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Study Tips
The Final Exam will consist of 100 multiple choice questions it will very closely resemble the homework sets that you have done in MasteringAstronomy and the exams that you have taken in the course. There will also be a 20 point bonus question. You will have two (2) hours to take the final exam. The best way to study for the Final Exam is to
Quickly run through the PowerPoints for the chapters (posted in GeorgiaView). Note areas where you feel weak. Read the text sections on those topics.
Redo the examinations that have been given in the course, A excellent final tune up would be to take the Concept quizzes in MasteringAstronomy these are located in the Study Area of each chapter.
Chapter S2 Tips
Know that the laws of nature must be the same for everyone. Know that the speed of light is the same for every observer. Understand the concept of reference frames and that all motion is relative. Be able to explain why an object with mass cannot travel at the speed of light. Understand how time differs in different reference frames. Understand the relativity of simultaneity. Understand the effects of motion on length and mass. Understand velocity addition at high speeds. Understand the tests of the validity of Special Relativity. Understand the effect of Special Relativity on space travel at high speeds.
Chapter S3 Tips
Understand the relationship between gravity and acceleration: the equivalence principle. Understand the concept of spacetime , and be able to describe the properties of the three possible spacetime geometries. Understand that gravity arises from curvature of spacetime. Understand the nature of spacetime produced by a black hole. Know the tests of the theory of general relativity. Understand the origin of gravitational redshifts. Understand the nature of gravitational waves and the evidence for their existence. Understand the possible existence of ways to travel in hyperspace using wormholes.
Chapter S4 Tips
Be able to list the basic properties of subatomic particles. Be able to describe the fundamental building blocks of matter: quarks and leptons. Understand the processes of pair annihilation and pair production. Be able to describe the four fundamental forces of nature. Be able to describe the uncertainty principle. Understand the concept of wave-particle duality. Be able to describe the exclusion principle. Understand degeneracy pressure and its role in white dwarfs and neutron stars. Understand the concept of quantum tunneling and its importance to the fusion reactions in the Sun. Understand the concept of virtual particles and their implications for the lifetimes of black holes.
Chapter 14 Tips
Understand the concept of gravitational equilibrium in stars. Understand the role of gravitational contraction in igniting fusion reactions in stars. Be able to describe the structure of the Sun, and the characteristics of each region. Understand the proton-proton chain in the Sun. Be able to describe the characteristics of the products of the proton-proton chain. Be able to describe how gravitational equilibrium in the Sun regulates the temperature of the core of the Sun.
Chapter 15 Tips
Understand that the apparent brightness of a star depends upon its luminosity and its distance. Understand the use of stellar parallax to measure distance to a star. Understand the magnitude system. Understand how stellar temperatures are measured and the classification of stars by spectral type. Understand how masses of stars are determined from binary star systems. Be able to describe the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and identify the locations of the main sequence, giants and supergiants, and white dwarfs on it. Understand the significance of the main sequence, and the relationship between stellar mass and lifetime. Understand the nature of giants and supergiants, and white dwarfs. Understand why the luminosity of certain stars varies periodically in time. Be able to describe the two type of star clusters. Be able to describe how the age of a star cluster can be determined.
Chapter 16 Tips
Know the composition of the interstellar medium. Know that stars are born in cold, dense molecular clouds. Know what interstellar dust is and how it causes interstellar reddening. Understand the role of radio emission in detecting molecular clouds and infrared light in seeing through molecular clouds. Be able to describe the process of star formation with particular attention to the roles of gravity and thermal pressure. Understand how a contracting molecular cloud rids its self of thermal pressure to allow gravity to dominate. Be able to describe the formation of stars in clusters, as isolated stars, and in the first generation of stars.
Chapter 17 Tips
Be able to explain how the mass of a star affects the fusion process. Be able to describe the life and death stages of a low-mass star: proton-proton cycle on main sequence, hydrogen shell burning to red giant, triple helium burning and helium flash, double shell burning, thermal pulses, and planetary nebula and white dwarf. Be able to describe the characteristics of a planetary nebula and white dwarf, and the fate of terrestrial planets.
Chapter 18 Tips
Be able to describe the composition, density and size of white dwarf star. Be able to explain the reason for the white dwarf limit (Chandrasekhar limit). Know its value. Be able to describe what can happen to a white dwarf star in a close binary system: accretion disk, novae, and white dwarf supernovae. Be able to describe how massive star supernovae and white dwarf supernovae can be distinguished.
Chapter 19 Tips
Be able describe the components and sizes of the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. Be able to describe and contrast the motions of stars in the disk, bulge and halo of the Galaxy. Be able to explain how gas is recycled through the star-gasstar cycle in the Galaxy: gas from dying stars, hot bubbles, atomic hydrogen clouds, molecular clouds, star formation, fusion in stars. Be able to describe the origin of bubbles and superbubbles in the disk of the Galaxy. Be able to explain how galactic fountains could mix recycled gas in the disk.
Chapter 20 Tips
Know the three types of galaxies and their characteristics. Know the differences between a group of galaxies and a cluster of galaxies, and know which types of galaxies are most prominent in each Know how distances to galaxies are measured; specifically, be able to describe: Radar ranging Parallax Main sequence fitting Cepheid period-luminosity relationship White dwarf supernovae Tully-Fisher relation
Chapter 21 Tips
Be able to explain how the evolution of galaxies can be observed. Be able to describe the formation of galaxies from a protogalactic cloud. Be able to explain how the spin and density of a protogalactic cloud might explain differences in galactic structure. Be able to describe the effect of galactic collisions on galactic structure. Be able to discuss the characteristics of starburst galaxies and the resulting supernova driven galactic winds.
Chapter 22 Tips
Be able to explain the meaning of the words dark matter and dark energy. Be able to describe the evidence for the existence of dark matter in galaxies (galactic rotation curves). Be able to describe the evidence for the existence of dark matter in clusters of galaxies ( galaxy orbits, xray emission from hot gas, and gravitational lensing. Be able to describe the only possibility if dark matter does not exist.
Chapter 23 Tips
Be able to explain the history of the Universe through the following eras by describing the key characteristics of :
Planck era (all forces behave as one) GUT era (gravity becomes a separate force, inflation) Electroweak era (electromagnetism and weak forces separate) Particle era (particles and antiparticles annihilate) Era of nucleosynthesis (fusion reactions: H and He, plus) Era of nuclei (atoms form at end light) Era of atoms (galaxies form at end) Era of galaxies
Be able to describe and explain the two pieces of observational data that confirm the Big Bang theory: cosmic microwave background and abundances of elements.
Be able to describe how predictions of temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background support inflation. Be able to describe Oblerss paradox and how it supports the Big Bang theory.
Chapter 24 Tips
Be able to discuss when life arose on Earth. Be able to describe how life arose on Earth. Bea able to describe the conditions necessary for life. Be able to discuss whether there could be life on Mars. Be able to discuss whether there could be life on Europa or other jovian moons. Be able to describe the habitable zone around a star.