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