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