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