Astronomy Quiz 4

The speed of a light wave:

Is independent of its other properties.

Place the following varieties of light in order, from lowest to highest frequency.

Microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, gamma rays

Consider the two energy level diagrams below for two identical atoms.

Suppose that the electron in each atom drops to the lowest energy state (E1), or the ground state, from the energy level shown in each diagram. (The electron in Atom 1 begins at the fourth energy state, E4, and the electron in Atom 2 begins in the second energy state, E2.)

What is true about the wavelength of the photon emitted by each atom as a result of the transition?

The wavelength of the photon emitted by Atom 2 will be greater than the wavelength of the photon emitted by Atom 1.

The figure above shows blackbody spectra for three different stars. Which star appears reddest to the naked eye?

Star C (lowest)

The graph below show the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere as a function of wavelength. According to this graph, what wavelength region(s) can we not observe here on the ground? Choose all that apply.

1: Gamma Rays, X-Rays, and UV Light ; 3: Infrared Light ; 5: Long-wavelength Radio Waves

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a reflecting telescope over a refracting telescope?

Mirrors provide stronger magnification than lenses.

You observe two stars, Star A and Star B, with your naked eye which appear to have the same brightness. What is true about the luminosity of these two stars?

Not enough information to decide

An astronomer takes a spectrum of a nearby star. She finds that its absorption lines all appear at shorter wavelengths than expected from laboratory measurements. She should conclude that the star is:

Moving toward her

Which type of spectrum would be observed in each of the three examples below?

Continuous Emission Absorption