IGCSEPhysicsCIETopic Questions6. Space PhysicsStars & The Universe

Stars & The Universe (CIE IGCSE Physics)

Topic Questions

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11 mark

Which two elements are the most commonly found in the Sun?

  • Hydrogen and oxygen

  • Helium and carbon

  • Hydrogen and helium

  • Nitrogen and oxygen

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21 mark

Light from distant galaxies is redshifted when measured on Earth.

Which of the following ideas does this provide evidence for?

1. The Big Bang Theory

2. The Universe is expanding

3. Distant Galaxies are moving both towards us and away from us

  • 1 only

  • 1 and 2

  • 2 only

  • 1, 2 and 3

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31 mark

Extended tier only

Which of the following describes the lifecycle of a star about the size of the Sun?

  • interstellar hydrogen clouds → protostar → main sequence star → red supergiant  → black hole

  • interstellar hydrogen clouds → planetary nebula → main sequence star → red giant  → protostar→ white dwarf

  • interstellar hydrogen clouds → protostar → main sequence star → red giant  → planetary nebula → white dwarf

  • interstellar hydrogen clouds → protostar → main sequence star → red supergiant  → neutron star

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41 mark

Extended tier only

What does the constant 2.2 × 10–18 per second represent?

  • 1 light year

  • Red-shift

  • The CMBR

  • The Hubble constant

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51 mark

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum does the Sun radiate most of its energy in?

  •  radio, visible and gamma

  •  infrared, visible and ultraviolet

  •  infrared, X-rays and gamma

  •  infrared, visible and gamma

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11 mark

What is the correct description of the Milky Way?

  • Universe

  • Star

  • Galaxy

  • Nebula

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21 mark

Which is the best description of redshift?

  • Distant galaxies only emit light from the red end of the spectrum.

  • Only red light can reach Earth from very distant stars.

  • Stars in the Milky Way mostly emit light at the red end of the spectrum,

  • The light received from distant galaxies is moved towards the red end of the spectrum.

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31 mark

How many years would it take light to travel from the centre of the Milky Way to the outer edge?

  • 500 years 

  • 50 000 years

  • 100 000 years

  • 100 000 light years

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41 mark

Extended tier only

What is the process which makes stable stars such as the Sun shine, and which element produced in the reaction?

  Process Element
A fusion oxygen
B fission hydrogen
C fusion helium
D fission hydrogen

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    51 mark

    Extended tier only

    Which of the following equations correctly represents the age of the Universe?

    • v space equals space H subscript 0 d

    • H subscript 0 space equals space v over d

    • 1 over H subscript 0 space equals space v over d

    • 1 over H subscript 0 space equals space d over v

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    11 mark

    Extended tier only

    Which is the correct value of one light year?

    • 9.5 × 1015 km

    • 9.5 × 1015 m

    • 9.5 × 1015 s

    • 9.5 × 1015 days

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    21 mark

    The planet Uranus has an average orbital radius of 4 500 million km. How long does it take light from the Sun to travel to Uranus?

    • 4 minutes

    • 1 hour

    • 4 hours

    • 4 days

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    31 mark

    Extended tier only

    Which row shows the correct methods for measuring galactic speeds and distances?

      Galactic speeds Galactic distances
    A redshift redshift
    B redshift brightness of supernovae
    C brightness of supernovae redshift
    D brightness of supernovae brightness of supernovae

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      41 mark

      Extended tier only

      Hubble's law gives an expression for the Hubble constant

      H subscript 0 space equals space v over d

      What does the equation allow astronomers to calculate?

      1. The distance to other galaxies
      2. The speed of galactic recession
      3. The age of the Universe

      • 1 only

      • 1 and 3

      • 3 only

      • 1, 2 and 3

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      51 mark

      Extended tier only

      The Andromeda galaxy is 2.5 million light-years away from Earth.

      What is the velocity of the galaxy as it moves away from Earth?

      • 5200 m/s

      • 52 km/s

      • 5.2 km/s

      • 520 km/s

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