1. The cosmic microwave background radiation is
a) The result of the combined emission of distant galaxies
b) The average light generated by the stars in our galaxy
c) An unconfirmed prediction of the Big Bang theory
d) The red-shifted radiation from the early universe
2. A peculiar prediction of the Big Bang theory
is that in the early universe
a) Only light elements (lighter than lithium) were manufactured
b) All elements were manufactured
c) All light elements were destroyed, only to be re-manufactured by stars
d) That no light elements were manufactured
3. An unconfirmed prediction of the Big Bang
theory is
a) The cosmic background radiation
b) That the universe should be submerged in a sea of very low-energy neutrinos
c) The abundance of light elements
d) The precise location of the Big Bang
4. A motivation for the dark matter hypothesis
is
a) The observation of the cosmic background radiation
b) The estimated age of the universe
c) The observed orbits of stars near most galaxies
d) The expectation that the universe is closed (that is, that the expansion will eventually stop and the universe will then start contracting)
5. A puzzle associated with the Big Bang theory
is
a) The observed abundance of light elements
b) The almost perfect homogeneity of the cosmic background radiation even in regions that apparently had no past interactions
c) The existence of the cosmic background radiation
d) The fact that heavy elements were not manufactured in the early universe
6. The value of Cepheid stars in measuring
distances is that
a) They all shine with the very same intensity
b) Their intensity varies periodically, and knowing the period one can infer the maximum brightness
c) They are so bright that they out-shine a full galaxy of star (though only for a brief period)
d) They are only found in very young galaxies.
7. Measuring distances using parallax is based
on
a) The observed relationship between the color of the star and its brightness
b) The observed shift in stellar positions as the Earth moves about its orbit
c) The absence of a shift in the stellar positions as the Earth orbits the Sun
d) The observed orbits of stars near galaxies
8. Going from large objects to small objects a
possible sequence is
a) Atom – quark – proton
b) Quark – atom – proton
c) Atom – neutron – quark
d) Neutron – quark – atom
9. When the total mass-energy content of the
universe is added up the expectation from the general theory of relativity is
that
a) The universe is expanding but that this expansion will stop and the universe will eventually start contracting
b) That on average the universe is flat and it will expand forever
c) That on average the universe is markedly curved
d) That the universe was curved like a sphere in the past, it is flat now, and will curve like a horse-saddle in the future
10. You have two identical lit candles, one is 1
meter away from you; the other is 4 meters away. The far candle will be
a) Just as bright as the near one
b) 4 times dimmer than the near one
c) 2 times dimmer than the near one
d) 16 times dimmer than the near one