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Horizons Exploring the Universe
Chapters 4-7
131
Astronomy
Undergraduate 1
10/16/2011

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Term
Wavelength
Definition
the distance between two wave peaks
Term
frequency
Definition
the number of times per second that a wavelength vibrates up and down
Term
how does a light wave occur?
Definition
the vibration of electric and magnetic fields by interacting with particles in these fields
Term
how is light made?
Definition
the combination of electric field and magnetic field
Term
how are electric fields produced?
Definition
by charge and by changing magnetic fields
Term
how are magnetic fields produced?
Definition
by moving charges and by changing electric fields
Term
T/F Light is a self propagating entity
Definition
True
Term
light waves are characterized by...
Definition
a wavelength (unside down y) and a frequency (f OR v).
Term
what is the equation for finding the frequency of a wave?
Definition
[image]
Term
what is C in the wavelength equation?
Definition
(distance) the speed of light: 300,000 km/s OR 3×10^8 m/s
Term
what is C in the wavelength equation?
Definition
(distance) the speed of light: 300,000 km/s OR 3×10^8 m/s
Term
(frequency equation again)
Definition
[image]
Term
what is the wavelength of light measured in?
Definition
nanometers (nm) or Ångström (Å)

1 nm = 10^-9 m
1 Å = 10^-10 m = 0.1 nm
Term
Visible light has wavelengths between...
Definition
4000 Å and 7000 Å (400–700 nm)
Term
what can light appear as?
Definition
particles or waves
Term
what is a light particle?
Definition
a photon
Term
the equation for a photon's energy is...
Definition
(A photon has a specific energy E, proportional to the frequency f:)

E = h×f

h = 6.626 x 10^-34 J·s
(is the Planck constant)
Term
T/F The energy of a photon depends on its light intensity
Definition
False
Term
The electromagnetic Spectrum
Definition
[image]
Term
(electromagnetic spectrum again)
Definition
[image]
Term
Refracting Telescope
Definition
[image]
Term
Reflecting Telescope
Definition
[image]
Term
How does the reflecting telescope work?
Definition
Concave mirror focuses light onto the focal plane
Term
almost all modern telescopes are...
Definition
Reflecting telescopes
Term
how does a refracting telescope work?
Definition
Lens focuses light onto the focal plane
Term
what is the focal length?
Definition
distance from the center of the lens to the plane onto which parallel light is focused.
(if the focal length is short, the lense must be strongly curved)
Term
what does the secondary optics do?
Definition
is needed to re-direct light path towards back or side of incoming light path
Term
what dos the eyepiecedo?
Definition
views and enlarges the small image produced in the focal plane of the primary optics
Term
What does the Light gathering power of a telescope depend on?
Definition
the surface area A of the primary lens / mirror, proportional to diameter squared:
A = (pi)*(D/2)^2
Term
What is resolving power?
Definition
minimum angular distance between two objects that can be separated
Term
resolving power equation
Definition
alpha min = 1.22 (wavelength/D)
Term
what is a telescope's magnifying power?
Definition
the ability of a telescope to make the image appear larger
Term
the equation for determining magnifying power
Definition
The magnification depends on the ratio of focal lengths of the primary mirror/lens (Fo) and the eyepiece (Fe):

M = Fo/Fe
Term
T/F: A larger magnification does not improve the resolving power of the telescope!
Definition
True
Term
Which features of a telescope
determines its light gathering power?
Definition
The diameter of the
primary optic
Term
Which has the larger light-gathering power?

(A) A telescope of 6 cm
diameter and focal length of
100 cm.
(B) A telescope of 5 cm
diameter and focal length of
50 cm.
Definition
A (telescope with 6 cm diameter and focal length of 100)
Term
what is interferometry
Definition
Combination of the signals from several smaller telescopes to simulate one big mirror

alpha min = 1.22 wavelength/D
Term
what is CCD Imaging?
Definition
(CCD = Charge-coupled device)
-More sensitive than photographic plates
• Data can be read directly into computer memory, allowing easy electronic manipulations
-False-color image to visualize brightness contours
Term
Negative images
Definition
black stars against a white sky
Term
what is used to split light up into the different wavelengths to produce a spectrum?
Definition
prism
Term
when light is split up into different wavelengths, what do we see?
Definition
the spectrum (colors!)
Term
Spectral lines in a
spectrum tell us about what?
Definition
the chemical composition and other
properties of the observed object.
Term
______ is used to improve the
resolving power.
Definition
Interferometry
Term
A neutral atom always contains...
Definition
the same number of
protons as it does
electrons.
Term
_____ is a set of rules that describes how atoms and subatomic particles behave.
Definition
Quantum mechanics
Term
what is an isotope?
Definition
same # of protons, but a different # of neutrons
Term
what is an ion?
Definition
same # of protons, different # of electrons
(gives it a + or - charge: + charge, less electrons than protons, - charge, more electrons than protons)
Term
Just by analyzing the light received from a star, astronomers can retrieve information about a star’s…
Definition
1.Total energy output
2.Surface temperature
3.Radius
4.Chemical composition
5.Velocity relative to Earth
6.Rotation period
Term
An electron can be kicked into a higher
orbit when it_______ a photon with exactly the right energy.
Definition
absorbs a photon
Term
to move down an enery level, an electron must ____ a photon.
Definition
emit
Term
T/F High frequency photons carry more energy than long wavelength photons.
Definition
True
Term
T/F All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light.
Definition
True
Term
T/F Different types of electromagnetic radiation are fundamentally different types of waves
Definition
False
Term
How does the light-gathering power of a 6 m telescope compare with that of the human eye? (Hint: Assume that the pupil of your eye can open to about 0.8 cm.)
Definition
-convert 6m to cm =600 cm
-divide 600 by .8 cm
-square the answer!

answer: 562500
Term
A single photon of which color has the greatest amount of energy?
Definition
violet
Term
The entire electromagnetic spectrum can be divided into seven bands: radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X ray, and gamma ray (from longest to shortest wavelength). To which of these two bands is Earth's atmosphere the most transparent?
Definition
visible and radio
Term
Which theoretical power of an optical telescope is determined by the diameter of the primary mirror or lens?
Definition
light gathering power and resolving power
Term
Radio telescopes are often connected together to do interferometry. What is the primary problem overcome by radio interferometry?
Definition
poor resolving power
Term
Rank the following colors of visible light in order of increasing wavelength: blue, green, red, yellow.
Definition
blue, green, yellow, red
Term
Rank the following colors of visible light in order of increasing frequency: green, red, violet, yellow
Definition
red, yellow, green, violet
Term
Rank the following types of electromagnetic radiation in order of decreasing wavelength: infrared, gamma-ray, radio, ultraviolet, visible.
Definition
radio, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, gamma-ray
Term
In the Bohr model, where are the electrons located?
Definition
In orbits around the nucleus
Term
In atomic excitation, electrons jump between which two orbits?
Definition
From a lower orbit to a higher one
Term
A photon is emitted during which atomic process?
Definition
De-excitation
Term
Describe what an absorption spectrum looks like.
Definition
A continuous spectrum with specific colors of light missing.
(The missing colors represent specific wavelengths of light that were absorbed by the thin gas.)
Term
The light bulb here serves as the blackbody. What is a characteristic of blackbodies?
Definition
They are very hot.
Term
T/F A star has an emission spectrum, since it is a blackbody surrounded by a thinner atmosphere.
Definition
False.
The star produces an absorption spectrum
Term
Light and sound waves from a moving source are ________ in the direction of movement.
Definition
compressed--blue light
(Doppler Effect)
Term
The light or sound waves from a moving object increase in frequency when..
Definition
it is moving toward you. (Doppler Effect)
Term
What does an observer moving at the same speed with a sound source measure?
Definition
no change in the sound
(Doppler Effect)
Term
The temperature of a gas is a measure of...
Definition
average motion of its atoms
Term
Which subatomic particle has a negative charge?
Definition
electron
Term
which color represents the lowest surface temperature for a star?
Definition
red
Term
which color represents the highest surface temperature for a star?
Definition
blue
Term
An atom that is ionized must have...
Definition
either more electrons that protons or more protons than electrons
Term
T/F The nucleus of an atom contains 99.9% of an atom's mass
Definition
true
Term
T/F The nucleus of an atom It contains all of an atom's positive charge.
Definition
true
Term
What conditions produce a dark (absorption line) spectrum?
Definition
light from a continuous spectrum source passing through a cooler low-density gas
Term
You research the star Sirius and find that its spectral lines are blue-shifted. What does this tell you about Sirius?
Definition
It has a radial velocity that is toward us.
Term
Which area is of super-hot gas that extends farthest from the Sun?
Definition
the Corona
Term
What are some characteristics that relate to sunspots?
Definition
-Areas of lower temperatures on the Sun's surface
-Auroras
-The Sun's magnetic field
Term
What is the hottest part of the Sun?
Definition
the Core
(Nuclear fusion creates temperatures in the millions of degrees.)
Term
Which layer of the sun's atmosphere contains the cooler low-density gas responsible for absorption lines in the sun's spectrum?
Definition
photosphere
Term
T/F (Stars) Heat flows from hot to cool regions.
Definition
true
Term
T/F The temperature of a star can be roughly estimated from its color.
Definition
true
Term
T/F Stars emit light mostly from their surfaces.
Definition
true
Term
T/F Hotter stars radiate more energy at higher frequencies.
Definition
true
Term
T/F Hotter stars have a longer maximum intensity wavelength.
Definition
false
Term
T/F Black body radiators are generally cool.
Definition
false
Term
T/F Temperature is a measure of the heat produced by a star
Definition
false
Term
If a star has a surface temperature of 12,000 K, at what wavelength will it radiate the most energy?
Definition
(2.9 * 10^6)/ 12000 K = 241.666 nm
Term
Archeologists & anthropologists surmise that ancient cultures studied astronomy to...
Definition
– keep time
– agricultural
– religious
Term
what did Pythagoreus believe?
Definition
1.Spherical earth (spheres were considered
the most perfect of the geometrical solids)
2. Stars and planets were contained in
spheres (previous slide, Fig. 3.12)
3. Earth was at the center (geocentric)
Term
What did Plato believe?
Definition
All natural
motion is circular
• Reason is more
important than
observation
Term
What did Aristotle believe everything was composed of?
Definition
elements
– earth
– water
– air
– fire
– quintessence
Term
What are the 2 parts Aristotle believe that the universe can be divided into?
Definition
1. Imperfect, changeable Earth
2. Perfect heavens (described by spheres)
Term
Aristotle’s geocentric model had several observations
supporting it:
Definition
1. The earth would naturally form a sphere.
2. Objects thrown in the air come back down, so
the earth must not be rotating.
3. There is no stellar parallax (if earth moved
around sun, then apparent position of the stars
should change during the course of a year).
Term
What is Parallax?
Definition
the apparent motion of an
object due to the motion of
the observer.
Term
What did Eratosthenes do?
Definition
He measured the circumference of the earth
Term
What was one major flaw of a geocentric universe?
Definition
retrograde motion
Term
What was the solution to retrograde motion?
Definition
epicycles
Term
An apparent westward motion of a planet in the sky
compared to the background stars (as viewed from the
Earth) when observed on successive nights is referred
to as...
Definition
retrograde motion
Term
who introduced the ideo of epicycles?
Definition
Ptolemy
Term
Who proposed the heliocentric universe?
Definition
Copernicus
Term
T/F Classical Greek astronomers believed the
motions of the heavens could be described by
uniform circular motion.
Definition
True
Term
Who Used the precise
observational tables of
Tycho Brahe to study
planetary motion
mathematically?
Definition
Kepler
Term
What two concepts did Kepler abandon?
Definition
1. circular motion
(Planets move around the Sun on elliptical
paths, with non-uniform velocities.)
2. uniform motion
Term
What are 3 major achievements of Isaac Newton?
Definition
1. Invented Calculus as a necessary tool to solve mathematical
problems related to motion
2. Discovered the three laws of motion
3. Discovered the universal law of mutual gravitation
Term
What does The Universal Law of Gravity state?
Definition
Any two bodies are attracting each other through gravitation, with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance
Term
What is the formula for gravity?
Definition
F = –G *(Mm/r^2)

(G=9.8 m/s^2)
Term
The _____ of an object is a measure of the amount of
matter it contains. On the other hand _____ is a
measure of the gravitational force on an object.
Definition
mass, weight
Term
The force of gravity from one object extends to infinity
never going to zero. When we say that gravitation is
universal we mean that....
Definition
all material objects in the
universe exert gravitational
forces on one another
Term
If the mass of the Earth decreased by a factor of
two with no change in radius, your weight would...
Definition
decrease by a factor
of 2.
Term
how do satellites remain in the same place over earth?
Definition
Geo- Synchronous Orbits
(24 hour orbit)
Term
what causes the tides?
Definition
Caused by the difference of the Moon’s gravitational attraction on the water on Earth
Term
T/F The Sun is also producing tidal effects, about half as strong as the Moon.
Definition
true
Term
when do neap tides occur?
Definition
first and third quarter moon
Term
when do spring tides occur?
Definition
full and new moons
Term
what is the primary objective to a telescope?
Definition
gather large amounts of light
Term
The centers of granules...
Definition
are hot material rising to
the photosphere from
below.
Term
what is granulation?
Definition
the visible consequence of convection
Term
T/F Most of the visible light from the sun
originates in the photosphere.
Definition
true
Term
energy generated in the sun's center must be transfered outward. this is done where and how?
Definition
in the photosphere through convection
Term
what is the outermost layer of the sun?
Definition
corona
Term
from outermost to innermost, name the layers of the sun
Definition
corona, chromosphere, photosphere, core
Term
what is the energy generation process in stars called?
Definition
nuclear fusion
Term
what is nuclear fusion?
Definition
the fusing of two or more muclei to produce heavier ones
Term
what is a blackbody spectrum?
Definition
The spectrum of a star’s
light is approximately a
thermal spectrum.

A perfect blackbody
emitter would not reflect
any radiation, thus the
name “blackbody”.
Term
T/F The hotter an object is, the more luminous it is
Definition
true
Term
The peak of the blackbody spectrum shifts towards
______ wavelengths when the temperature increases
Definition
shorter
Term
Why don't we see hydrogen Balmer lines in the spectra
of stars with temperatures of 45,000 K?
Definition
The stars are hot enough that
most of the hydrogen is ionized
and the atoms can not absorb
energy.
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