STUDENT BOOK ANSWERS

Unit 7: Astrophysics
Review, page 182
1 From astronomic observation, we know that stars stay in the same position relative to each
other, but planets wander around. We also know stars are really suns which generate and
radiate their own energy, but planets are smaller bodies which revolve around the Sun (or
other stars) and only reflect the light of these stars.
2 They observed that stars stay in the same position relative to each other, but planets wander
around.
3 a Retrograde motion means backward motion relative to other heavenly bodies.
b Yes
4 a A constellation is a group of stars that forms a fixed pattern when viewed from the Earth.
b The stars could be different distances from the Earth. They are just in the same direction
from the Earth, and so appear to be near each other.

Review, page 190

1 In Copernicus’ model, Earth and the planets all orbit the Sun. In Brahe’s (and Kepler’s)
model, the planets orbit the Sun but the Sun orbits Earth.
2 M is the number of times bigger the image is than the object, so if M = 1 the image is the
same size as the object.
3 a No (But he improved it.)
b Two lenses, a convex (converging) objective lens and a concave (diverging) eyepiece
lens
4 a 1675.5 km/h
b No, only on the equator. At other latitudes the speed of rotation is lower, as the Earth’s
surface is closer to the Earth’s axis of rotation.

Review, page 195

1 a False; seasons are a result of the tilt in Earth’s axis, which changes the amount and
intensity of solar radiation received daily over the course of a year.
b False; Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted at 23.5°C to its orbit around the Sun.
c True
d False; the moon only reflects light that falls on it.
e True (approximately)
f True (Due to the elliptical shape of the moon’s orbit, and hence its varying speed, we do
get to see part of the other side.)

Review, page 199

1 Sirius is much closer to us than Rigel.

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2 It would be possible if the more distant star was more luminous (i.e. brighter) than the closer
star.
3 a Star B
b 1:3. Star A is three times further away than star A. Note: Apparent brightness varies
inversely with the square of distance.
4 Hipparchus (from ancient Greece)
5 The m = –2 star. Brightness decreases with increasing magnitude.
6 a 2.52 = 6.25 times brighter
b 2.55 = 97.7 times brighter

Review, page 209

1 600 000 ly, 6 × 1018 km, 0.2 Mpc, 5 × 1016 AU
2 Microwave, ultraviolet, X-rays
3 a 390−740 nm
b Longer

4 .
T is the temperature measured in kelvin, K
2.9 × 10–3 is Wien’s constant in metres kelvin, mK
λmax is the peak wavelength in metres, m
The shorter the peak wavelength, the higher the star’s temperature. By measuring the intensity of
the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by a star, we can calculate a good
approximation of its surface temperature.5 0.000 001 6 m = 1600 nm, infrared
0.000 000 580 = 580 nm, visible spectrum (yellow)
0.000 000 290 = 290 nm, ultraviolet
6 1200 K
7 The blue star; blue has a shorter wavelength. According to Wien’s law, the shorter the
wavelength, the higher the peak temperature.
8 Star X, as UV has a shorter wavelength than visible light. According to Wien’s law, the
shorter the wavelength, the higher the peak temperature.
9 Student response; should recognise that redshift means galaxies are moving away, which
implies that in the past, stars were closer and closer together. This leads to the ideas of the
big bang (see next section).

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UNIT QUESTIONS
1 The planets’ orbits wandered all over the place. At times they even went backwards.
2 The parallax method
3 The telescope: Galileo observed that Venus had phases like the Moon, supporting the fact
that Venus orbited the Sun. He also observed Jupiter’s four moons, which orbited Jupiter
(and not the Earth).
4 Wien’s law calculates the temperature of a star from the peak intensity wavelength of

emitted radiation, using the formula

5 No two elements have the same spectrum, just as no two humans have the same fingerprints.
6 For the Big Bang, as it shows the galaxies are moving away from us and each other.
7 Student response; may include research.
8 Star Y would have one hundredth the luminosity of star X.
9 –6
10 a This is in the ultraviolet range, so what would be seen would be violet, or blue-violet.
b 9400 K (9354.8 rounded to 2 significant figures)
11 Both demonstrate the atomic spectra of a light source and both have lines in the same
positions for a given light source, but an emission spectrum would have coloured lines on a
black background, whereas an absorption spectrum would have black lines on a coloured
background.
12 No, because this is the parallax angle for the closest star, Proxima Centauri.
13 The parallax effect is too small to measure accurately for distant stars.
14 Student response; Galileo is a good choice as he used the telescope to find evidence for the
heliocentric view. Other scientists could be acceptable.
15 It is called that as we do not see it. For half of its orbit, the ‘dark side’ faces the sun, so it is
no darker than the side we see – but none of the light reflected from that side reaches the
Earth.
REFLECTION
1 Student response
2 Student response
3 Student response
4 Student response
5 Student response
6 Student response

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