ASTR 1P01/02: Introduction to Astronomy I/II

Practice Exam

Please solve the following questions. This is not a real exam, it will not be graded, and you do not need to submit your solutions to anyone. The questions are simply intended to help you practice for the real exam.

These questions will not appear in the exam itself. Students who don't genuinely attempt to solve the questions on their own, and only memorize the solutions, will have a very hard time in the actual exam!

This sample exam is online, but the real exam will be given in person, at a time and place indicated on the course website.

THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL EXAM!
THIS IS JUST A PRACTICE EXAM!
THE REAL EXAM IS IN PERSON!

If you need any clarifications for these questions, you can ask for them on the course Teams channel.

Question 1

The carbon atoms in your body were most likely created in...

The core of a star.
A collision with an asteroid.
A supernova.

Question 2

Which kind of region is the least common?

H I.
Both regions are equally common.
H II.

Question 3

If a star has less mass...

Its lifetime is unaffected.
Its lifetime is shorter.
Its lifetime is longer.

Question 4

A radiation-powered pulsar is currently 9 million years old. When it was 1 million years old, it rotated...

At the same speed.
Slower.
Faster.

Question 5

How long will a star with approximately 3.3 solar masses stay on the main sequence?

Approximately 10 million years.
Approximately 14 billion years.
Approximately 500 million years.

Question 6

The end products of the triple-alpha process are...

Carbon nuclei.
Helium nuclei.
Beryllium nuclei.

Question 7

I saw a planetary nebula in the sky. Where did it come from?

Material ejected from a high-mass star near death.
Material ejected from a low-mass star near death.
Material ejected from a planet near death.

Question 8

A reflection nebula...

Scatters light from nearby stars.
Blocks light.
Creates its own light.

Question 9

What is a nova?

An explosion that occurs when a white dwarf accumulates matter from its binary companion and approaches the Chandrasekhar limit.
An explosion that occurs when a new star is created.
An explosion that occurs when a white dwarf accumulates matter from its binary companion but does not approach the Chandrasekhar limit.

Question 10

Compared to white dwarfs, neutron stars are...

Less dense.
Just as dense.
More dense.

Question 11

Which of the following has the strongest magnetic field?

A magnetar.
Planet Earth.
A normal (radiation- or accretion-powered) pulsar.

Question 12

Approximately how long will the Sun spend in the main sequence stage?

11 billion years.
1.3 billion years.
5 million years.

Question 13

In which stage of its life will a star with mass similar to the Sun have the smallest diameter?

White dwarf.
Main sequence.
Red giant.

Question 14

At the end of the life of a star with 20 solar masses, just before gravitational collapse, where would you expect to find iron?

In the core.
In the outermost layer.
In a middle layer.

Question 15

What is left after a Type Ia supernova?

Nothing.
A neutron star or a black hole.
A white dwarf.

Question 16

What is the frequency of light emitted in a spin-flip transition?

5.9 GHz
1.4 GHz
21 GHz

Question 17

What are the least common particles in cosmic rays?

Helium nuclei.
Protons.
Electrons or positrons.

Question 18

Can a white dwarf have 1.2 solar masses?

No.
Depends on its radius.
Yes.

Question 19

Most of the volume of interstellar gas is in the form of...

Molecular clouds.
Hot gas.
H II regions.

Question 20

Which is the least dense?

Interstellar dust
Earth's atmosphere
Interstellar gas

Question 21

A black dwarf...

Does not produce light anymore.
Produces bright light with energy from nuclear reactions.
Produces faint light with stored heat energy.

Question 22

In the process of star formation, after a core starts contracting but before hydrogen fusion begins, we have...

A main-sequence star.
A protostar.
A molecular cloud.

Question 23

What is interstellar extinction?

The process where stars become extinct due to losing their hydrogen supply.
The process where species of aliens become extinct.
The process where light from stars becomes dimmer.

Question 24

What prevents a white dwarf from collapsing?

Pressure due to nuclear fusion.
Electron degeneracy pressure.
Neutron degeneracy pressure and repulsion from the strong nuclear force.

Question 25

When a star is in the main sequence, its core is made primarily of...

Helium.
Iron.
Hydrogen.