Vocabulary
Vocabulary 2
Skills
Module 1
Module 3
100
a hypothesis that has been supported by a large amount of observations and experiments
theory
100
a new model that describes observations and is testable
hypothesis
100
Convert to/from scientific notation:
5.2 × 10-4
0.00052
100
How many observational or experimental tests does it take to prove a hypothesis false?
One
100
Is light a particle or a wave?
light can act as a wave AND a particle!
200
the projection of the Earth’s geographic south pole into space
south celestial pole
200
a pseudoscience that has roots in astronomical observation (hint: zodiac signs)
astrology
200
Convert to/from scientific notation
4,410,000
4.41 × 106
200
Why do stars appear to move across the sky?
because the Earth is rotating on its axis.
200
Which type of light has the the shortest wavelength?
gamma rays
300
a simplified scientific model of the sky that assumes all stars, no matter how far they are, are projected onto a sphere around the Earth
celestial sphere
300
a subset of stars that form a widely recognized shape (hint: not a constellation)
asterism
300
Order these types of radiation on the EM spectrum from lowest to highest energy:
gamma rays, radio waves, visible light
radio waves < visible light < gamma rays
300
You see a star rising due East. When this star reaches its highest position above the horizon, where will it be? (direction and height)
high in the Southern sky
300
Which of the three temperature scales do astronomers use?
Kelvin
400
unlike chemistry, biology, or physics, astronomy requires _______ more than lab experiments
observations
400
the projection of the Earth’s equator into space
celestial equator
400
What is Kepler's 1st law of planetary motion?
each planet moves around the Sun in an orbit that is an ellipse (with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse)
400
Which of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion states that “the straight line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in space in equal intervals of time ”?
The second
400
What does the peak intensity of blackbody radiation depend on?
Temperature
500
the line where the dome of the sky you can see meets the ground from your point of view
horizon
500
the line on which the constellations of the zodiac are located, which is tilted at 23.5° with respect to the celestial equator
ecliptic
500
What is this type of spectrum and how is it formed?
as the light from a blackbody travels through a low density cloud of gas, gas atoms absorb certain colors of light creating black bands in the continuous spectrum
500
Which law of physics is represented by this equation: F=G(Mm)/r^2 ?
Newton's universal law of gravitation
500
Which star is the hottest?
