Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
Classifying Stars
15 practice questions
Practice questions
1–10 of 15
Question 1
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →State the name of the galaxy in which our Solar System is located.
Question 2
1 mark · Easy
Answer and check →Which of the following star classes is the hottest according to the classification system?
- A.O
- B.A
- C.G
- D.M
Question 3
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Describe the overall shape of the Milky Way galaxy and state where the Sun is positioned within it.
Question 4
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A blacksmith heats a piece of iron in the forge. Explain how the colour of the iron relates to its temperature. How does this relationship also apply to stars?
Question 5
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Table: Star colour and temperature Star Surface temperature (K) Apparent colour X 6500 yellow Y 4000 red Z 32000 blue Which star in the table is classified as type O and which as type M? Explain your choices.
Question 6
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Explain why two stars of different colours must have different surface temperatures.
Question 7
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Table: Surface temperature and typical colour of some star classes Star class Surface temperature (K) Colour B 20,000 blue-white G 5,800 yellow K 4,600 orange M 3,200 red Which star class in the table has a surface temperature closest to the Sun? State the colour of this class.
Question 8
1 mark · Easy
Answer and check →Which statement describes the position of the Solar System within the Milky Way galaxy?
- A.At the centre of the galaxy
- B.Near the centre on a spiral arm
- C.About two-thirds out from the centre on a spiral arm
- D.Far outside the galaxy
Question 9
5 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The table below shows the classification of some stars by their surface temperature and colour:
Star classification by temperature and colour Star class Surface temperature (K) Colour O more than 33 000 blue B 33 000 – 10 000 blue-white A 10 000 – 7 500 white G 6 000 – 5 200 yellow K 5 200 – 3 700 orange M 3 700 – 2 000 red (a)[1 mark]In which class would the Sun be placed? Give the class letter and colour.
(b)[2 marks]A star shines with a yellow-white colour. Estimate its surface temperature range using the table.
(c)[2 marks]Explain why a star that appears red is much cooler than a star that appears white.
Question 10
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student is looking at the night sky and notices some stars appear brighter than others. Explain why two stars of the same size and type can appear to have very different brightness as observed from the Earth.