AST 1002: Outline for Final Exam

AST 1002: Outline for Final Exam

[Sections Taught by Prof. H.L. Cohen]
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Last updated April 21, 2003

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Topic A - Topic B - Topic C - Topic D - Topic E - Topic F - Topic G - Topic H - Final Exam

What to Review and Know For Final Exam *
(Version 01/01/03; Revised 04/21/03)

Topic A–H

The Final Exam (Exam#5) will contain 64 questions—few require math. The approximate number of questions on each topic is given after each topic letter below.

Some questions may relate to several topics.

Questions from Topics A-F will come from the following items. However, questions will not necessarily cover every item listed.
Questions from Topic G and Topic H will come from the detailed outlines for both Topics G and H. (See Topic G Outline and Topic H Outline.)
Some questions may come from previous exams given this term, the Study Guide, extra questions sent by e-mail, or from the last four pictures of the day.

Topic A (about 4 questions)

Celestial map directions (which side north, east, south and west?)
Major characteristics of celestial motions (Table 2) including:

Which directions (east or west) do Sun, Moon & planets appear to move on sky
Value of greatest elongations for inferior planets
Know average angular rates of Sun and Moon
Which planets are inferior and which superior?
If inferior or superior planet, know if average rate smaller or larger than Sun's average rate
When are superior planets brightest?

Names and order (by brightness) of major sky objects (Table 1)
(i.e., order of brightness for planets, Sirius and Polaris)
Approximate magnitude of the naked eye limit (Table 1)
Astronomical terms in Table 3 (e.g., aspect, opposition, crescent, gibbous, limb, sidereal)
How stars named by Bayer & Flamsteed, etc. including how variable stars named (Table 19)
Number of days in lunar synodic and sidereal periods (Table 3) incl. length of lunar month
Which calendars still use lunar months?
(Hence, know on which day of a lunar month Moon's phase is New Moon)
How to use of lunar synodic period to predict past or future dates of lunar phases
Positions of New and Full Moons on sky for any time of day
(e.g., at what time of day does a Full Moon rise?)
Difference between a lunar and solar eclipse (at what lunar phase does each occur?)

Topic B (about 5 questions)

Principle features of Ptolemaic and Copernican models (Table 4)
Important contributions specifically made by Kepler to 17th century science (Fig. 3)
Where are orbits of inferior and superior planets placed in geocentric and heliocentric models?
Why Kepler's model became favored over Ptolemaic and Copernican models
Value of one AU in miles and kilometers (Fig. 4)
Meanings or definitions: semimajor axis, eccentricity, mean distance, perihelion, aphelion (Fig. 4)
Dates Earth at perihelion and aphelion (Fig. 4)
Dates Earth moves fastest and slowest in its orbit
Difference in lengths of Earth's four seasons (why different?)
Meaning and implication of Kepler's Second Law (Law of Areas)
(When does a planet travel fastest?)
Implications of Kepler's Third Law including how orbit size, average velocity and period related
How to use Kepler's Third Law (Important for Topic G) both as

P² = a³ and
(M₁ + M₂)P² = a³
(Be able to do simple problems using either of above relations)
Anomalies (peculiarities) of the Pluto orbit

Topic C (about 4 questions)

Names of planets by mean distance
Principle solar system regularities and properties itemized in Table 6
Know the principle characteristics of the three planet group (Terrestrial, Jovian, and Plutino) so you can contrast their radii (i.e., small vs. large), masses, mean densities, rotation rates, oblatenesses, atmospheres (i.e., thin vs. extensive), atmospheric compositions (i.e., heavy vs. light gases), structure (i.e., refractory vs. volatile), albedos (i.e., low vs. high), number of satellites (i.e., few vs. many), presence of rings, and location in solar system (see Tables 5-6)
Hence, know how planets arranged by distance from Sun according to their physical properties
(For example, see Study Guide question #46 in Topic C.)
Know terms used in Table 6 (eccentricity, inclination, oblateness, albedo)
Understand difference between rotation and revolution; know what synchronous rotation means
Understand difference between a twin planet and a double planet
(Which planets are twins? Which are double planets?)
Be able to compare planetary rotations, radii, oblatenesses, masses, densities, albedos, atmospheres, gross structures, satellite numbers and rings (Table 6)
Know what astronomers mean by the Sun's angular momentum problem

Topic D (about 5 questions)

Know relative size of a wavelength of red light compared to a wavelength of violet light
Value of speed of sound (in feet per second)
Value of speed of light (in miles per second, kilometers per second and especially minutes per AU)
Know how to estimate distance of thunder storms (know number of feet in a mile)
Know how to estimate travel times in solar system at speed of light
Types and order of electromagnetic radiation including visible colors (Table 8)
Know what determines the basic shape of a spectral line
Basic types of spectra (continuous, bright & dark line, etc. -- see Fig. 6)
Type of spectrum produced by Sun; type produced by most stars
Spectral region where eye most sensitive
Spectral region where radiation curve highest for Sun; for early and late type stars; for objects near room temperature
Wien's and Stefan-Boltzmann's Laws—know how each related to temperature (Fig. 7)
(i.e., now how peak of radiation curve and bolometric luminosity each related to temperature)
Specifically know how to do questions like Study Guide Questions #34-36 or #38 in Topic D.
How color used to judge a star's temperature
(i.e., know colors of stars for each spectral class — see Table 11 — especially color of Sun)

Topic E (about 9 questions)

Concept of parallax — meaning, how measured, how related to distance (Fig. 8 & 9)
Definitions of AU, parsec and light year and how each relate to each other (Fig. 8, side 2)
Proper motion — what is it; what it tells about stars; how related to distance
Which star has the largest parallax? What is its approximate value?
Which star has the largest proper motion? What is its approximate value?
Radial velocity — what it indicates about a stars motion (Fig. 10)
What is a Doppler shift — how measured; what it tells about a star's motion (Fig. 11)
Meaning of word magnitude; definition of magnitude scale. (What a five magnitude shift mean?)
Definition/meaning of absolute magnitude; how absolute magnitude found
How to use inverse square law (Fig. 12).
What conditions can invalidate the inverse square?
Order of the seven main spectral classes (Table 11)
Primary cause in differences of stellar spectra (i.e., significance of the spectral sequence)
Astronomical definitions at bottom of Table 11 including a metal, molecule, ionization and ionization state (Table 11)
Principle features of each spectral class (e.g., hydrogen lines strongest in A-type stars, ionized calcium lines strongest in G-type spectra, etc.)

Topic F (about 6 questions)

Know how to construct a simple, schematic HR Diagram — i.e., know where all named regions (main sequence, giants, etc.) located (Fig. 13)
Know the luminosity classes designations (I, II, etc.) for each region of the HR Diagram
Know how to interpret (read) the HR Diagram (what each axis represents, what the graph shows about stars)
How stellar radii qualitatively estimated from HR Diagram
How stellar radii can be quantitatively estimated (i.e., know what the "LRT relation") means—you won't have to compute any stellar radii
How stellar radii change vertically, horizontally and along main sequence in HR Diagram
Know where the smallest and stars are in the HR Diagram
Hence, know how to determine where a star will move in the HR Diagram if radius, temperature or luminosity chage (eg., see Study Guide Question #36-38 in Topic F)
How radii, temperatures, luminosities, masses vary along main sequence
(From Topic G, you should also be able to include mass and density in the above list)
Most common types of stars in our galaxy (Fig. 14-15)—what kinds of stars most numerous, least, etc.?
Know types of stars found in solar neighborhood and those not found (Fig. 14-15)
Know the absolute magnitude, temperature (surface and central), spectral class and color of Sun

Topic G (about 12 questions)

See Topic G Outline

Topic H (about 17 questions)

See Topic H Outline

Miscellenous (about 3 questions)

A few (about 3) miscellaneous questions pertaining to the last four pictures of day shown after Exam #4 (the last four days of classes from April 16-23, 2003)

* This list is reasonably complete but students remain responsible for all material presented in class. Tables, figures, examples, etc., listed here refer to Study Guide items.
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