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SAMPLE PAPER
2
Level 2 Earth and Space Science
2.6: Demonstrate understanding of stars and
planetary systems
Credits: Four
You should answer ALL parts of ALL questions in this booklet.
If you need more space for any answer, use the page(s) provided at the back of this booklet and
clearly number the question.
Check that this booklet has pages 2–9 in the correct order and that none of these pages is blank.
YOU MUST HAND THIS BOOKLET TO YOUR TEACHER AT THE END OF THE ALLOTTED TIME.
EXEMPLAR FOR ACHIEVED
NOTE: These exemplars do not fully show Grade Score Marking (GSM) because of
the small sample of student scripts involved, and the absence of a cut score meeting
to determine grade boundaries. In 2012, level 1 2011 examination papers will have
exemplars marked full in accordance with GSM. These will be published on the
OVERALL LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE
NZQA website when the assessment schedules are published.
This exemplar has been generated by a subject expert not a candidate.
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the prior permission of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
2
You are advised to spend 60 minutes answering the questions in this booklet.
QUESTION ONE: THE SUN
The Sun is at the centre of our solar system and provides the energy source for life on
Earth.
Explain in detail EACH of the stages (birth, life, and death) in the life cycle of the Sun. In your
explanation, you should make reference to the energy changes:
•
fuel use
•
mass
•
gravity.
You may draw a labelled diagram (s) in the box provided to support your answer.
Birth: The sun was born from a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. It formed due to
gravity creating a proto-star.
Life: During this stage of its life cycle the sun burns convert hydrogen into helium and
gives off radiation.
Death: The Sun is an average size star. Eventually the star runs out of fuel (hydrogen).
It can then form a red giant, and then a white dwarf.
Candidate describes feature(s) from birth, life, and
death, but provides no explanations or links.
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QUESTION TWO: OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Explain in detail how our solar system came to have inner and outer planets. In your answer, you
should consider the:
• formation of the solar system (including planets and their associated moons)
• size and composition of the inner and outer planets
• other features of the inner and outer planets related to their formation and ongoing existence.
The 8 planets of our solar system were formed at the same time as our sun. They were
made from matter that orbited the sun. Matter clumped together to make planets. Moons
formed at the same time as the planets.
The inner planets are small and rocky, whereas the outer planets are very large and made of
gases. The outer planets spin faster but take longer to travel around the sun. They have
more moons than the inner planets.
Candidate describes the planet formation and the size of
composition of the planets by does not explain why.
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QUESTION THREE: USING THE HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM
Red giants and white dwarfs are labelled on the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram below.
Explain in detail how the characteristics of red giants differ from those of white dwarfs. In your
explanation, you should consider:
•
the position of the red giants and white dwarfs on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
•
EACH of the following properties:
• temperature
• spectral class
• luminosity
• fuel source
• surface area
• mass.
Red giants are very bright but cool stars. They have a large surface are and are found in the
spectral type G, K or M.
White dwarfs are small but hot stars. They are found in spectral type O, B, A or F and are
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not so bright. They are not as bright as the sun but they are hotter. White dwarfs form from
red giants when the red giants run out of fuel and collapse inwards.
Candidate correctly describes red giants and white
dwarfs using characteristics correctly interpreted
from the H/R diagram. Eg, temperature, spec class,
luminosity, size, and simple formation.
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