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| NOTE: this list contains questions similar to those that will be on the quiz, but they may not be identical. Please be sure to read the quiz questions carefully. Also remember to review notes/questions from the previous quiz! |
What is the hypothesis of a steady state universe, and how does Olber’s paradox show that is has an inherent contradiction? |
Draw a wave, and label/explain the following terms: wavelength, period, frequency, and amplitude. |
What is Wiens Law? Explain the symbols in the equation, and the units used. |
| What is the speed of light in a vacuum, and why is it important for astronomers to know it accurately? |
| Which is hotter: a star that gives off its maximum light as red, or a blue star? Why? |
| If we acquire the spectrum of a star, we can determine the wavelength at which its emitted light reaches a maximum. Why is this wavelength useful? |
What is the hypothesis of a steady state universe, and how does Olber’s paradox show that is has an inherent contradiction? |
Draw a wave, and label/explain the following terms: wavelength, period, frequency, and amplitude. |
How do we take the temperature of a star? |
Imagine you have a star that is extremely hot (hotter than our Sun). Will the continuum spectrum of that star occur at a longer or shorter wavelength than our Sun? Is that star giving off more or less energy than our Sun? Why? |
What is a continuum spectrum? |
Why do individual elements give rise to distinctive patterns of absorption lines? |
What are the seven spectral classes, in order from hottest to coolest. Where does the Sun fall in this scheme? |
On what two variables does spectral classification depend? |
| How are emission and absorption spectra different? |
| What is the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation? Where in space do we expect to see it? |
| Who discovered the CMB and how? |
| At what wavelength can we expect to see the CMB? Why? |
| What two elements formed first in the early Universe? |
| What is the importance of the letters OBAFGKMLT? What are they used for in astronomy? |
| If we examine the emission or absorption spectrum of a star, we will see lines (or peaks and valleys). What is their significance? |
| What did Edwin Hubble discover in the 1920's, and why was it important? |
| About how old is the universe, and how do we know? |
| What are the four fundamental forces that becamse distinct as the temperature cooled following the Big Bang? |
| Name three compelling lines of evidence for the Big Bang theory? |
| Why is the name "big Bang" something of a misnomer? |
| What is the difference between red shift and blue shift? |
| What is redshift, and how is it defined? |
| If Star A has a larger redshift than Star B, which one is moving faster? |
| What is the speend of light ina vacuum, and why is it important? |
| What is Hubble's constant, and why is it important? |
| What is the inverse of Hubble's constant? |
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Last updated spring 2011. |