EOC Questions HW 1 ASTR 1010
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Georgia State University *
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Course
1010
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by SargentMoonHeron24
1.
Briefly describe the major levels of structure (such as planet, star, galaxy) in the universe.
The architecture of the universe is made up of small-scale structures and large-scale structures. The
small-scale structures of the universe are made up of particles of quarks and electrons, composite
particles of protons and neutrons, atomic nuclei, atoms and molecules, and ions. The large-scale
structures of the universe are made up of the solar system, solar neighborhood, galaxy such as our
own: The Milky Way, galaxy clusters, superclusters, and the universe.
2.
a.) Define
astronomical units
.
o
Astronomical Units: The average distance between Earth and the Sun, which is about 150
million kilometers
b.) Define
light-year
.
o
Light-year: The distance that light travels in 1 year, which is about 9.46 trillion kilometers
3.
Explain the statement "The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in
time."
Light takes time to travel through space and because everything in space is extremely far away it takes
a long time for the light from certain space objects to reach us. For example, when we view the Sun we
are looking at it 8 minutes in the past.
4.
a.) Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense
(or is clearly false).
Our solar system is bigger than some galaxies
It is clearly false
b.) Explain your reasoning.
A galaxy is composed of hundreds of billions of stars, while our solar system orbits around our star, the
Sun. The Milky Way Galaxy spreads across hundreds of thousands of light years while our solar system
is only half of that. Our solar system is a tiny part of the Milky Way galaxy so there is no way that a solar
system can be bigger than a galaxy.
5.
a) Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense
(or is clearly false).
It will take me light-years to complete this homework assignment!
Clearly false
b.) Explain your reasoning.
The time that is needed to complete a homework assignment cannot be measured in lightyears but in
units of time. A light year is a unit of distance so it will not make sense.
6.
a) Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense
(or is clearly false).
NASA plans soon to launch a spaceship that will photograph our Milky Way Galaxy from
beyond its halo.
Clearly false
b.) Explain your reasoning
It is not possible to build a spaceship that can travel at the speed of light to travel thousands of light
years to take the photograph beyond its halo.
7.
Which of the following correctly lists our "cosmic address" from small to large?
Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe
8.
An astronomical unit is:
Earth’s average distance from the Sun
9.
The star Betelgeuse is about 600 light-years away. If it explodes tonight,
we won't know about it until about 600 years from now
10.
If we represent the solar system on a scale that allows us to walk from the Sun to Pluto in
a few minutes, then
the planets are marble-size or smaller and the nearest stars are thousands of miles away.
11.
The total number of stars in the observable universe is roughly equivalent to:
the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth
12.
a) The following statement makes some type of claim. Decide whether the claim could be
evaluated scientifically or whether it falls into the realm of nonscience.
God created the laws of motion that were discovered by Newton.
This falls into the realm of nonscience
b.) Explain clearly.
This is religion and cannot be tested by using the scientific method.
13.
What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory in science?
A scientific hypothesis is an idea or a collection of ideas that explain the data and is tested by many
different scientists while a theory is a widely accepted hypothesis after going through rigorous testing
and experiments.
14.
a) The following statement makes some type of claim. Decide whether the claim could be
evaluated scientifically or whether it falls into the realm of nonscience.
My house is haunted by ghosts who make the creaking noises I hear each night.
This falls into the realm of nonscience
b.) Explain clearly
The noises can be real, but ghosts cannot be tested and there is no other evidence offered to believe
that ghost are real.
15.
a) The following statement makes some type of claim. Decide whether the claim could be
evaluated scientifically or whether it falls into the realm of nonscience.
There are no lakes or seas on the surface of Mars today.
This falls into the realm of science
b.) Explain clearly
This idea has been tested and proven scientifically by using telescopes and satellites.
16.
a) The following statement makes some type of claim. Decide whether the claim could
be evaluated scientifically or whether it falls into the realm of nonscience.
Children born when Jupiter is in the constellation Taurus are more likely to be musicians than
other children
This falls into the realm of nonscience
b.) Explain clearly
Astrology is a pseudoscience and cannot be tested scientifically
17.
Describe the three hallmarks of science and how we can see them in the Copernican revolution. What
is Occam's razor? Why doesn’t science accept personal testimony as evidence?
Hallmarks of science seek explanations for observed phenomena that rely on natural causes. Hallmarks
of science progresses through creating and testing models that explain observations as simply as
possible. There a three hallmarks of science that led to the Copernican revolution which started from
Tycho’s observations of planetary motion which led to Kepler to create his three laws of motion and
finally it led to Copernicus who was able to use the previous observations to accurately explain his
heliocentric model.
Occam’s razor in science means that if there are two identical observations, the one that requires the
smallest amount of assumptions, or the simpler model, should be the correct observation.
Science does not believe personal testimony as evidence because personal testimonies at times can be
biased and cannot be tested using the scientific method. Hypothesis are tested using scientific data.
18.
Which of the following is not true about scientific progress?
Science advances only through the scientific method
19.
Which of the following is not true about a scientific theory?
A theory is essentially an educated guess.
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