Q&A Hero

Q: The pink color of the chromosphere arises from the emission of light from A) hydrogen atoms. B) helium atoms. C) carbon atoms. D) beryllium atoms.

Q: The external region of the Sun that tends to be pink is the A) photosphere. B) chromosphere. C) mesosphere. D) corona.

Q: There is a greatest movement of plasma in the A) convection zone. B) radiation zone. C) core. D) All of the above.

Q: Compared to the Sun's convection zone, it is generally hotter in the A) radiation zone. B) photosphere. C) core. D) All of the above.

Q: Consider a huge rotating cloud of particles in space that gravitate together to form an increasingly dense ball. As the cloud shrinks in size, it A) rotates slower. B) rotates faster. C) rotates at the same rate.

Q: The age of the Sun is about A) 7000 years. B) 5.5 million years. C) 5.5 billion years. D) 5.5 trillion years. E) more than 5.5 trillion years.

Q: Evidence of the solar wind on Earth is the A) meteor showers in the upper atmosphere. B) solar sunspots. C) preponderance of hurricanes at lower latitudes. D) higher ocean tides in winter. E) Aurora Borealis.

Q: The solar wind blows in a direction A) away from the Sun. B) toward the Sun. C) coplanar to the plane of the solar system. D) primarily along the Sun's polar axis.

Q: Each second, the burning Sun's mass A) decreases. B) increases. C) remains unchanged.

Q: In what region of the Sun are most of X-rays generated? A) the inner core B) the photosphere C) the chronosphere D) the corona

Q: What aspect of the Sun's behavior wraps and distorts the solar magnetic field? A) the differential spin between the equatorial and polar regions B) sunspot activity due to differential heat dispersion C) plasma fluxes within the core D) the cycle of the reversal of the magnetic poles

Q: About how deep is the photosphere? A) 300 meters B) 500 meters C) 300 km D) 500 km

Q: In what region of the Sun is solar energy generated? A) the outer surface B) the inner surface C) the mid-interior D) the inner core

Q: Dark nebula appear dark because they A) reflect light. B) emit light. C) are opaque. D) are transparent.

Q: Nebula that tend to be reddish in color are the A) emission nebula. B) reflection nebula. C) dark nebula. D) magenta nebula.

Q: Nebula that tend to be bluish in color are the A) emission nebula. B) reflection nebula. C) dark nebula. D) cyan nebula.

Q: The Sun A) rotates in the same direction as the planets revolve. B) rotates in the opposite direction as the planets revolve. C) does not rotate relative to the planets. D) takes longer to rotate than for the planets to revolve.

Q: The solar system consists mostly of A) the Sun. B) the planets. C) the Sun and the planets combined. D) empty space.

Q: Distinguish between a star and a planet. Which glows, or do they both glow?

Q: What is the evidence that the Sun is a relatively new star in the universe?

Q: When a contracting hot ball of stellar gas spins into a disk shape, it cools faster due to A) increased convection currents. B) increased radiation transfer. C) decreased insulation. D) increased surface area to volume. E) eddy currents.

Q: The Sun tends to bloat outward by nuclear fusion, and contract due to A) gravitation. B) nuclear fission. C) mass decrease. D) its relatively slow spin. E) reduced gaseous pressures.

Q: The best evidence that the Sun is a newcomer in the universe is A) the existence of heavy elements in its composition. B) its relatively slow rate of spin. C) its high temperature as revealed by its color. D) its position in the galaxy. E) its very existence in spite of its high burning rate.

Q: How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun? A) one day B) one week C) one month D) one year

Q: A spinning cloud of interstellar gas tends to A) disperse. B) flatten. C) turn into a sphere. D) condense.

Q: A cloud of interstellar gas is held together by A) the gravitational force. B) infrared radiation. C) electromagnetism. D) All of the above.

Q: Nebular theory pertains to the formation of A) the solar system. B) a galaxy. C) the asteroid belt. D) the Earth.

Q: The ecliptic A) occurs during a solar or lunar eclipse. B) is the average distance between the Sun and Earth. C) is the plane of Earth's orbit. D) refers to the gases from which our solar system formed.

Q: As air flows up the side of a mountain, the air pressure A) increases. B) decreases. C) gets warmer. D) gets colder.

Q: Clouds inhibit the outflow of terrestrial radiation. This acts to A) insulate Earth's surface temperature. B) warm Earth's surface temperature at night. C) cool Earth's surface temperature during the day. D) insulate Earth's surface temperature, keeping it warmer at night and cooler in the day.

Q: As rising air cools, A) water vapor content decreases. B) relative humidity decreases. C) the moist adiabatic lapse rate increases. D) relative humidity increases.

Q: The wind blows in response to A) pressure differences. B) Earth's rotation. C) temperature differences. D) pressure and temperature differences.

Q: When a volume of air is compressed, its temperature A) increases. B) decreases. C) neither increases nor decreases.

Q: If a volume of air is warmed, it expands. If a volume of air expands, it A) warms. B) cools. C) neither warms nor cools.

Q: Any object that is warmer than its surroundings will A) absorb heat. B) emit radiation. C) reflect heat. D) become denser.

Q: As an air parcel expands and cools, or compresses and warms, with no interchange of heat with its surroundings, the situation is called A) temperature equilibrium. B) an adiabatic process. C) stable equilibrium. D) lapse rate.

Q: Warm air rises and cools as it expands. Warm air will continue to rise as long as it is A) denser than the surrounding air. B) warmer and less dense than the surrounding air. C) warmer and less dense than the air above. D) snowing.

Q: As an air parcel moves up the side of a mountain, it A) expands and cools. B) expands and warms. C) compresses and cools. D) compresses and warms.

Q: An adiabatic process occurs when A) no thermal energy enters or leaves the system. B) thermal energy leaving a system is greater than thermal energy entering a system. C) thermal energy leaving a system is less than thermal energy entering a system. D) none of these

Q: As air rises, it A) compresses and warms. B) compresses and cools. C) expands and warms. D) expands and cools.

Q: Temperature in the air can decrease by the process of A) moisture condensation. B) moisture evaporation. C) contact with warm surfaces. D) solar radiation.

Q: Air temperature can increase by the process of A) moisture condensation. B) contact with cold surfaces. C) moisture evaporation. D) all of the above

Q: Why does a July day in the Gulf of Mexico generally feel appreciably hotter than a July day in Arizona?

Q: What happens to the water vapor in saturated air as the air cools?

Q: If water vapor content is held constant as air temperature decreases, does relative humidity increase, decrease, or stay the same? Explain.

Q: Is evaporation greater over warm ocean water or cold ocean water?

Q: Why does dew form on the ground during clear, calm summer nights?

Q: Maximum specific humidity is an ideal way to express capacity, because specific humidity A) does not change as air expands or contracts. B) is a mass measurementgrams/kilograms. C) is the mass of water vapor per volume of air. D) is the pressure exerted by water vapor.

Q: As the air cools, water-vapor molecules slow down and capacity A) increases. B) decreases. C) outpaces condensation. D) increases to maximum humidity.

Q: What happens when the air is saturated? A) The condensation rate equals the evaporation rate. B) The air is at its water vapor capacity. C) Relative humidity is 100%. D) The air temperature equals the dew point temperature. E) all of the above

Q: As air temperature cools below its dew point temperature, the air's water vapor A) increases. B) decreases. C) condenses. D) evaporates.

Q: When evaporation rate equals the condensation rate, the air is A) humid. B) super-saturated. C) at its water-vapor capacity. D) cool, with decreasing relative humidity.

Q: Which of the following is not an example of condensation at Earth's surface? A) clouds B) dew C) frost D) fog

Q: What happens if nearly saturated air experiences a quick, significant temperature drop? A) Relative humidity drops. B) Relative humidity rises. C) Condensation occurs. D) Outcome depends on the temperature of the air.

Q: If the relative humidity is 50%, what happens when the temperature drops and the mass of water in the air stays the same? A) Relative humidity drops. B) Relative humidity rises. C) Relative humidity stays the same. D) Outcome depends on the temperature of the air.

Q: As air temperature decreases, relative humidity A) increases. B) decreases. C) stays the same. D) becomes colder.

Q: Saturation and condensation are more likely to occur on a A) cold day. B) warm day. C) windy day. D) balmy day.

Q: Water vapor in the air can condense when the air A) cools above its dew point temperature. B) temperature increases. C) temperature drops below its dew point temperature. D) none of the above

Q: During the summer months, the Gulf of Mexico is generally A) cool along the coast. B) very hot and very humid. C) hot and dry. D) none of the above

Q: Air's capacity for water vapor is dependent on A) the water-vapor content. B) saturation. C) relative humidity. D) temperature.

Q: Precipitation is produced by A) a rising air mass. B) a descending air mass. C) condensation of water vapor in the air to make clouds and cloud droplets that fall as liquid water or ice. D) all of the above

Q: Air becomes saturated when its temperature A) falls to a point where water vapor molecules evaporate. B) rises to a point where water vapor molecules condense. C) rises to a point where water vapor molecules evaporate. D) falls to a point where water vapor molecules condense.

Q: As air temperature decreases, relative humidity A) drops. B) stays the same. C) decreases. D) increases.

Q: When air contains as much water vapor as it can possibly hold for a given temperature, the air is at A) capacity. B) optimum threshold. C) its evaporation point. D) sublimation point.

Q: Whenever water evaporates, A) heat is absorbed. B) heat is released. C) temperature rises. D) clouds form.

Q: Evaporation of raindrops in the atmosphere A) warms the air. B) cools the air. C) does not happen, raindrops always reach Earth's surface. D) is greatest above polar ice caps.

Q: Whenever water condenses, A) heat is absorbed. B) heat is released. C) frost forms. D) temperature drops.

Q: We are warmed by condensation because water molecules in the air that strike our bodies A) transfer some of their kinetic energy to us. B) gain kinetic energy as they change state. C) form an insulating layer on our bodies. D) none of these

Q: We feel uncomfortably warm on a muggy day because water molecules are A) evaporating from moist bodies. B) condensing on our bodies. C) preventing the evaporation from our moist bodies. D) jostling about.

Q: The limit at which air contains as much moisture as it can hold for a given temperature is called A) the dew point. B) saturation. C) the evaporation point. D) sublimation point.

Q: The temperature to which air must be cooled for saturation to occur is called A) relative humidity. B) dew point. C) precipitation. D) condensation point.

Q: The amount of water vapor the air can hold depends on air temperature. At higher temperatures the air A) holds less water vapor. B) can hold more water vapor. C) is saturated. D) holds water vapor at its dew point.

Q: When liquid water freezes, it A) loses energy. B) gives off energy. C) gains energy. D) radiates energy.

Q: When water changes from solid ice to a liquid, it A) loses energy. B) gives off energy. C) gains energy. D) radiates energy.

Q: When water changes from a vapor phase to a liquid phase, it A) loses energy. B) gives off energy. C) gains energy. D) radiates energy.

Q: The changing of a vapor into a liquid is called A) condensation. B) evaporation. C) dew point. D) saturation point.

Q: When water changes from a liquid to a vapor, it A) loses energy. B) gives off energy. C) gains energy. D) radiates energy.

Q: Saturation and condensation are more likely to occur in A) warm air than in cool air. B) air with a low relative humidity. C) cool air than in warm air. D) an adiabatic air mass.

Q: As rising air cools, its ability to accommodate water vapor decreases so the A) relative humidity of the rising air decreases. B) adiabatic rate stabilizes. C) air becomes more wet. D) relative humidity of the rising air increases.

Q: The changing of a substance from a liquid into a vapor or gas is called A) condensation. B) evaporation. C) dew point. D) saturation point.