space Flashcards

1
Q

which galaxy is our solar system apart of?

A

the milky way

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2
Q

state the order of the planets

A
  • mercury
  • venus
  • earth
  • mars
  • jupiter
  • saturn
  • uranus
  • neptune
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3
Q

what type of body do planets orbit around?

A
  • our planets orbit around the sun
  • the sun is a star
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4
Q

what type of force pulled together the clouds of dust and gas to form the sun?

A

gravitational force of attraction

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5
Q

what word is used to describe a cloud of dust and gas?

A

a nebula

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6
Q

when do fusion reactions take place?

A
  • at the start of a star’s life cycle
  • when dust and gas are drawn together
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7
Q

what determines the type of lifecycle a star undergoes?

A

the size of the star

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8
Q

what two phases do all stars (the same size or greater than the sun) undergo?

A
  • protostar phase
  • mainsequence phase
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9
Q

what do stars of a similar magnitude to the sun become at the end of their lifecycle?

A

a black dwarf

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10
Q

what two phases do small stars go through between being a main sequence and a black dwarf?

A
  • red giant
  • white dwarf
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11
Q

what two phases to larger stars go through between being a main sequence and a neutron star/ black hole?

A
  • red super giant
  • supernova
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12
Q

what are produced during the fusion processes of a star?

A

all naturally occurring elements

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13
Q

what condition is required for fusion reactions to occur in a star?

A

very high temperature

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14
Q

how are elements heavier than iron produced?

A

in a supernova

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15
Q

hydrogen nuclei fuse to form…

A

… heavier elements

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16
Q

how are elements distributed throughout the universe?

A

through the explosion of a supernova (massive star)

17
Q

what allows planets and stars to maintain circular orbits?

A
  • gravity provides the gravitational force that acts as the object’s centripetal force
  • the presence of a centripetal force allows for the object to maintain its circular orbit
18
Q

a planet’s moon can be described as…

A

… a natural satellite

19
Q

give two examples of artificial satellites

A
  • TV satellites
  • satellites used for satellite imaging
20
Q

explain why, for a stable orbit, the radius of the orbit must change if the speed changes

A
  • at higher speed, the object requires a greater centripetal force
  • for greater centripetal force, the gravitational force must increase
  • this is achieved by the radius of the object being reduced
21
Q

explain how the force of gravity acting on a satellite affects its speed and velocity

A
  • the force can alter velocity as the direction is continuously changing
    -it can’t cause a change of speed since there is no force component in the direction of motion
22
Q

what is red-shift?

A

an observed increase in the wavelength of light from distant galaxies

23
Q

the further away the galaxy is…

A

… the faster it is moving, and the greater the observed increase of wavelength is

24
Q

red-shift provides evidence for?

A
  • the universe expanding
  • supports the big bang theory
25
Q

what does the big bang theory suggest?

A
  • the entire universe started from a very hot, small, dense region in space
26
Q

is observed red-shift greater in a galaxy that’s closer or further away?

A

further

27
Q

what did scientists observe, providing evidence that the universe is expanding at a faster rate?

A

a supernovae- suggesting that galaxies are moving away at a faster rate

28
Q

prior to observations of the supernovae, what was believed about the expansion of the universe?

A
  • the rate of expansion was expected to occur at a slower rate
  • as a result of gravitational forces slowing it down
29
Q

explain why a star is stable whilst it is in the main sequence stage of its life cycle

A
  • gravitational forces (inwards) and forces as a result of fusion reactions (outward)
  • are in equilibrium
30
Q

describe what happens to a star between the main sequence stage, and the end of its life cycle

A
  • star expands to become a red giant
  • star collapses to become a white dwarf
  • star cools to become a black dwarf
31
Q

explain why the velocity of a satellite changes as it orbits earth

A
  • gravity causes the satellite to accelerate towards earth
  • acceleration causes a change in direction
  • velocity changes because direction changes
32
Q

which type of electromagnetic ray has the highest frequency?

A

gamma ray

33
Q

what makes microwaves suitable for sending communications to satellites?

A

can travel through the atmosphere

34
Q

what event leads to a neutron star forming?

A

explosion of a red super giant

35
Q

describe what will happen to the sun as it changes into a white dwarf?

A
  • sun changes from main sequence into red giant
  • surface temperature decreases
  • relative luminosity increases
  • then, sun changes into a white dwarf
  • surface temperature increases
  • relative luminosity decreases