Exploring the Cosmos - Life and Death of Stars (Part 2)
1. Globular clusters in our galaxy consist of groups of
very old stars.
newly born stars.
burnt out stars.
very large stars.
2. An open cluster consists of stars which are all
on the main sequence.
the same temperature.
the same mass.
around the same age.
3. Which of the following elements makes up a large fraction of a main sequence star?
Carbon
Iron
Oxygen
Helium
4. T Tauri stars are
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
optically visible in their cocoon.
remnant cores of dead stars.
5. The Sun generates heat by converting
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
6. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
must be red giants.
7. Globular clusters mainly consist of groups of
black holes.
very old stars.
newly born stars.
very large stars.
8. T Tauri stars are
frequently strong infrared sources.
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
standard candles.
9. Open clusters
are metal poor.
are only found in distant galaxies.
have a smaller density of stars than globular clusters.
contain the oldest stars in our galaxy.
10. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
distance.
mass.
chemical composition.
age.
11. Bok globules are
small star clusters.
T Tauri stars.
dense dust clouds out of which stars form.
Herbig Haro objects.
12. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a pulsar.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
contains a black hole.
13. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very young stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very old stars.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
14. Type I and II supernovae
are both standard candles.
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
15. The main sequence is
OBAFGKMRN.
the succession of stages in the life of a star.
a nuclear reaction in very hot stars.
a line on a graph of luminosity against temperature.
16. An open cluster in our Galaxy is
a group like the Pleiades.
a group of newly formed stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
most likely to be found in the galactic halo.
17. White dwarfs
are very small in number.
are the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
are low magnitude stars.
are very hot.
18. Hydrogen burning in stars
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the hottest stars.
can occur in the proton-proton chain reaction.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
19. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
silicon.
helium.
carbon.
gold.
20. Gas clouds contract to form stars because of
electrical attraction.
nuclear forces.
gravity.
internal pressure.
21. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
age.
mass.
chemical composition.
distance.
22. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Silicon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Carbon
23. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
causes the helium flash.
produces 'metals'.
24. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
magnitude.
degeneracy.
mass.
chemical composition.
25. T Tauri stars are
standard candles.
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
frequently strong infrared sources.
26. Given that the radius of the Sun is about 700,000 km
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
light takes 2 to 3 seconds to travel from the core to the photosphere.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
27. Protostars heat up mostly due to
nuclear fusion.
gravitational contraction.
nuclear fission.
radioactivity.
28. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
the mass is conserved.
the mass-energy increases by about 1%.
the mass drops by about 1%.
energy is absorbed.
29. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the radius of a black hole.
30. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
31. Type Ia supernovae are
are thought to be exploding white dwarfs.
very bright, newly-formed stars.
have strong H lines.
caused by stars collapsing upon themselves.
32. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
it will eventually become a supernova.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
33. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Silicon
34. The triple-alpha reaction is
an intermediate stage in the proton-proton chain reaction.
responsible for the formation of globular clusters.
a nuclear reaction in which helium fuses to form carbon.
an intermediate stage in the Carbon-Oxygen-Nitrogen cycle.
35. The supernova SN1987A
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
was seen in the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
is the most distant supernova seen until now.
was at the same position as a previously catalogued star.
36. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
helium.
gold.
silicon.
carbon.
37. The supernova SN1987A
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
is the most distant supernova seen until now.
was seen in the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
was at the same position as a previously catalogued star.
38. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
39. Black holes
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
cannot be directly observed.
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
40. The Schwarzschild radius gives
the size of a black hole.
the size of a neutron star.
the radius of the observable Universe.
the maximum size of a white dwarf.
41. Type I and II supernovae
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
42. The Pauli Exclusion Principle explains
the solar neutrino problem.
why white dwarfs are stable.
supernovae.
why neutron stars collapse.
43. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
magnitude.
mass.
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
44. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
carbon.
gold.
helium.
silicon.
45. The position of white dwarfs on a HR diagram is
at random points on the diagram.
on the upper part of the main sequence.
to the right of the main sequence.
to the lower left of the main sequence.
46. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
it will eventually become a supernova.
47. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
causes the helium flash.
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
produces 'metals'.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
48. Black holes
are massive neutron stars.
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
are also called accretion disks.
49. Electron degeneracy
prevents neutron star formation in solar-like stars.
prevents the Sun from collapsing within a few years.
prevents black hole formation in massive stars.
causes pulsars to have a strong magnetic ï¬eld.
50. Globular clusters
are probably the largest clusters of stars in the Universe.
are recently formed collections of approximately 10^6 stars.
are found in elliptical but not spiral galaxies.
contain mainly stars of low metallicity.
51. Black holes
have never been observed.
can never be observed.
are often observed by their tidal effect on the Earth.
are often observed due to their tidal effect on nearby matter.
52. Neutrinos
carry most of the energy away from a type-II supernova.
cause massive stars to collapse.
are mainly associated with type Ia supernovae.
are too weak to have any effect.
53. A main-sequence star 10 times as massive as the Sun
has about 10 times the amount of hydrogen and so burns approximately 10 times longer than the Sun.
has a core temperature that is much higher than that of the Sun.
is much denser than the Sun so has roughly the same diameter.
obtains most of its energy by the triple alpha process.
54. Analysis of the H-R diagram for a cluster is a good means to
count the number of stars in the cluster.
estimate the mass of dust in the cluster.
estimate the age of the cluster.
estimate the distance to the cluster.
55. Neutron stars
are about the same density as white dwarfs, but made of nuclear material.
contain most of the neutrinos in the known Universe.
are very dense and so cannot rotate faster than about once an hour.
can rotate at a rate of more than 100 revolutions per second.
56. Open clusters are
an unnamed constellation.
several galaxies weakly bound by gravity.
any number of stars in a group.
several stars weakly bound by gravity.
57. T Tauri stars, EGGs and Bok globules are associated with
star death.
star birth.
main sequence stars.
most pulsars.
58. Pulsars
are known to be nearly perfect spheres.
pulse uniformly over their whole surface in a perfectly synchronised manner.
are made of neutrons and so have zero electric and magnetic ï¬eld.
have not yet been detected.
59. Open clusters within the Galaxy
contain about 1 million stars in a sphere of typically 25 parsecs diameter.
are never surrounded by dust clouds.
often contain metal-rich stars.
usually contain only very old stars which have then spread apart.
60. White dwarfs are
cold and tiny compared to the Sun.
about as hot as the Sun but typically smaller.
typically hot enough to be strong X-rays emitters and about the size of the Earth.
so hot that IR radiation dominates, but smaller than the Sun.
61. The crab pulsar is seen to pulse brightly
about 30 times each second.
only very rarely.
about once a day.
nearly 30,000 times each second.
62. Protostars are normally visible in which two bands of the electromagnetic spectrum?
UV and gamma.
visible and UV.
IR and x-ray.
Radio and visible.
63. The helium flash occurs
in a star of 1 solar mass near the end of the main sequence stage.
when fusion begins in a proto-star of about 1 solar mass.
when a 1 solar mass black hole forms from a white dwarf.
in the few seconds before a supernova explosion in a 10 solar mass star.
64. Pulsars are
never observed as gamma-ray objects.
seen in all the main observing bands within the EM spectrum.
always observed as optical objects.
too hard to detect to be able to make any clear statements about them.
65. Supermassive stars
live longer than all other types of star, as they have a greater store of fuel.
are too large to form black holes.
form iron cores in the final stages of their development
are the usual precursors of white dwarfs.
66. Type II supernovae
are well-recognised standard candles.
are thought to be due to gravitational collapse of a white dwarf.
typically show hydrogen lines in their spectra.
are rare but exceedingly bright night-sky objects lasting many years.
67. Sirius B is
a white dwarf close to Sirius A.
the "dog star"
a star slightly heavier than Sirius A that causes Sirius A to wobble.
a black hole that is difficult to observe because it is so close to Sirius a which is a very bright star.
68. Neutron degeneracy
determines the size of black holes smaller than 3 solar masses.
prevents white dwarfs from collapsing to form neutron stars.
prevents neutron stars from collapsing to form black holes.
affects how neutrons react within the proton-proton chain.
69. Synchrotron radiation is
caused by radioactive decay in a Type-II supernova.
a feature of radiation from a neutron star.
a pulsed source of radio interference.
a feature of the heat from a red giant.
70. Supermassive black holes are
thought to be very rare in the universe.
usually violent sources of energy that can destroy galaxies.
found at the centre of nearly every galaxy.
only found in distant galaxies.
71. The best evidence of black holes comes from
x-ray sources which are always black holes.
evidence of their extreme magnetic fields.
direct observation of black areas in space.
signs of the effect of strong gravitational fields.
72. Pulsars typically spin
many thousands of times per second.
about once a year.
many times per second.
about once a day.
73. Neutron degeneracy
causes supernova explosions.
stops collapse in a supernova.
prevents the collapse of a white dwarf in a supernova.
leads to the formation of heavy metals like gold in supernovae.
74. An emission nebula is
usually dark as it blocks the light from stars.
red as it scatters the light from stars.
internally heated by stars.
blue as it scatters the light from stars.
75. A protostar forms due to
changes in the early stage of a main sequence star.
gravitational attraction due to a nearby star.
collapse of a high density region of gas.
collapse of a low density region containing hydrogen.
76. Main sequence stars
are continuously contracting.
are continuously cooling.
are hydro-dynamically unstable.
stay approximately constant in size.
77. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
the mass drops by about 1 %.
the mass-energy increases by about 1 %.
the mass is conserved.
energy is absorbed.
78. Given that the radius of the Sun is about 700,000 km
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
light takes 2 to 3 seconds to travel from the core to the photosphere.
79. Which of the following is Betelgeuse?
A star
A cluster
A nova
A constellation
80. The Hertzprung-Russell diagram relates which two properties of a star?
Luminosity and time
Time and temperature
Luminosity and temperature
Time and distance
81. The surface temperature of a type G2 star is about what?
58 000 K
8 200 K
5 800 K
820 K
82. If the core temperature of a main sequence star increases, what happens to it?
The star shrinks and cools.
The star expands and heats.
The star shrinks and heats.
The star expands and cools.
83. Which of the following tends to escape the core of a star?
Protons
Positrons
Neutrinos
Neutrons
84. A planetary nebula is associated with which of the following?
Supernovae
White dwarfs
Red giants
Asteroids
85. The light curve of a type-II supernova has
no H-lines and a plateau.
no H-lines and no plateau.
H-lines and a plateau.
H-lines and no plateau.
86. The Chandrasekhar limit is
due to boson degeneracy.
the minimum mass of a black hole.
2.8 solar masses
caused by electrons being fermions.
87. Neutron stars are approximately as dense as which of the following?
The mass of the Sun squashed into the volume of the Earth.
The mass of the Earth squashed into a thimble.
Water
A mountain squashed into a thimble.
88. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell discovered
novae
black holes
supernovae
pulsars
89. Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
90. A nebula is a
star about to collapse.
cluster of galaxies.
cloud of gas and dust.
cluster of small stars
91. Hydrogen burning in stars
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
92. The Sun generates heat by converting
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
93. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
it will eventually become a supernova.
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
94. Type I and II supernovae
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
95. White dwarfs are
low magnitude stars.
very small in number.
very hot.
the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
96. Neutrinos are
produced in the centre of stars.
derived from Neutrons.
particles of about the same mass as protons.
dangerous to human health.
97. Black holes
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
are massive neutron stars.
are also called accretion disks.
98. The Schwarzschild radius gives the
size of a black hole.
size of a neutron star.
radius of the observable Universe.
maximum size of a white dwarf.
99. Stars in the same cluster differ widely in
distance
chemical composition
age
mass
100. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very old stars.
a group of very young stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
101. Stars of ten times the solar mass
shine for longer than the Sun.
are more common than stars like the Sun.
are only found in globular clusters.
burn out more quickly than the Sun.
102. Interstellar gas is
of little importance astronomically.
all at a temperature close to absolute zero.
mostly hydrogen.
mostly carbon monoxide.
103. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
104. A red giant
is hotter than a white dwarf.
fuses hydrogen in its core.
is a stage in the life of our Sun.
looks very large through a telescope.
105. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
causes the helium flash.
occurs mainly in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
produces 'metals'.
occurs mainly in carbon white dwarfs.
106. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a black hole.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
contains a pulsar.
107. Pulsars are
rotating neutron stars.
rotating white dwarfs.
very large stars.
stars that periodically expand and contract.
108. The final state of a star depends on its
chemical composition
degeneracy
mass
magnitude
109. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a group of very old stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very young stars.
110. T Tauri stars are
standard candles.
optically visible in their cocoon.
remnant cores of dead stars.
frequently strong infrared sources.
111. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
112. Protostars
usually emit pulses observable in radio waves.
are most easily observed by the IR radiation emitted.
are Population I stars.
are stars with abnormally high proton content.
113. Stars on the lower left part of the main sequence on a HR diagram are
blue giants.
red dwarfs.
white dwarfs.
red giants.
114. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a black hole.
contains a pulsar.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
115. Red giants
are very hot.
have nuclear reactions in their interior.
are a stage in the life of our Sun.
look very large through a telescope.
116. The Pauli exclusion principle explains
the solar neutrino problem.
why white dwarfs are stable.
why neutron stars collapse.
supernovae.
117. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
118. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
magnitude.
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
mass.
119. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
120. Stars in an open cluster are assumed to be
of the same mass.
moving away from each other.
of the same surface temperature.
of the same spectral type.
121. Hydrogen burning in stars
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
122. Protostars heat up mostly due to
gravitational contraction.
radioactivity.
nuclear fusion.
nuclear fission.
123. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
must be red giants.
124. The triple alpha reaction is a nuclear reaction which
only occurs in stars more massive than the Sun.
produces hydrogen nuclei.
will occur in red giants.
produces helium nuclei.
125. SN1987A
was a star which exploded in 1987.
is a binary star found in 1987 which emitted X-rays.
is a faint white dwarf companion of the star SN1987.
was a nova which occurred in 1987.
126. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the radius of a black hole.
127. Neutron stars
are prevented from collapse by electron degeneracy pressure.
are detected by the neutrons they emit.
are generally thought to have a strong magnetic field.
emit a steady beam of neutrinos.
128. Black holes
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
cannot be directly observed.
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
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