Exploring the Cosmos - Degree Exam 2007 - Particles, Forces & the Big Bang
1. How old is the universe?
50 billion years.
The same age as our sun.
About 3 times older than our solar system.
The universe is infinitely old.
2. Which of the following observations is evidence of the presence of dark matter?
Some stars appear to be moving towards us.
Galaxies are spinning faster than expected.
Distant supernovae appear dimmer.
Distant galaxies are moving faster away from us.
3. Which of the following statements regarding the Grand Unified Theory is correct?
The GUT is a theory that shows physical laws are obeyed everywhere in the universe.
The GUT can tell us what happened at the moment of birth of the universe.
The GUT is a theory of everything.
The GUT is a theory that unifies 3 out of the 4 forces of nature.
4. The sky is dark at night because
some stars are so far away that their light has not yet reached us.
the universe is only sparsely populated with stars.
our eyes are not sensitive enough.
there is dark matter in between the stars.
5. What is the observable universe?
The portion of the universe from which light had enough time to travel to us.
The portion of the universe that our eyes can see.
Part of the universe that the most powerful telescopes can resolve.
All parts of the universe that are not obscured by celestial objects.
6. Ptolemy believed that
the planets must follow circular orbits centred on the Earth.
some of the planets orbit around the Sun.
everything must move along one simple perfect circle.
all the stars were on a celestial sphere.
7. Einstein's special theory of relativity states that:
all motion is relative to the centre of the universe.
the speed of light is constant.
everything is relative.
nothing is relative.
8. Which of the following statements is true?
Photons and electrons exert an attractive force on each other.
Photons mediate the electromagnetic force.
Photons are Fermions.
Photons can only be created by annihilating electrons with positrons.
9. Which of the following statement is false?
The antiparticle of a photon is a phonon.
The antiparticle of a gluon is a gluon.
The antiparticle of a electron is a positron.
The mass of a particle is exactly the same as that of its antiparticle.
10. Which of the following statement about supernovae is false?
They are only visible for a few weeks.
Supernovae derive their energy from gravity.
They are a source of heavy elements.
They always appear to have the same brightness.
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