Mastering Astronomy 1 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
What is light?
answer
Light is a wave
question
What is a wave?
answer
A way in which energy is transferred from place to place without the physical movement of material from one location to another.
question
A waves velocity =
answer
frequency x wavelength
question
The number of waves passing the observer per second is:
answer
frequency (Hz)
question
True or false: You would perceive a change in a visible light wave's amplitude as a change in its colour.
answer
False.
question
True or false: Radio waves, visible light, and x-rays are all a type of electromagnetic radiation.
answer
True
question
True or false: The distance between 2 successive wave crests is the wavelength of a wave.
answer
True
question
What does the phenomenon of interference demonstrate?
answer
The wave nature of light.
question
Which form of electromagnetic radiation would be blocked in the stratosphere by ozone?
answer
Ultraviolet
question
The two forms of electromagnetic radiation that penetrate the atmosphere best are:
answer
visible and radio waves
question
The hottest objects with the temperature in the millions of Kelvins give off most of their radiation in which part of the electromagnetic spectrum?
answer
x-ray
question
Of all forms of EMR, the one with the lowest frequency is:
answer
Radio waves
question
The visible colour of EMR that has the shortest wavelength is:
answer
Violet
question
The Doppler Effect is a phenomenon that allows one to measure an objects:
answer
Radial motion
question
The light from an object moving tangentially (to the left or right) will exhibit:
answer
no shift
question
True or false: An observer will measure the wavelength of waves emanating from a source that is moving away as longer than it really is.
answer
True
question
What is the primary purpose of an astronomical telescope?
answer
To collect a lot of light and bring it to focus
question
The main reason that most professional research telescopes are reflectors is that:
answer
large mirrors are easier to build than large lenses.
question
These are: - Most commonly used by professional astronomers today - The Hubble Space Telescope - World's largest telescope
answer
Reflecting telescopes
question
These are: - Very large and become top heavy - Incoming light passes through glass - Galileo's telescopes - The world's largest is 1-meter in diameter
answer
Refracting telescopes
question
What is spectroscopy?
answer
An analysis of the way in which atoms absorb and emit light
question
True or false: A rainbow is a classic continuous spectrum
answer
True
question
This was first found in the Sun's spectrum, then on Earth 30 years later:
answer
Helium
question
What is a continuum spectrum produced by?
answer
A hot, high-density light source
question
What is an emission spectrum produced by?
answer
A hot, low-density light source
question
What is an absorption spectrum produced by?
answer
A hot, high-density light source shining through a cool, low-density medium
question
True or false: Spectroscopy is a method used to determine the composition, density, and temperature of celestial objects.
answer
True. Emitted/absorbed light is interpreted.
question
True or false: The Sun is an absorption spectrum.
answer
True
question
What will be produced when a hydrogen atom transitions from the third to the second energy level? (jumps to a lower energy)
answer
A red emission line
question
True or false: Spectroscopy of a star can reveal its temperature, composition, and line-of-sight motion.
answer
True
question
True or false: The larger the redshift, the faster the distant galaxy is rushing toward us.
answer
False
question
What will be produced when a hydrogen atom transitions from the second to the fourth energy level? (jumps to a higher energy)
answer
A blue green absorption line
question
True or false: The spectral lines of each element are distinctive to that element, whether we are looking at emission or absorption lines.
answer
True
