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