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