Exam 3

Question 1

What are Sunspots?

Answer 1

Cool areas on the sun’s surface with strong magnetic fields

Question 2

How do scientists study the interior of the Sun?

Answer 2

Mathematic Models

Question 3

Why does the Sun shine?

Answer 3

Nuclear Fusion

Question 4

Gravitational Equilibrium

Answer 4

The balance between gravity and pressure

Question 5

Energy Balance

Answer 5

The balance between incoming and outgoing energy

Question 6

What is Solar Weather?

Answer 6

Space Weather that’s caused by activity on the Sun’s surface

Question 7

The Sun’s mass compared to Earth’s mass

Answer 7

300,000 times more massive

Question 8

What is the hydrogen core fusion temperature inside our Sun

Answer 8

About 27 million degrees F or 15 million degrees C

Question 9

How many years does it take a solar cycle to transition from maximum to minimum

Answer 9

11 years

Question 10

How does strong solar activity affect out lives on Earth

Answer 10

Auroras, Interference with radio communications, disable earth-rotating satellites

Question 11

What is the HR Diagram?

Answer 11

A graphical tool used to classify stars based on their luminosity, spectral type, color, temperature, and evolutionary stage

Question 12

How do we learn the mass of stars?

Answer 12

their orbital period and average distance.

Question 13

How does color relate to a stars surface temp?

Answer 13

Different colors mean different thermal radiation. (ROYGBIV) Color allows astronomers to calculate surface temp

Question 14

How long will our sun be on the main sequence?

Answer 14

10 billion years

Question 15

What is spectral classification?

Answer 15

Sorting stars based on their colors

Question 16

What does it mean to be on the main sequence?

Answer 16

A star is in its stable, adult phase where it fuses hydrogen into helium to produce energy

Question 17

Once off the main sequence, how do stars produce energy?

Answer 17

Through nuclear fusion

Question 18

What are giants/supergiants?

Answer 18

Stars that have exhausted their central core supplies of hydrogen for fusion

Question 19

What are White Dwarfs?

Answer 19

The exposed core of dead stars

Question 20

How does the HR diagram show the surface temp of stars?

Answer 20

HR diagram shows hottest stars at the top and coolest stars at the bottom

Question 21

How long does a star spend on the main sequence?

Answer 21

Most of its life (10 billion years)

Question 22

How does the parallax angle help us learn about stars?

Answer 22

By measuring snapshots taken at different times and measuring the shift in angle to the star

Question 23

What does “oh be a fine guy, kiss me” represent?

Answer 23

The spectral types of stars (O hottest, M coolest)

Question 24

What is the most fundamental property of a star?

Answer 24

It’s ability to generate light and heat through nuclear fusion

Question 25

Which has a higher temp, Blue or Red star?

Answer 25

Blue Star

Question 26

final element in high mass stars

Answer 26

Iron

Question 27

Why does a star leave the main sequence?

Answer 27

Because the star runs out of fuel

Question 28

What are 3 significant stages the sun will pass through once it leaves the main sequence?

Answer 28

Red giant, planetary nebula, and white dwarf

Question 29

Which have shorter life cycles? Low or High Mass Stars? Why?

Answer 29

High Mass Stars, they burn through their fuel faster

Question 30

What are the likely end states of high mass stars?

Answer 30

Exploding in a supernova or collapsing in a black hole

Question 31

What important role do supernovas play in the galactic recycling?

Answer 31

By scattering heavy elements into space which then form stars and planets

Question 32

Why is the sun incapable of fusing elements heavier than HE?

Answer 32

There is not enough temperature or pressure

Question 33

How long does it take photon energy from the suns core to reach the suns surface?

Answer 33

100,000 years

Question 34

What is a Brown Dwarf?

Answer 34

An object with a mass less than 8% of the sun, which cannot have enough nuclear reactions in its core to be a star.

Question 35

What is a neutron star?

Answer 35

A ball of neutrons left over from a massive star supernova and supported by neutron degeneracy pressure

Question 36

What would happen to a White Dwarf in a closed binary system if it gains enough mass from its companion star to exceed 1.4 Solar masses?

Answer 36

It would explode in a supernova

Question 37

What is a White Dwarf?

Answer 37

The remains of a star that ran out of fuel for nuclear fusion

Question 38

What is degeneracy pressure?

Answer 38

A pressure exerted by dense material

Question 39

Life cycles of low mass stars

Answer 39

Protostar, main sequence star, red giant, white dwarf

Question 40

Life cycles of high mass stars

Answer 40

Main sequence star, supernova, glowing ember

Question 41

Mass limit for a white dwarf

Answer 41

1.4 solar masses

Question 42

Which is bigger, low or high mass white dwarf

Answer 42

Low Mass White Dwarf

Question 43

Mass limit of a neutron star

Answer 43

2.16

Question 44

Pulsars

Answer 44

Spinning neutron stars that beam radiation

Question 45

Are Neutron stars smaller or larger than white dwarfs?

Answer 45

Smaller

Question 46

Event Horizon

Answer 46

Spherical surface of a black hole

Question 47

Schwarzschild Radius

Answer 47

the distance from the center of a black hole to its event horizon

Question 48

What can escape from the Event Horizon of a Black Hole

Answer 48

Nothing

Question 49

What causes gamma ray bursts

Answer 49

when massive stars explode or when two neutron stars collide

Question 50

What happens when black holes merge

Answer 50

Burst of gravitational waves

Question 51

Gravitational Waves

Answer 51

ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by massive objects moving

Question 52

What is a Nova?

Answer 52

a H nuclear fusion explosion on a white dwarf

Question 53

What caused the rapid spin of neutron star that we see as a pulsar?

Answer 53

The conservation of angular momentum during the collapse of the original star's core