Assignment- Earth & Astronomical Science

Part one

Chapter 23 - Light, Astronomical Observations and The Sun

1) Review Question

What is the electromagnetic spectrum? What wavelength has the highest energy?

2) Review Question

What can be learned about a star (or other celestial objects) from a dark-line/absorption spectrum?

3) Review Question

Describe how astronomers determine whether a star is moving toward or away from Earth.

4) Review Question

Why do astronomers seek to design telescopes with larger and larger mirrors? Why does the size of the mirror matter?

5) Website Learning

Article: Electromagnetic spectrum by Chris Woodford.

Read through the information on the various wavelengths of the EM spectrum. Pick the ones that interest you the most! In 3-4 sentences describe two of the wavelengths and tell me what you learned, in your OWN words.

6) Review Question

Describe the Sun in as much detail as you can...what does it look like, what features does it have, etc. Your description should be about 1-2 paragraphs and don't use sources other than your textbook and lecture notes, summarizing what you have learned (in other words don't got do an internet search, just show me what you have learned!).

7) Review Question

Explain how a sunspot can be very hot and yet appear dark. Use your thinking caps!

8) Review Question

What "fuel" does the Sun consume?

9) Lecture Review Question

What is the most inefficient method of heat transfer within the interior of the sun? Hint: Think about what the sun is made of....GAS! So what method of heat transfer is least efficient in a gas?

10) Astronomy & Earth Science: Bringing it together

Time to brainstorm a bit here, and bring in what you have learned so far in this class. Explain in detail (use your thinking caps!) a few ways that the sun is an important aspect of the following:

a) The Geosphere
b) The formation of the Solar System
c) The Biosphere

Part Two

Question 1
The outermost layer of the Sun is called the ____________
ionosphere
corona
photosphere
chromosphere

Question 2
During periods of high solar activity, huge cloudlike structures that appear as great arches extending from the Sun are often produced. These solar features are called_________.
the solar wind
spicules
plages
prominences

Question 3
True or False: For an optical telescope, the size of the primary mirror does not matter. The same number of photons will be collected whether the telescope has a small or large primary mirror.
True
False

Question 4
The main two methods of heat/energy transfer within the Sun are _________ and __________.
convection and radiation
conduction and radiation
convection and conduction
convection and ionizing

Question 5
The CCD (charged-coupled device) is a(n):
array of electrodes used on spacecraft to detect charged particles such as electrons and protons
detector in which a small electric current is controlled by a bimetallic strip that expands and contracts in response to infrared radiation
array of small light-sensitive cells that can be used in place of photographic film to obtain a picture
electronic filter to single out one wavelength or set of wavelengths for studying astronomical objects

Question 6
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Visible light is not part of the electromagnetic spectrum
Visible light takes up only a very small part of the total range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum
Visible light takes up most (but not all) of the total range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum
Visible light takes up all of the electromagnetic spectrum

Question 7
How come we can see a 'surface' of the sun if it is really just a ball of gas? Why don't we see right through the Sun?
The gas particles are too big, they have large diameters
The gas particles are heavy
The gas particles are packed very dense in the Sun
The gas particles put on their cloaking devices.

Question 8
Where on the Sun do sunspots occur?
the photosphere
the corona
the core
the chromosphere

Question 9
Light can be described as a stream of fast-moving "bundles of energy" called ___________, which travel as waves.

Question 10
You can get a sunburn from being out in the Sun too long. Sunburns are caused by which type of heat/energy transfer from the Sun to your Skin?
Sunburn Waves
Conduction Waves
Radiation Waves
Convection Waves

Question 11
True or False: All light waves travel at the same speed
True
False

Question 12
Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface.
True
False

Question 13
The layer of the Sun that radiates most of the light that reaches Earth is called the___________.
photosphere
corona
ionosphere
megasphere
chromosphere

Question 14
The main optical element in a refracting telescope is a ______.
mirror
combination of many small plane mirrors
prism of glass
lens

Question 15
Which of the following colors has the longest wavelength?
orange
green
violet
blue
red

Question 16
To determine whether a celestial body is approaching or receding from Earth, astronomers employ ____________.
Telescopic imaging
the Doppler principle
Einstein's equation
Kepler's first law
the Stefan-Boltzmann law

Question 17
This Sun is composed almost entirely of two gases. They are Blank 1 and Blank 2 .

Question 18
The light-gathering power of a telescope is related directly to the _______.
focal length of the mirror or lens
area of the mirror or lens
image quality of its optics
length of the telescope tube

Question 19
Which of the following is NOT considered a form of electromagentic radiation?
radio waves
gamma rays
gravity
visible light
x-rays

Question 20
The Sun's surface has a grainy texture produced by numerous bright markings called__________.
umbras
spicules
granules
sunspots

Question 21
The Sun's source of energy at the present time is thought to be
gravitational contraction.
thermonuclear fission (splitting) of heavy elements into hydrogen.
chemical burning of hydrogen gas with oxygen.
thermonuclear fusion (combining) of hydrogen atoms.

Question 22
In the case of light, when a source is moving away, its light appears redder than it actually is.
True
False

Question 23
What name is given to the visible "surface" of the Sun?
corona
prominence
chromosphere
photosphere

Question 24
Which of the following is FALSE regarding our Sun
The Sun is normal, main sequence star
The Sun is the closest Star to Earth
The Sun used fusion to fuel itself
The Sun is smaller in diameter than Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System

Question 25
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is an optical telescope
True
False.