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DELAWARE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY
Evaluation #3 Essay Questions
Answer each underlined question from chapters 9-11. Choose one question from the remaining
questions for a total of 4 responses. Answer each question completely, but do not exceed one page
per response.
Chapter 9
1. Why are massive stars more luminous than low mass stars? That is, why is there a massluminosity relationship?
Chapter 10
2. What is the difference between a supernova and a nova?
Chapter 11
3. What observational evidence do we have that black holes exist?
Chapter 12
4. Why does the rotation of our galaxy suggest that it is more massive than previously thought?
5. What is the difference between a population I and a population II star? Why does the average
chemical composition of stars forming now differ from that of older stars?
6. How does the density wave theory explain the presence of young stars in the spiral arms?
Chapter 13
7. Discuss the fundamental differences between spiral and elliptical galaxies. Why can’t an
elliptical galaxy evolve into a spiral galaxy?
Chapter 14
8. What is a quasar? What observational evidence do we have that quasars are the centers of very
distant galaxies?
Chapter 15
9. Restate Olbers’ paradox. Upon what false assumptions is Olbers’ paradox based?
10. How might we tell if the universe is open or closed?
Chapter 16
11. What observational evidence do we have that other stars are surrounded by nebulae from which
planets could form?
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12. How does the solar nebula theory explain the present densities and chemical compositions of
the planets?
Chapter 17
13. Describe the four stages in the development of a terrestrial planet.
Chapter 18
14. Why can Jovian planets have rings, while terrestrial planets cannot?
Chapter 19
15. Most meteors come from comets, but most meteorites come from asteroids. Explain this
statement.
16. How might we explain the origin of the different types of meteorites among the asteroids?
17. How does the dirty snowball theory explain the observed characteristics of comets?
Chapter 20
18. How can we select stars whose planets are likely homes for life?
19. Describe things that limit travel between stars.
20. How does the likelihood of the survival of technological societies restrict the number of
civilizations with which we might communicate?
Tips:
Answer questions completely yet remain concise. A vague and/or verbose answer will only
frustrate the reader resulting in a poor score.
Show all work for mathematical problems using proper. Correct units can serve as a self-check.
Write legibly. If you response cannot be read, it will not be graded.
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