Unit 4-5 Review

Front

What is the model of how the Sun, Earth, and Moon move?

Back

Earth orbits the Sun and the Moon orbits Earth.

Front

What type of nuclear reaction gives off more energy, fusion or fission?

Back

Fusion gives off more energy because you are constantly adding to the core reaction.

Front

Why can the apparent magnitude of stars be inaccurate?

Back

The apparent magnitude may not reflect true brightness; a star may appear brighter simply because it is closer.

Front

What does Kepler’s 3rd Law state about the period of a planet?

Back

The square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis.

Front

What does it mean if Neptune is 30 AU away from the Sun and Earth is 1 AU away?

Back

Neptune is 30 times farther away from the Sun than Earth.

Front

Define 'AU' in the context of astronomy.

Back

AU stands for Astronomical Unit, which is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, approximately 93 million miles.

Front

What is the difference between fusion and fission?

Back

Fusion combines light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy, while fission splits a heavy nucleus into lighter nuclei, also releasing energy.

Front

What is the significance of the semi-major axis in planetary motion?

Back

The semi-major axis is half of the longest diameter of an ellipse and is crucial in determining the orbital period of a planet.

Front

Explain the concept of apparent magnitude in astronomy.

Back

Apparent magnitude measures how bright a star appears from Earth, but does not account for distance.

Front

What is the relationship between distance and brightness in stars?

Back

A star's brightness can be misleading; a closer star may appear brighter than a more luminous star that is farther away.