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.
The same age as our sun.
50 billion years.
2. Which of the following observations is evidence of the presence of dark matter?
Some stars appear to be moving towards us.
Distant galaxies are moving faster away from us.
Distant supernovae appear dimmer.
Galaxies are spinning faster than expected.
3. Which of the following statements regarding the Grand Unified Theory is correct?
The GUT is a theory that shows physical laws are obeyed everywhere in the universe.
The GUT is a theory that unifies 3 out of the 4 forces of nature.
The GUT is a theory of everything.
The GUT can tell us what happened at the moment of birth of the universe.
4. The sky is dark at night because
there is dark matter in between the stars.
some stars are so far away that their light has not yet reached us.
our eyes are not sensitive enough.
the universe is only sparsely populated with stars.
5. What is the observable universe?
All parts of the universe that are not obscured by celestial objects.
The portion of the universe that our eyes can see.
Part of the universe that the most powerful telescopes can resolve.
The portion of the universe from which light had enough time to travel to us.
6. Ptolemy believed that
everything must move along one simple perfect circle.
all the stars were on a celestial sphere.
the planets must follow circular orbits centred on the Earth.
some of the planets orbit around the Sun.
7. Einstein's special theory of relativity states that:
the speed of light is constant.
all motion is relative to the centre of the universe.
nothing is relative.
everything is relative.
8. Which of the following statements is true?
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.
Photons are Fermions.
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 electron is a positron.
The antiparticle of a photon is a phonon.
The antiparticle of a gluon is a gluon.
10. Which of the following statement about supernovae is false?
They are a source of heavy elements.
They always appear to have the same brightness.
Supernovae derive their energy from gravity.
They are only visible for a few weeks.
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