NAME: ____________________

SNC 1D

Space: The Sun & Stars

PART A: MULTIPLE CHOICE (Circle the best answer)

1.

Which is not part of the electromagnetic spectrum?

a. radio waves
b. zeta rays

c. visible light
d. X-rays

2.

What does all electromagnetic radiation have in common?

a. It all moves at the speed of light.
b. It is all visible.
c. It is all harmful to humans without shielding.
d. It all passes through Earths atmosphere and reaches Earths surface.

3.

What is the elemental transformation happening in the Sun that provides its energy?
a. hydrogen to helium
c. helium to carbon
b. helium to oxygen
d. oxygen to iron

4.

How did astronomers determine the composition (chemical makeup) of the Sun?
a. A space probe was sent to recover a piece of the Sun.
b. Astronomers compared the composition of the Sun to that of other nearby stars with
similar compositions.
c. Astronomers studied rocks that were emitted from the Sun.
d. Astronomers studied the spectrum of the Sun.

5.

What factor determines the eventual fate of a star?

a. its temperature at its core
b. its mass

c. its size
d. its colour

6.

What are the axes on the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram?

a. temperature versus size
c. colour versus size
b. luminosity versus distance
d. luminosity versus temperature

7.

Which gases make up most of a star?

a. helium and neon
b. hydrogen and helium

8.

What are sunspots?

a. areas of low light intensity
b. areas of low temperature

c. hydrogen and oxygen

d. oxygen and nitrogen

c. areas of low light intensity compared to its

surroundings
d. areas of low temperature compared to its
surroundings

PART B: MATCHING
(5 MARKS)
Identify the term that best matches the definition or description given.
a.
solar prominences
f.
supernova
b.
nuclear fission
g.
nuclear fusion
c.
nebula
h.
sunspots
d.
solar flare
i.
spectral lines
1) ______ gas and dust cloud in space
2) ______ creates energy by combining lighter atoms to create heavier atoms
3) ______ ten times brighter than the moon
4) ______ created all of the silver, gold, and lead found on Earth
5) ______ can cause auroras and damage satellites

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PART C: SHORT ANSWERS

1) List 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of ground-based telescopes and space-based telescopes. Your answers for
advantages should be different from the disadvantages. (Expensive/Not expensive is not acceptable)

2) Briefly outline how modern astronomers determine the chemical compositions of distant stars.

LEVEL

4
RED

BLUE

3) The spectrum of a distant star contains sodium lines that are

offset from their normal position, as shown.
a. State the name of this offset

b. Explain what the offset tell us about the star

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4) A hydrogen atom emits a pattern with 4 spectral lines when viewed with a spectroscope. Briefly explain what
happens in the hydrogen atom that allows us to see the lines in the spectroscope.

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