Question 1

Which of these is NOT a form of electromagnetic radiation?

Accepted Answer

sound

Question 2

The distance between successive wave crests defines the ______ of a wave.

Accepted Answer

wavelength

Question 3

The frequency at which a star's intensity is greatest depends directly on its:

Accepted Answer

temperature

Question 4

Rigel appears as a bright bluish star, while Betelgeuse appears as a bright reddish star. Rigel is ______ Betelgeuse.

Accepted Answer

hotter than

Question 5

If a light source is approaching you, you will observe:

Accepted Answer

its spectral lines are shorter in wavelength.

Question 6

The wavelengths of emission lines produced by an element:

Accepted Answer

are identical to its absorption lines.

Question 7

Analyzing a star's spectral lines can tell us about all of these EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

its transverse (side-to-side) motion.

Question 8

What types of electromagnetic radiation from space reach the surface of Earth?

Accepted Answer

visible light & radio waves

Question 9

Which of the following has a fundamentally different nature than the other four?

Accepted Answer

photon

Question 10

The visible light we see from our Sun comes from which part?

Accepted Answer

photosphere

Question 11

The Sun is stable as a star because:

Accepted Answer

gravity balances forces from pressure.

Question 12

The proton-proton cycle involves what kind of fusion process?

Accepted Answer

hydrogen (H) into helium (He)

Question 13

If a neutrino can escape from the solar core within minutes, then how long does it take a photon to escape?

Accepted Answer

about a million years

Question 14

The number of sunspots and solar activity in general peaks:

Accepted Answer

every 11 years.

Question 15

Stellar parallax is used to measure the:

Accepted Answer

distances of stars.

Question 16

A star's proper motion is its:

Accepted Answer

annual apparent motion across the sky.

Question 17

Which of the following quantities do you need in order to calculate a star's luminosity?

Accepted Answer

1 and 4

Question 18

What are the two most important intrinsic properties for classifying stars?

Accepted Answer

luminosity and surface temperature

Question 19

Wien's law tells us that the hotter an object, the ______ the peak wavelength of its emitted light.

Accepted Answer

shorter

Question 20

We estimate the surface temperature of a star by using:

Accepted Answer

All of the above.

Stellar Properties, Radiation, and Classification: Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions