Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Unit
Astrophysics
156 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
81–90 of 156
Question 81
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.
Question 82
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System.
(a)[1 mark]Describe the shape of the Milky Way as seen from above.
(b)[1 mark]Where is the Solar System located within the Milky Way galaxy?
(c)[2 marks]Explain why we see many stars in the direction of the Milky Way band in the night sky.
Question 83
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The following table shows three observed stars and their properties:
Observed star properties Star Apparent colour Surface temperature (K) A red 2 500 B blue 34 000 C yellow 5 900 (a)[1 mark]Which star is the hottest? Explain your answer.
(b)[1 mark]What is the star class of Star C? Use the class table from the syllabus.
(c)[2 marks]Describe the expected relationship between the colour of a star and its surface temperature.
Question 84
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The table below shows the classification and some properties of certain stars:
Star Class Colour Alpha K orange Beta B blue-white Gamma M red Delta G yellow (a)[2 marks]Which of the stars in the table above is likely to have the highest surface temperature? State your answer and explain your reasoning.
(b)[2 marks]Which star class in the table is most similar to the Sun? Give the name and class.
Question 85
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe the overall structure of the Milky Way galaxy. Name the type of galaxy and state where the Sun is located within it.
Question 86
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A group of students observe three stars through a telescope. The results are recorded in the table below.
Observed star properties Star Colour Estimated surface temperature Star A red 2500 K Star B yellow 5800 K Star C blue 33000 K (a)[2 marks]State the relationship between the colour of a star and its surface temperature.
(b)[2 marks]Which of these stars is likely to belong to the class O? Explain your answer.
Question 87
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →What are the two main forces that balance each other during the main sequence period of a star's life?
Question 88
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]Name the stage of a star's life just before it becomes a main sequence star.
(b)[1 mark]State what process starts at the beginning of the main sequence stage.
(c)[1 mark]How long does the main sequence stage typically last for a star like the Sun?
Question 89
1 mark · Easy
Answer and check →Which of the following objects is the most dense?
- A.Red giant
- B.Main sequence star
- C.White dwarf
- D.Red supergiant
Question 90
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]A star much larger than the Sun ends its life in a different way from our Sun. Name the explosion that ends its life.
(b)[1 mark]What is one possible remnant left behind after this explosion?