Monday Group 3
Fall 2010 Lab Final Quiz Review
The final lab quiz will be several questions on labs done throughout the semester. The majority
of questions will be based on labs not covered on the midterm quiz; however the final lab quiz IS
cumulative. Since different sections may have done different labs, make sure this review is for
your night and section. The quiz will be 25 points.
The quiz is closed note and closed book, but calculators will be allowed. You should have a
scientific, non-programmable calculator. You should know some simple equations that
are mentioned in this review, but more complicated equations will be provided. Scientific
notation should be used in your answers when appropriate. All work shown and final answers
must have proper units to be considered correct.
The quiz is not going to test you on every little detail covered in lab. Instead it will be over what
we the TA's consider to be important concepts in the labs. The following contains the general
ideas of what we consider important. If you have any questions please contact your TA.
Stars, Light and Spectra (pg. 3)
Why do scientists use spectrum measurements?
What are some devices used to measure spectra? Where can we see spectra in our lives?
What are the three basic types of spectra? You should be able to describe each type and provide
an example. Also, what examples were used in lab to show the three types of spectra?
How do filters work? What will you see if you combine filters together? What do the filters
used in the lab represent in astronomy?
What is the range of electromagnetic radiation that the human eye can detect?
What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency? How does the energy of a photon
relate to wavelength and frequency?
Be able to describe what is happening at the atomic level to create an emission spectrum or an
absorption spectrum. (Think of the slide example I used)
Are all energies of the electron shells allowed?
Luminosity, Brightness, and Distance: the Inverse Square Law (Pg. 23)
Define the following terms: luminosity and brightness. How are they different?
What is the relationship between brightness, luminosity, and distance? If I change one of the
quantities how will the others be affected? You need to know the equation: B =
1 L
4π d 2
For a 100W bulb and a 200W bulb know how to measure the luminosity and the brightness.
How were we able to calculate the wattage of the two unknown bulbs?
Know how to solve for different terms in the brightness equation and how to use the equation
when you are comparing two different light sources.
Starry Night Introduction (pg. 127)
Know the definition of circumpolar and how your location on earth effects circumpolar
constellations.
Know what constellations are circumpolar in Lafayette.
Know the definition of zenith and how your location on earth affects your zenith.
Know how your position on Earth affects the relative position of Polaris and the correlation
between Polaris’ height in degrees above the horizon and your latitude on the northern
hemisphere
Know how the rotation of the earth affects the rising, setting and rotation of all
constellations/stars.
Distance to the Stars
What is the definition of parallax? Be able to draw a diagram indicating the angles involved.
How does distance affect the parallax angle? When is parallax a useful technique?
Practice unit conversions and calculations involving rate, distance traveled and time. Know the
appropriate equations. α = 1/L
Know how to do basic trigonometry of right triangles. Given an angle and a length of one of the
sides, can you determine one of the other sides of the triangle?
Given a velocity and a distance, know how to calculate a time in various units. (v=d/t)
Why can't you use parallax to measure the distance to planets?
Determining the Size of Meteorites
Know the meaning of Conservation of Energy and how to apply it to systems similar to the ones
looked at in lab.
Know the equation for kinetic energy (KE= ½ m v2), and potential energy (PE = mgh) and how
to relate them using the conservation of energy.
Know how the mass of an object affects the crater size.
Know how the velocity of an object affects the crater size.
Starry Night - Views of the Solar System
Understand the ecliptic and how it relates to the motions of the planets.
Understand the motion of the planets, both the daily and longer term.
Understand retrograde motion – what is it and what causes it.
Understand the phases of the Moon in detail, including their cause and the timeline of their cycle.
Know the names and order of the phases.
Know that the inner planets of the Solar System show phases too and understand the phases.
Understand Kepler’s 3 laws.
The 1st law says that a planets’ orbit is an ellipse
The 2nd law says that the area swept out by a planet in time t is equal to that for some other area
of the same time t.
The 3rd law states that the square of the period of a planet’s orbit (in years) is equal to the cube of
the semi-major axis (in A.U.) P2= a3.
3D lab
Know what the local group is.
Know what kind of galaxy the Milky way is.
Know the three main type of galaxies
Be able to describe the 3d shape of the Milky way.
Constellations/Asterisms
Know how to find and draw the following constellations and major features. Know some of the
mythology.
Big Dipper, Dubhe, Merak, Mizar and Alcor
Little Dipper, Polaris
Cassiopeia, Schedir
Bootes, Arcturus
Pegasus, Markab
Cygnus, Deneb
Lyra, Vega
Aquila, Altair
The Summer Triangle (P. 260 in your manual) and know the 3 stars/constellations that compose
it.
Note: There is a separate review for the constellations on the web (it may contain more
constellations that your lab has covered).