Physics 5
Introduction to Astronomy

H. E. Smith                                                                                                       Spring 2007

Quiz 2 Monday 4/16/07

Physics 5 – Spring Quarter 2007

Prof. Smith

1) Gamma rays have a very small ______.

A. frequency.

B. wavelength.

C. mass.

D. energy.

 

2) Suppose you are listening to a radio station that broadcasts at a frequency of 97 Mhz. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The "radio waves" that are received by your radio are not light waves like those we talk about in astronomy, but rather are a special type of sound wave.

B. The radio waves from the radio station are causing electrons in your radio's antenna to move up and down 97 million times each second.

C. The radio waves from the radio station have a wavelength of 97 million meters.

D. The radio station broadcasts its signal with a power of 97 million watts.

 

3) The stars in our sky twinkle in brightness and color because of ______.

A. the bubbling and boiling of gases on the surfaces of stars.

B. turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.

C. rapid changes in the brightnesses and colors of stars caused by changes in their spectra.

D. light pollution.

 

4) What is the purpose of adaptive optics?

A. It reduces blurring caused by atmospheric turbulence for telescopes on the ground.

B. It is a special technology that allows the Hubble Space Telescope to adapt to study many different types of astronomical objects.

C. It allows ground-based telescopes to observe ultraviolet light that normally does not penetrate the atmosphere.

D. It allows several small telescopes to work together like a single larger telescope.

 

5) We can construct much larger radio telescopes than optical telescopes because:

A. Radio waves are much more energetic than visible light waves, hence easier to "collect".

B. Radio waves are much less energetic than visible light waves, and travel at a slower speed.

C. Radio astronomy is a much less sophisticated science than optical astronomy.

D. Radio wavelengths are much larger than visible light wavelengths, thus tolerances for optical surfaces are much less severe.

E. Radio waves are not electromagnetic waves.

 

6) Which of the following wavelength regions CAN be studied with telescopes on the ground?

A. all light with wavelengths longer than ultraviolet wavelengths

B. infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light.

C. all light with wavelengths shorter than infrared wavelengths

D. radio, visible, and very limited portions of the infrared and ultraviolet regions

 

7) What are the two main reasons we want to build larger telescopes? Explain.

Larger telescopes have better resolution and more light collecting area.