Evidence of the Big Bang
True or False:
The universe began when a galaxy containing a supernova exploded violently.
FALSE
The universe started with a single, dense point that exploded and the expanded.
What are the two possible deaths of a large/massive stars?
Black hole
Neutron star
What size stars have hydrogen and helium?
All size stars!
Name the two characteristics the X-Axes and Y-Axes measure on the HR diagram.
X-Axes: Spectral Class (color) and Temperature (in Kelvin)
Y-Axes: Magnitude (size) and Luminosity (brightness)
What is the primary fuel for fusion in a star?
Hydrogen!
Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence of the big bang?
A. Expansion of the universe
B. Cosmo background radiation (microwaves)
C. Lifecycle of a star
D. Abundance of elements
C! The rest are pieces of evidence. The last piece of evidence not included is redshift (red light from the farthest, fastest moving away from Earth galaxies)
What phases do all stars go through? There are 3.
Nebula
Protostar
Main Sequence
If our sun is currently in the main sequence, what stage will it enter next?
Next it will become a red giant.
What kind of star (supergiant, giants, white dwarf, main sequence) has the least amount of stars?
LEAST
White dwarf
Giants
Supergiants
Main Sequence
MOST
Fill in the blanks below to form the equation for fusion in a star. Hint: what are the two elements that make up most of a star.
__________ + ___________ = ________ + Energy
Hydrogen (H) + Hydrogen (H) = Helium (He) + Energy
What is the term used to describe the leftover radiation or a "glow" from the Big Bang? This radiation also produced a hissing noise.
Cosmic microwave background radiation
What is a supernova and what size of stars does it happen to?
Large/massive stars will explode at the end of their lifecycle, which sends out elements into the universe.
What size star lives longer and why?
Smaller stars live longer because it burns fuel at a much slower rate because nuclear fusion happens at a slower rate in smaller stars.
True or False:
According to the HR diagram, the sun has a lower luminosity than a giant star.
True! The sun has a luminosity of about 1 solar unit while giants have a range from 10-1000 solar units.
Which of the following do NOT occur during nuclear fusion in a star?
A. Energy is released in the form of light
B. Two hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium
C. Two helium atoms fuse to create beryllium
D. Mass is turned into energy
C! Fusion occurs between hydrogen molecules
How does the redshift of distant galaxies support the Big Bang theory?
The observation that galaxies are moving away from us, indicating that the universe is expanding. The light coming from these galaxies is being stretched, which produces a red light.
Name what size star (Small/Medium or Large/Massive) the following stages align with:
A. White dwarf
B. Super giant
C. Red giant
D. Heavy metals (iron, gold, platinum, etc.)
A. Small/medium stars
B. Large/massive stars
C. Small/medium stars
D. Large/massive stars
What size of stars have the fastest rate of fusion?
Large stars.
Their high rates of fusion mean they are using more fuel. This also causes a higher luminosity.
What is the temperature ranges for the stars in the following spectral classes? (High, medium, low)
A. Red
B. Blue
C. Yellow
A. Low (0-4000 K)
B. High (25000-40000 K)
C. Medium (5300-7100 K)
If a star has a large amount of gravity, why do they not collapse in on themselves? Think about fusion and what it creates.
Gas pressure from fusion of hydrogen atoms pushes outward against gravity.