Exploring the Cosmos - Life and Death of Stars (Part 2)
1. Globular clusters in our galaxy consist of groups of
newly born stars.
very large stars.
very old stars.
burnt out stars.
2. An open cluster consists of stars which are all
around the same age.
on the main sequence.
the same mass.
the same temperature.
3. Which of the following elements makes up a large fraction of a main sequence star?
Iron
Helium
Carbon
Oxygen
4. T Tauri stars are
standard candles.
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
frequently strong infrared sources.
5. The Sun generates heat by converting
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
6. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
must be red giants.
7. Globular clusters mainly consist of groups of
very large stars.
very old stars.
newly born stars.
black holes.
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
age.
chemical composition.
mass.
distance.
11. Bok globules are
small star clusters.
T Tauri stars.
dense dust clouds out of which stars form.
Herbig Haro objects.
12. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a pulsar.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a black hole.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
13. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a group of very young stars.
a group of very old stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
14. Type I and II supernovae
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
15. The main sequence is
a nuclear reaction in very hot stars.
the succession of stages in the life of a star.
OBAFGKMRN.
a line on a graph of luminosity against temperature.
16. An open cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of newly formed stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
most likely to be found in the galactic halo.
a group like the Pleiades.
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
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the hottest stars.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
can occur in the proton-proton chain reaction.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
19. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
silicon.
carbon.
helium.
gold.
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.
chemical composition.
mass.
distance.
22. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Silicon
Oxygen
Carbon
Hydrogen
23. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
causes the helium flash.
produces 'metals'.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
24. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
mass.
chemical composition.
magnitude.
degeneracy.
25. T Tauri stars are
frequently strong infrared sources.
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
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.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
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
the mass drops by about 1%.
the mass is conserved.
energy is absorbed.
the mass-energy increases by about 1%.
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
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
31. Type Ia supernovae are
have strong H lines.
very bright, newly-formed stars.
caused by stars collapsing upon themselves.
are thought to be exploding white dwarfs.
32. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
it will eventually become a supernova.
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
its surface will become hotter than it is now.
33. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Carbon
Silicon
Oxygen
Hydrogen
34. The triple-alpha reaction is
responsible for the formation of globular clusters.
an intermediate stage in the Carbon-Oxygen-Nitrogen cycle.
an intermediate stage in the proton-proton chain reaction.
a nuclear reaction in which helium fuses to form carbon.
35. The supernova SN1987A
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
was seen in the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
is the most distant supernova seen until now.
was at the same position as a previously catalogued star.
36. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
helium.
gold.
silicon.
carbon.
37. The supernova SN1987A
emitted gravitational radiation which was detected on Earth.
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.
38. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the maximum radius of a red giant.
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
39. Black holes
cannot be directly observed.
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.
40. The Schwarzschild radius gives
the maximum size of a white dwarf.
the size of a neutron star.
the radius of the observable Universe.
the size of a black hole.
41. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
are both standard candles.
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
magnitude.
chemical composition.
mass.
degeneracy.
44. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
helium.
carbon.
silicon.
gold.
45. The position of white dwarfs on a HR diagram is
to the right of the main sequence.
on the upper part of the main sequence.
to the lower left of the main sequence.
at random points on the diagram.
46. When the Sun becomes a Red Giant
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.
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 the Sun from collapsing within a few years.
prevents neutron star formation in solar-like stars.
50. Globular clusters
are probably the largest clusters of stars in the Universe.
are found in elliptical but not spiral galaxies.
contain mainly stars of low metallicity.
are recently formed collections of approximately 10^6 stars.
51. Black holes
can never be observed.
have never been observed.
are often observed due to their tidal effect on nearby matter.
are often observed by their tidal effect on the Earth.
52. Neutrinos
cause massive stars to collapse.
are mainly associated with type Ia supernovae.
carry most of the energy away from a type-II supernova.
are too weak to have any effect.
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 distance to the cluster.
count the number of stars in the cluster.
estimate the mass of dust in the cluster.
estimate the age of the cluster.
55. Neutron stars
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.
can rotate at a rate of more than 100 revolutions per second.
contain most of the neutrinos in the known Universe.
56. Open clusters are
an unnamed constellation.
any number of stars in a group.
several stars weakly bound by gravity.
several galaxies weakly bound by gravity.
57. T Tauri stars, EGGs and Bok globules are associated with
most pulsars.
main sequence stars.
star death.
star birth.
58. Pulsars
are known to be nearly perfect spheres.
pulse uniformly over their whole surface in a perfectly synchronised manner.
are made of neutrons and so have zero electric and magnetic ï¬eld.
have not yet been detected.
59. Open clusters within the Galaxy
usually contain only very old stars which have then spread apart.
often contain metal-rich stars.
are never surrounded by dust clouds.
contain about 1 million stars in a sphere of typically 25 parsecs diameter.
60. White dwarfs are
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.
so hot that IR radiation dominates, but smaller than the Sun.
61. The crab pulsar is seen to pulse brightly
nearly 30,000 times each second.
only very rarely.
about 30 times each second.
about once a day.
62. Protostars are normally visible in which two bands of the electromagnetic spectrum?
Radio and visible.
IR and x-ray.
visible and UV.
UV and gamma.
63. The helium flash occurs
in a star of 1 solar mass near the end of the main sequence stage.
when fusion begins in a proto-star of about 1 solar mass.
in the few seconds before a supernova explosion in a 10 solar mass star.
when a 1 solar mass black hole forms from a white dwarf.
64. Pulsars are
too hard to detect to be able to make any clear statements about them.
always observed as optical objects.
seen in all the main observing bands within the EM spectrum.
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 too large to form black holes.
are the usual precursors of white dwarfs.
form iron cores in the final stages of their development
66. Type II supernovae
are rare but exceedingly bright night-sky objects lasting many years.
are thought to be due to gravitational collapse of a white dwarf.
typically show hydrogen lines in their spectra.
are well-recognised standard candles.
67. Sirius B is
a white dwarf close to Sirius A.
the "dog star"
a star slightly heavier than Sirius A that causes Sirius A to wobble.
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
determines the size of black holes smaller than 3 solar masses.
affects how neutrons react within the proton-proton chain.
prevents neutron stars from collapsing to form black holes.
prevents white dwarfs from collapsing to form neutron stars.
69. Synchrotron radiation is
a feature of the heat from a red giant.
caused by radioactive decay in a Type-II supernova.
a pulsed source of radio interference.
a feature of radiation from a neutron star.
70. Supermassive black holes are
found at the centre of nearly every galaxy.
thought to be very rare in the universe.
usually violent sources of energy that can destroy galaxies.
only found in distant galaxies.
71. The best evidence of black holes comes from
signs of the effect of strong gravitational fields.
x-ray sources which are always black holes.
evidence of their extreme magnetic fields.
direct observation of black areas in space.
72. Pulsars typically spin
about once a year.
about once a day.
many times per second.
many thousands of times per second.
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
red as it scatters the light from stars.
blue as it scatters the light from stars.
internally heated by stars.
usually dark as it blocks the light from stars.
75. A protostar forms due to
collapse of a low density region containing hydrogen.
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.
76. Main sequence stars
are continuously cooling.
are hydro-dynamically unstable.
stay approximately constant in size.
are continuously contracting.
77. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
the mass-energy increases by about 1 %.
energy is absorbed.
the mass is conserved.
the mass drops by about 1 %.
78. Given that the radius of the Sun is about 700,000 km
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.
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
79. Which of the following is Betelgeuse?
A nova
A cluster
A star
A constellation
80. The Hertzprung-Russell diagram relates which two properties of a star?
Time and temperature
Luminosity and temperature
Luminosity and time
Time and distance
81. The surface temperature of a type G2 star is about what?
8 200 K
820 K
5 800 K
58 000 K
82. If the core temperature of a main sequence star increases, what happens to it?
The star expands and heats.
The star expands and cools.
The star shrinks and heats.
The star shrinks and cools.
83. Which of the following tends to escape the core of a star?
Neutrons
Protons
Positrons
Neutrinos
84. A planetary nebula is associated with which of the following?
White dwarfs
Red giants
Supernovae
Asteroids
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
2.8 solar masses
due to boson degeneracy.
caused by electrons being fermions.
the minimum mass of a black hole.
87. Neutron stars are approximately as dense as which of the following?
The mass of the Earth squashed into a thimble.
A mountain squashed into a thimble.
The mass of the Sun squashed into the volume of the Earth.
Water
88. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell discovered
supernovae
pulsars
black holes
novae
89. Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
90. A nebula is a
cluster of small stars
cloud of gas and dust.
cluster of galaxies.
star about to collapse.
91. Hydrogen burning in stars
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
92. The Sun generates heat by converting
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
93. 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.
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
it will eventually become a supernova.
94. 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.
95. White dwarfs are
very hot.
very small in number.
the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
low magnitude stars.
96. Neutrinos are
dangerous to human health.
particles of about the same mass as protons.
derived from Neutrons.
produced in the centre of stars.
97. Black holes
are massive neutron stars.
are also called accretion disks.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
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
distance
age
chemical composition
mass
100. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very young stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a group of very old stars.
101. Stars of ten times the solar mass
burn out more quickly than the Sun.
are more common than stars like the Sun.
are only found in globular clusters.
shine for longer than the Sun.
102. Interstellar gas is
mostly hydrogen.
of little importance astronomically.
all at a temperature close to absolute zero.
mostly carbon monoxide.
103. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
104. A red giant
looks very large through a telescope.
is a stage in the life of our Sun.
is hotter than a white dwarf.
fuses hydrogen in its core.
105. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
produces 'metals'.
occurs mainly in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
causes the helium flash.
occurs mainly in carbon white dwarfs.
106. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a black hole.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a pulsar.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
107. Pulsars are
stars that periodically expand and contract.
rotating white dwarfs.
very large stars.
rotating neutron stars.
108. The final state of a star depends on its
magnitude
mass
degeneracy
chemical composition
109. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very young stars.
a group of very old stars.
110. T Tauri stars are
optically visible in their cocoon.
remnant cores of dead stars.
frequently strong infrared sources.
standard candles.
111. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
112. Protostars
are stars with abnormally high proton content.
are Population I stars.
are most easily observed by the IR radiation emitted.
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.
blue giants.
red giants.
114. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a black hole.
contains a pulsar.
115. Red giants
are very hot.
look very large through a telescope.
have nuclear reactions in their interior.
are a stage in the life of our Sun.
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
can reoccur.
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
118. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
chemical composition.
mass.
degeneracy.
magnitude.
119. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
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 mass.
of the same surface temperature.
moving away from each other.
of the same spectral type.
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
radioactivity.
nuclear fission.
nuclear fusion.
gravitational contraction.
123. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
must be red giants.
124. The triple alpha reaction is a nuclear reaction which
produces helium nuclei.
will occur in red giants.
only occurs in stars more massive than the Sun.
produces hydrogen nuclei.
125. SN1987A
was a nova which occurred in 1987.
is a binary star found in 1987 which emitted X-rays.
is a faint white dwarf companion of the star SN1987.
was a star which exploded in 1987.
126. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
127. Neutron stars
are detected by the neutrons they emit.
are generally thought to have a strong magnetic field.
emit a steady beam of neutrinos.
are prevented from collapse by electron degeneracy pressure.
128. Black holes
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
cannot be directly observed.
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
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