if two objects suddenly become separated by twice their distance, what happens to the gravitation force between them

a) stays the same

b) increases by a factor of four

c) decreases by a factor of four

d) increases by a factor of two

e) increases by a factor of two

f) averages to zero

29. When an ice skater brings his/her arms in during a spin and increases the rate of spin, which physical principle are they demonstrating

a) conservation of angular momentum

b) conservation of energy

c) conservation of elliptical motion

d) conservation of entropy

30. A planet in a highly elliptical orbit has its greatest speed when

a) it is farthest from the Sun

b) it is closest to the Sun

c) it is at the equinox

d) the speed is always the same

There are more questions on the following page.

31. (10 points) Describe using words and drawings, if necessary, what retrograde motion is and what causes it.

32. (10 points) Describe the observations of Galileo and what was unique about them.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download