AST 1002
Test 1, Spring 2004
QQ 1 Which of the following could best be described as "a 
relatively small chunk of rock and ices orbiting the Sun?"
AA S 1 (1) a comet  
(2) a minor planet or asteroid  
(3) a moon or satellite  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 2 Supernovae are responsible for creating 
AA S 1 (1) all the elements heavier than iron
(2) all the hydrogen and most of the helium in the Universe 
(3) most of the elements lighter than iron 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 3 The daily motion of Sun, Moon, planets, stars etc. 
from east to west is caused by Earth's 
AA S 1 (1) rotation around its axis  
(2)revolution around the Sun  
(3) precession of its rotation axis  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 4 The Sun is 
AA S 1 (1) moving in an orbit around the center of the Milky Way at 
a considerable distance
(2) situated at the center of the Milky Way
(3) on its way out of the Milky Way altogether
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 5 The altitude of the North Celestial Pole is equal to 
AA S 1 (1) the observer's latitude  
(2) 90 degrees minus the observer's latitude  
(3) the observer's longitude  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 6 The points around which the celestial sphere seems to 
pivot in its daily motion are the 
AA S 1 (1) celestial poles 
(2) zenith and nadir 
(3) north and south points on the horizon
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 7 The Sun crosses the celestial equator going from north 
to south at the 
AA S 1 (1) autumnal equinox
(2) vernal equinox
(3) summer solstice  
(4) winter solstice
(5) NVA  

QQ 8 The approximate date of the summer solstice is 
AA S 1 (1) June 21  
(2) Dec. 21  
(3) Sept. 21  
(4) Mar. 21  
(5) NVA  

QQ 9 The Moon's phase between first quarter and full is 
AA S 1 (1) waxing gibbous  
(2) waxing crescent  
(3) waning crescent  
(4) waning gibbous  
(5) NVA  

QQ 10 The first quarter Moon should set at approximately 
AA S 1 (1) midnight
(2) sunrise  
(3) sunset  
(4) noon
(5) NVA  

QQ 11 The completely dark part of the Moon's shadow is called the 
AA S 1 (1) umbra  
(2) penumbra  
(3) path of totality  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 12 A total lunar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is 
AA S 1 (1) at the full phase and near a node  
(2) at the new phase and near a node    
(3) at one of the nodes regardless of phase  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 13 Which of the following is a superior planet?
AA S 1 (1) Mars
(2) Earth  
(3) Venus
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 14 What is an superior planet's phase when it is 
at opposition?
AA S 1 (1) full
(2) gibbous  
(3) crescent
(4) NVA
(5) NVA  

QQ 15 When an inferior planet is at greatest western elongation 
it is 
AA S 1 (1) visible in the eastern sky before sunrise
(2) visible in the western sky after sunset 
(3) invisible because it is too near the Sun 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 16 The kind of energy associated with the positioning 
of an object in a field such as Earth's gravitational 
field is 
AA S 1 (1) potential (stored energy)  
(2) kinetic (energy of motion)  
(3) radiative  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 17 Which temperature scale do we have to use in talking 
about radiation?  
AA S 1 (1) Kelvin or Absolute  
(2) Celsius or Centigrade  
(3) Fahrenheit 
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 18 The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is its 
AA S 1 (1) atomic number  
(2) atomic mass/weight  
(3) number of energy levels  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 19 The upper limit to the energy levels in an atom is 
termed the 
AA S 1 (1) ionization level  
(2) ground level  
(3) excitation level  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 20 According to Newton's First Law of Motion, the natural 
state of motion of a body -- if no outside force is acting on 
it -- is
AA S 1 (1) constant velocity  
(2) constant speed 
(3) constant non-zero acceleration  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 21 If a light (low-mass) object and a heavy (high-mass) object 
are both acted on by the same amount of force, which one will 
have the larger acceleration?
AA S 1 (1) the light one  
(2) the heavy one  
(3) they will have exactly the same acceleration  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 22 Centripetal force, the amount of force towards the center 
necessary to maintain an object in uniform circular motion, is 
AA S 1 (1) larger the faster the object is moving 
(2) larger the larger the radius of the circle
(3) smaller the faster the object is moving  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 23 Conservation of orbital angular momentum implies that a 
planet will have the lowest orbital speed when it is at 
AA S 1 (1) aphelion  
(2) perihelion  
(3) midway between perihelion and aphelion  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 24 The critical speed needed for an object to escape the Earth's 
(or another body's) gravity completely is termed the 
AA S 1 (1) parabolic or escape velocity  
(2) circular or orbital velocity  
(3) hyperbolic or warp velocity  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 25 Newton's generalization of Kepler's Third (Harmonic) Law 
is very important because it is used to estimate 
AA S 1 (1) the masses of astronomical bodies  
(2) the orbital periods of astronomical bodies  
(3) the semimajor axes of the orbits of astronomical bodies  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 26 The tidal force due to the Moon at the point on the Earth 
on the opposite side from the Moon is in the direction 
AA S 1 (1) away from the center of the Moon 
(2) towards the center of the Earth  
(3) towards the center of the Moon  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 27 As a result of tidal friction in the Earth-Moon system, 
AA S 1 (1) the Earth's rotation is slowing and the Moon's 
orbit is expanding  
(2) the Earth's rotation is speeding up and the Moon's orbit is 
expanding  
(3) the Earth's rotation is speeding up and the Moon's orbit is 
shrinking  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 28 The type of electromagnetic radiation having the highest 
frequency is 
AA S 1 (1) gamma rays 
(2) radio waves  
(3) violet light  
(4) ultraviolet radiation  
(5) NVA  

QQ 29 The color of visible light having the lowest energy is 
AA S 1 (1) red  
(2) violet  
(3) blue  
(4) yellow  
(5) NVA  

QQ 30 The type of source having an emission-line spectrum is 
AA S 1 (1) a thin (low-density) gas  
(2) a cool, thin (low-density) gas in front of a 
continuous-spectrum source  
(3) a glowing solid, liquid, or thick (high-density) gas  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 31 If a thermal radiation source changes its temperature from
6000 K to 3000 K, the wavelength at which its spectrum has the 
highest intensity 
AA S 1 (1) is doubled  
(2) is cut in half  
(3) doesn't change at all  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 32 The process of giving a bound electron enough energy to 
completely remove it from an atom or ion is called 
AA S 1 (1) ionization  
(2) recombination  
(3) excitation  
(4) de-excitation  
(5) NVA  

QQ 33 In astrophysics, an atom of helium (He) that has had two of its 
normal electrons removed is represented by the symbols 
AA S 1 (1) He III  
(2) He II  
(3) $He_2$
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 34 Molecular spectra are much more complex than atomic spectra 
because 
AA S 1 (1) the molecule can rotate and vibrate, which an atom 
can't do  
(2) each atom in the molecule has a different energy-level 
structure, even if the atoms belong to the same element  
(3) a molecule has many more electrons than any single atom  
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA  

QQ 35 If an absorption line that has a wavelength of 500 nm in 
the laboratory is found to have a wavelength of 498 nm in the 
spectrum of a galaxy, that galaxy has a 
AA S 1 (1) negative radial velocity ("blueshift")   
(2) positive radial velocity ("redshift") 
(3) negative tangential velocity ("redshift")   
(4) NVA  
(5) NVA