Exploring the Cosmos - Life and Death of Stars (Part 2)
1. Globular clusters in our galaxy consist of groups of
burnt out stars.
very old stars.
very large stars.
newly born stars.
2. An open cluster consists of stars which are all
on the main sequence.
around the same age.
the same mass.
the same temperature.
3. Which of the following elements makes up a large fraction of a main sequence star?
Carbon
Helium
Oxygen
Iron
4. T Tauri stars are
frequently strong infrared sources.
standard candles.
optically visible in their cocoon.
remnant cores of dead stars.
5. The Sun generates heat by converting
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
6. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
must be red giants.
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
7. Globular clusters mainly consist of groups of
newly born stars.
very old stars.
very large 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
are metal poor.
contain the oldest stars in our galaxy.
have a smaller density of stars than globular clusters.
are only found in distant galaxies.
10. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
chemical composition.
mass.
distance.
age.
11. Bok globules are
small star clusters.
dense dust clouds out of which stars form.
T Tauri stars.
Herbig Haro objects.
12. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
contains a pulsar.
contains a black hole.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
13. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very old stars.
a group of very young stars.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
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
OBAFGKMRN.
a nuclear reaction in very hot stars.
the succession of stages in the life of a star.
a line on a graph of luminosity against temperature.
16. An open cluster in our Galaxy is
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of newly formed stars.
a group like the Pleiades.
most likely to be found in the galactic halo.
17. White dwarfs
are low magnitude stars.
are very hot.
are the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
are very small in number.
18. Hydrogen burning in stars
can occur in the proton-proton chain reaction.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the hottest stars.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
19. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
gold.
helium.
carbon.
silicon.
20. Gas clouds contract to form stars because of
gravity.
internal pressure.
electrical attraction.
nuclear forces.
21. Stars in a single cluster differ widely in
chemical composition.
distance.
age.
mass.
22. Which of the following elements is not expected to be common in the core of a white dwarf?
Carbon
Silicon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
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
mass.
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
magnitude.
25. T Tauri stars are
remnant cores of dead stars.
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
optically visible in their cocoon.
26. 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.
it takes a few hours for light to travel from the core to the photosphere.
energy from fusion appears almost instantly at the photosphere.
energy from fusion takes about 1 million years to travel this distance.
27. Protostars heat up mostly due to
nuclear fusion.
gravitational contraction.
radioactivity.
nuclear fission.
28. If 4 hydrogen nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleus
the mass-energy increases by about 1%.
the mass drops by about 1%.
the mass is conserved.
energy is absorbed.
29. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
30. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
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
hydrogen fusion in its core will have ceased.
it will eventually become a supernova.
it will produce iron and heavier elements in its core.
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?
Silicon
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
34. The triple-alpha reaction is
a nuclear reaction in which helium fuses to form carbon.
an intermediate stage in the proton-proton chain reaction.
responsible for the formation of globular clusters.
an intermediate stage in the Carbon-Oxygen-Nitrogen cycle.
35. 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.
36. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
carbon.
silicon.
gold.
helium.
37. 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.
38. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
39. Black holes
are caused absorption of light in cold, dense nebulae.
are detected as dark clouds at the centre of galaxies.
cannot be directly observed.
are the final stages of stars like the Sun.
40. The Schwarzschild radius gives
the size of a black hole.
the radius of the observable Universe.
the maximum size of a white dwarf.
the size of a neutron star.
41. Type I and II supernovae
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
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.
supernovae.
the solar neutrino problem.
43. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
mass.
magnitude.
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
44. One element not expected to be produced in the core of stars is
silicon.
carbon.
gold.
helium.
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
it will eventually become a supernova.
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.
47. The CNO cycle is a nuclear reaction which
produces 'metals'.
occurs in carbon white dwarfs.
causes the helium flash.
occurs in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
48. Black holes
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
are also called accretion disks.
are massive neutron stars.
49. Electron degeneracy
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.
prevents neutron star formation in solar-like stars.
50. Globular clusters
are recently formed collections of approximately 10^6 stars.
are probably the largest clusters of stars in the Universe.
contain mainly stars of low metallicity.
are found in elliptical but not spiral galaxies.
51. Black holes
can never be observed.
are often observed due to their tidal effect on nearby matter.
are often observed by their tidal effect on the Earth.
have never been observed.
52. Neutrinos
are mainly associated with type Ia supernovae.
are too weak to have any effect.
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
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.
has a core temperature that is much higher than that of the Sun.
54. Analysis of the H-R diagram for a cluster is a good means to
estimate the age of the cluster.
estimate the distance to the cluster.
estimate the mass of dust in the cluster.
count the number of stars in the cluster.
55. Neutron stars
are very dense and so cannot rotate faster than about once an hour.
can rotate at a rate of more than 100 revolutions per second.
are about the same density as white dwarfs, but made of nuclear material.
contain most of the neutrinos in the known Universe.
56. Open clusters are
several stars weakly bound by gravity.
an unnamed constellation.
any number of stars in a group.
several galaxies weakly bound by gravity.
57. T Tauri stars, EGGs and Bok globules are associated with
star birth.
most pulsars.
main sequence stars.
star death.
58. Pulsars
pulse uniformly over their whole surface in a perfectly synchronised manner.
have not yet been detected.
are known to be nearly perfect spheres.
are made of neutrons and so have zero electric and magnetic ï¬eld.
59. Open clusters within the Galaxy
are never surrounded by dust clouds.
often contain metal-rich stars.
contain about 1 million stars in a sphere of typically 25 parsecs diameter.
usually contain only very old stars which have then spread apart.
60. White dwarfs are
so hot that IR radiation dominates, but smaller than the Sun.
about as hot as the Sun but typically smaller.
cold and tiny compared to the Sun.
typically hot enough to be strong X-rays emitters and about the size of the Earth.
61. The crab pulsar is seen to pulse brightly
about once a day.
nearly 30,000 times each second.
about 30 times each second.
only very rarely.
62. Protostars are normally visible in which two bands of the electromagnetic spectrum?
UV and gamma.
IR and x-ray.
Radio and visible.
visible and UV.
63. The helium flash occurs
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.
when a 1 solar mass black hole forms from a white dwarf.
when fusion begins in a proto-star of about 1 solar mass.
64. Pulsars are
never observed as gamma-ray objects.
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.
65. Supermassive stars
are too large to form black holes.
are the usual precursors of white dwarfs.
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
66. Type II supernovae
are well-recognised standard candles.
are rare but exceedingly bright night-sky objects lasting many years.
typically show hydrogen lines in their spectra.
are thought to be due to gravitational collapse of a white dwarf.
67. Sirius B is
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 star slightly heavier than Sirius A that causes Sirius A to wobble.
a white dwarf close to Sirius A.
68. Neutron degeneracy
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.
affects how neutrons react within the proton-proton chain.
69. Synchrotron radiation is
caused by radioactive decay in a Type-II supernova.
a feature of the heat from a red giant.
a feature of radiation from a neutron star.
a pulsed source of radio interference.
70. Supermassive black holes are
found at the centre of nearly every galaxy.
usually violent sources of energy that can destroy galaxies.
only found in distant galaxies.
thought to be very rare in the universe.
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 day.
about once a year.
many thousands of times per second.
many times per second.
73. Neutron degeneracy
causes supernova explosions.
stops collapse in a supernova.
prevents the collapse of a white dwarf in a supernova.
leads to the formation of heavy metals like gold in supernovae.
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
changes in the early stage of a main sequence star.
gravitational attraction due to a nearby star.
collapse of a high density region of gas.
collapse of a low density region containing hydrogen.
76. Main sequence stars
are continuously cooling.
stay approximately constant in size.
are hydro-dynamically unstable.
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 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 constellation
A star
A cluster
A nova
80. The Hertzprung-Russell diagram relates which two properties of a star?
Luminosity and time
Time and temperature
Luminosity 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 heats.
The star shrinks and cools.
The star expands and cools.
The star expands and heats.
83. Which of the following tends to escape the core of a star?
Neutrinos
Protons
Positrons
Neutrons
84. A planetary nebula is associated with which of the following?
Supernovae
Asteroids
White dwarfs
Red giants
85. The light curve of a type-II supernova has
no H-lines and a plateau.
H-lines and a plateau.
no H-lines and no plateau.
H-lines and no plateau.
86. The Chandrasekhar limit is
2.8 solar masses
due to boson degeneracy.
the minimum mass of a black hole.
caused by electrons being fermions.
87. Neutron stars are approximately as dense as which of the following?
Water
A mountain squashed into a thimble.
The mass of the Sun squashed into the volume of the Earth.
The mass of the Earth squashed into a thimble.
88. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell discovered
black holes
supernovae
novae
pulsars
89. Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
90. A nebula is a
star about to collapse.
cloud of gas and dust.
cluster of small stars
cluster of galaxies.
91. Hydrogen burning in stars
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.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
92. The Sun generates heat by converting
hydrogen to helium through the triple alpha reaction.
hydrogen to helium through the proton-proton chain.
helium to carbon through the CNO cycle.
helium to carbon through the triple alpha reaction.
93. 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.
94. Type I and II supernovae
will occur in stars more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
are both standard candles.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
95. White dwarfs are
very hot.
very small in number.
low magnitude stars.
the remains of stars much less massive than the Sun.
96. Neutrinos are
produced in the centre of stars.
derived from Neutrons.
dangerous to human health.
particles of about the same mass as protons.
97. Black holes
are massive neutron stars.
are also called accretion disks.
can only exist at the centres of galaxies.
exert a strong gravitational pull.
98. The Schwarzschild radius gives the
size of a neutron star.
radius of the observable Universe.
size of a black hole.
maximum size of a white dwarf.
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 young stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
a group of very old stars.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
101. Stars of ten times the solar mass
shine for longer than the Sun.
burn out more quickly than the Sun.
are more common than stars like the Sun.
are only found in globular clusters.
102. Interstellar gas is
mostly carbon monoxide.
all at a temperature close to absolute zero.
mostly hydrogen.
of little importance astronomically.
103. The Chandrasekhar limit is
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
around ten times the solar mass.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
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
occurs mainly in stars with cores hotter than the Sun.
produces 'metals'.
causes the helium flash.
occurs mainly in carbon white dwarfs.
106. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a black hole.
contains a pulsar.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
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
mass
chemical composition
magnitude
degeneracy
109. A globular cluster in our Galaxy is
a group of very old stars.
a constellation such as Orion.
an asterism like the Pleiades.
a group of very young stars.
110. T Tauri stars are
remnant cores of dead stars.
optically visible in their cocoon.
standard candles.
frequently strong infrared sources.
111. The Chandrasekhar limit is
around ten times the solar mass.
the radius of a black hole.
the maximum mass of a white dwarf.
the maximum radius of a red giant.
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
white dwarfs.
blue giants.
red dwarfs.
red giants.
114. The Crab Nebula is of interest because it
contains a black hole.
is in the centre of the constellation Cancer.
surrounds the supernova SN1987A.
contains a pulsar.
115. Red giants
look very large through a telescope.
have nuclear reactions in their interior.
are a stage in the life of our Sun.
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 more massive than the Sun.
can reoccur.
will occur in stars less massive than the Sun.
are both standard candles.
118. The final state of a star depends mainly on its
degeneracy.
chemical composition.
magnitude.
mass.
119. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Emission nebulae appear blue.
Reflection nebulae emit light from ionising hydrogen.
Bok globules often emit infrared radiation.
Extinction nebulae can only be formed by black holes.
120. Stars in an open cluster are assumed to be
of the same spectral type.
moving away from each other.
of the same surface temperature.
of the same mass.
121. Hydrogen burning in stars
is a nuclear reaction only occurring in the most massive stars.
can occur via the proton-proton chain reaction.
is a reaction in which hydrogen fuses with oxygen.
produces water vapour in interstellar space.
122. Protostars heat up mostly due to
nuclear fission.
nuclear fusion.
gravitational contraction.
radioactivity.
123. Main sequence stars with higher luminosity than the Sun
have a shorter lifetime than the Sun.
are only observed in globular clusters.
have a lower surface temperature than the Sun.
must be red giants.
124. The triple alpha reaction is a nuclear reaction which
produces hydrogen nuclei.
produces helium nuclei.
only occurs in stars more massive than the Sun.
will occur in red giants.
125. SN1987A
was a nova which occurred in 1987.
was a star which exploded in 1987.
is a faint white dwarf companion of the star SN1987.
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 radius of a black hole.
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.
are prevented from collapse by electron degeneracy pressure.
emit a steady beam of neutrinos.
128. Black holes
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.
cannot be directly observed.
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