Universe: Stars And Galaxies
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781319115098
Author: Roger Freedman, Robert Geller, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Chapter 1, Problem 26Q
To determine
A number of suns required to reach the nearest star if laid side by side.
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As we discuss in class, the radius of the Earth is approximately 6370 km. Theradius of the Sun, on the other hand, is approximately 700,000 km. The Sun is located,on average, one astronomical unit (1 au) from the Earth.
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Raising a number in scientific notation to a power is easy:
(5 x 105)² = (5)² x (105)² = 5 x 5 x 105 x 105 = 25 x 10(5 × 2) = 25 x 1010 = 2.5 x 101¹1
Keeping this in mind, what is the volume of the sun in km³? The radius of the sun is about 7 x 105 km, and the volume of a sphere is 4/3 x Pi x R³. (Use 3.14 for Pi, and enter your answer with two decimal places).
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The angle between two lines drawn from a point on Earth to two opposite sides of the Moon make an angle of 0.5 degrees.
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Chapter 1 Solutions
Universe: Stars And Galaxies
Ch. 1 - Prob. 1QCh. 1 - Prob. 2QCh. 1 - Prob. 3QCh. 1 - Prob. 4QCh. 1 - Prob. 5QCh. 1 - Prob. 6QCh. 1 - Prob. 7QCh. 1 - Prob. 8QCh. 1 - Prob. 9QCh. 1 - Prob. 10Q
Ch. 1 - Prob. 11QCh. 1 - Prob. 12QCh. 1 - Prob. 13QCh. 1 - Prob. 14QCh. 1 - Prob. 15QCh. 1 - Prob. 16QCh. 1 - Prob. 17QCh. 1 - Prob. 18QCh. 1 - Prob. 19QCh. 1 - Prob. 20QCh. 1 - Prob. 21QCh. 1 - Prob. 22QCh. 1 - Prob. 23QCh. 1 - Prob. 24QCh. 1 - Prob. 25QCh. 1 - Prob. 26QCh. 1 - Prob. 27QCh. 1 - Prob. 28QCh. 1 - Prob. 29QCh. 1 - Prob. 30QCh. 1 - Prob. 31QCh. 1 - Prob. 32QCh. 1 - Prob. 33QCh. 1 - Prob. 34QCh. 1 - Prob. 35QCh. 1 - Prob. 36QCh. 1 - Prob. 37QCh. 1 - Prob. 38QCh. 1 - Prob. 39QCh. 1 - Prob. 40QCh. 1 - Prob. 41QCh. 1 - Prob. 42Q
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- How Do We Know? How can a scientific model be useful if it is not a true description of nature?arrow_forwardHow many degrees does the Sun move per day relative to the fixed stars? How many days does it take for the Sun to return to its original location relative to the fixed stars?arrow_forwardSuppose you are on a strange planet and observe, at night, that the stars do not rise and set, but circle parallel to the horizon. Next, you walk in a constant direction for 8000 miles, and at your new location on the planet, you find that all stars rise straight up in the east and set straight down in the west, perpendicular to the horizon. How could you determine the circumference of the planet without any further observations? What is the circumference, in miles, of the planet?arrow_forward
- How Do We Know? Why must a scientific argument dealing with some aspect of nature take all of the known evidence into account?arrow_forwardExplain the origin of the magnitude designation for determining the brightness of stars. Why does it seem to go backward, with smaller numbers indicating brighter stars?arrow_forwardHow Do We Know? Why is astrology a pseudoscience?arrow_forward
- Draw a picture that explains why Venus goes through phases the way the Moon does, according to the heliocentric cosmology. Does Jupiter also go through phases as seen from Earth? Why?arrow_forwardSuppose the Sun were somehow replaced by a star with five times as much mass. How long would the Earth year last in this last case? (hint: Newton’s version of Kepler’s 3rd Law)arrow_forwardHow far do you travel relative to the CENTER of the sun in 2 days?arrow_forward
- What would be the distance to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri (4.4 light-years away). (Hint: Find the distance to Alpha Centauri in units of AU.) Express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.arrow_forwardWhen you step from the shade into the sunlight, the Sun’s heat is as evident as the heat from hot coals in a fireplace in an otherwise cold room. You feel the Sun’s heat not because of its high temperature (higher temperatures can be found in some welder’s torches), but because the Sun is big. Which do you estimate is larger, the Sun’s radius or the distance between the Moon and Earth? Check your answer in the list of physical data on the inside back cover. Do you find your answer surprising?arrow_forwardThinking about the Scale of the Solar System As we discussed, the radius of the Earth is approximately 6370 km. The Sun, on the other hand, is approximately 700,000 km in radius and located, on average, one astronomical unit (1 au=1.5x108 km) from the Earth. Imagine that you stand near Mansueto Library, at the corner of 57th and Ellis. You hold a standard desk globe, which has a diameter of 12 inches, and you want to build a model of the Sun, Earth, and their separation that keeps all sizes and lengths in proportion to one another. a) How big would the Sun be in this scale model? Give your answer in feet and meters. b) The nearest star to the Solar System outside of the Sun is Proxima Centauri, which is approximately 4.2 light years away (a light year is the distance light travels in one year, or approximately 9.5x1012 km). Given the scale model outlined above, how far would a model Proxima Centauri be placed from you? Give your answer in miles and km.arrow_forward
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