Question 1

Where would you expect to find heavy atoms like iron stripped of many of their electrons?

Accepted Answer

A)   the photosphere
B)   the chromosphere
C)   the corona
D)   sunspotsE) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 2

In the thermonuclear process that is thought to heat the Sun,the nuclei of which chemical elements are converted to other nuclei to produce the requisite energy?

Accepted Answer

A)   Helium is converted to hydrogen.
B)   Iron is transformed to a series of lighter elements in chain reactions, leading eventually to hydrogen.
C)   Hydrogen is converted to helium.
D)   Uranium is converted to lead.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 3

A positron is a:

Accepted Answer

A)   hydrogen nucleus.
B)   theory about which there is absolutely no doubt.
C)   charged neutron.
D)   positively charged electron.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 4

The major feature that distinguishes a sunspot from other regions on the Sun is:

Accepted Answer

A)   its very powerful magnetic field.
B)   faster rotation around the Sun's axis than neighboring regions.
C)   its greater light emission compared with the photosphere.
D)   a coronal hole existing above it.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 5

The umbra of a sunspot is about 1500 K cooler than the surrounding solar photosphere.How does the light from the umbra compare with the light from the rest of the photosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)   The umbra and the surrounding photosphere both emit light of the same color and the same intensity (per square meter)  because they are both in the photosphere.
B)   The light from the umbra is bluer.
C)   The light from both the umbra and the surrounding photosphere are the same color, but the umbra emits less light per square meter.
D)   The light from the umbra is redder.E) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 6

Intense magnetic fields have been found to exist in sunspots by the observation of what specific physical effect?

Accepted Answer

A)   the Zeeman effect, the splitting of spectral absorption lines
B)   Doppler shift of light from sunspots
C)   observation of ionized atoms in the region of the sunspots
D)   measurement of the relative strengths of spectral absorption lines of gases in the sunspotE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 7

What name is given to the outer atmosphere of the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)   convective zone
B)   radiative zone
C)   corona
D)   chromosphereE) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 8

How large is a typical sunspot?

Accepted Answer

A)   It is about the size of Earth.
B)   It covers about 10% of the visible hemisphere of the Sun.
C)   It is about the size of Australia.
D)   It is too small to see without the aid of a powerful telescope.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 9

At the present time,the energy of the Sun is generated:

Accepted Answer

A)   throughout the Sun by gravitational contraction.
B)   in the central core by fusion of helium nuclei and in an outer shell by fusion of hydrogen nuclei.
C)   only in its central core by fission of heavy nuclei.
D)   only in its central core by fusion of hydrogen nuclei.E) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 10

The magnetic field in a large rotating body can reverse direction periodically.For which two bodies in the solar system has evidence been found for such magnetic reversals?

Accepted Answer

A)   the Sun and the Moon
B)   the Sun and Earth
C)   Earth and the Moon
D)   Earth and VenusE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 11

Which statement about sunspots is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)   Sunspots are the surrounding photosphere of the Sun.
B)   Sunspots increase and decrease in number relatively regularly.
C)   Sunspots often occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity.
D)   Sunspots occur in regions of lower-than-average magnetic fields.E) None of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 12

What is a plasma?

Accepted Answer

A)   material in which all the spectral lines exhibit Zeeman splitting
B)   a gas so dense that visible light will not penetrate it
C)   a state of matter consisting of electrons and ionized atoms
D)   a ring around the Sun's equator caused by magnetic effectsE) A) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 13

Sunspots are:

Accepted Answer

A)   cooler, darker regions on the Sun's surface.
B)   the shadows of cool, dark clouds of matter hanging above the solar surface.
C)   cooler regions of the Sun's high corona.
D)   hotter, deeper regions in the Sun's atmosphere.E) A) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 14

What is helioseismology?

Accepted Answer

A)   the study of the Sun's tidal effects in causing earthquakes
B)   the study of the Sun's response to collisions with grazing comets
C)   the study of vibrations in the Sun's interior
D)   the detailed study of the shape of the SunE) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 15

Which layer of the Sun's atmosphere has the greatest vertical thickness?

Accepted Answer

A)   the corona
B)   the chromosphere
C)   the photosphere
D)   They are each about the same.E) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 16

Many images of the chromosphere are taken through a red filter.One reason for this is to:

Accepted Answer

A)   block out all red light and allow through the prominent light of other colors produced in the chromosphere.
B)   allow through the filter the red light produced by the photosphere and thus show an effective contrast with the chromosphere.
C)   ensure that the blue of Earth's atmosphere does not interfere with the image.
D)   allow through the red light which is produced predominantly in the chromosphere and not in the photosphere.E) All of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 17

Which statement about sunspots is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)   Sunspots occur in regions of lower-than-average magnetic fields.
B)   Sunspots increase and decrease in number relatively regularly.
C)   Sunspots often occur in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity.
D)   Sunspots are cooler than the surrounding photosphere of the Sun.E) None of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 18

Recent solar neutrino experiments have confirmed the suspicion that the explanation for the apparent shortfall in neutrino detection rates over the last 30 years is that:

Accepted Answer

A)   the Sun does indeed produce only 1/3 of that predicted by earlier theoretical models; these models require major modification.
B)   2/3 of the neutrinos from the Sun are absorbed by material between the Sun and Earth.
C)   2/3 of the solar neutrinos transform into types of neutrinos that were undetectable by old detection techniques.
D)   the detectors were faulty; 2/3 of the neutrinos were missed by the detectors.E) B) and D)
F) A) and D)

Question 19

The Zeeman effect refers to the:

Accepted Answer

A)   brightening of sunlight near sunspots.
B)   shift of spectral lines because of the motion of the source of light.
C)   splitting of spectral lines when magnetic fields are applied to atoms.
D)   shift toward longer wavelength of spectral lines when the atoms are in a magnetic field.E) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 20

What is Cerenkov radiation?

Accepted Answer

A)   radiation that moves faster than the speed of light
B)   radiation emitted directly from the core of the Sun to Earth
C)   radiation emitted when a charged particle moves through a material medium faster than the speed of light through that medium
D)   radiation emitted during the transformation of one kind of neutrino (electron, muon, or tau neutrino)  to another kind of neutrinoE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Exam 9: The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

Many images of the chromosphere are taken through a red filter.One reason for this is to:

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The umbra of a sunspot is about 1500 K cooler than the surrounding solar photosphere.How does the light from the umbra compare with the light from the rest of the photosphere?

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Which layer of the Sun's atmosphere has the greatest vertical thickness?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which statement about sunspots is NOT true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the thermonuclear process that is thought to heat the Sun,the nuclei of which chemical elements are converted to other nuclei to produce the requisite energy?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The major feature that distinguishes a sunspot from other regions on the Sun is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Zeeman effect refers to the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Recent solar neutrino experiments have confirmed the suspicion that the explanation for the apparent shortfall in neutrino detection rates over the last 30 years is that:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A positron is a:

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At the present time,the energy of the Sun is generated:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Intense magnetic fields have been found to exist in sunspots by the observation of what specific physical effect?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is helioseismology?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Where would you expect to find heavy atoms like iron stripped of many of their electrons?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is Cerenkov radiation?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which statement about sunspots is NOT true?

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What is a plasma?

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What name is given to the outer atmosphere of the Sun?

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Sunspots are:

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The magnetic field in a large rotating body can reverse direction periodically.For which two bodies in the solar system has evidence been found for such magnetic reversals?

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How large is a typical sunspot?

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