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