Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo
Astronomy 2e

Review Questions

Astronomy 2eReview Questions

Review Questions

1.

How does the equivalence principle lead us to suspect that spacetime might be curved?

2.

If general relativity offers the best description of what happens in the presence of gravity, why do physicists still make use of Newton’s equations in describing gravitational forces on Earth (when building a bridge, for example)?

3.

Einstein’s general theory of relativity made or allowed us to make predictions about the outcome of several experiments that had not yet been carried out at the time the theory was first published. Describe three experiments that verified the predictions of the theory after Einstein proposed it.

4.

If a black hole itself emits no radiation, what evidence do astronomers and physicists today have that the theory of black holes is correct?

5.

What characteristics must a binary star have to be a good candidate for a black hole? Why is each of these characteristics important?

6.

A student becomes so excited by the whole idea of black holes that he decides to jump into one. It has a mass 10 times the mass of our Sun. What is the trip like for him? What is it like for the rest of the class, watching from afar?

7.

What is an event horizon? Does our Sun have an event horizon around it?

8.

What is a gravitational wave and why was it so hard to detect?

9.

What are some strong sources of gravitational waves that astronomers hope to detect in the future?

10.

Suppose the amount of mass in a black hole doubles. Does the event horizon change? If so, how does it change?

PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Jul 8, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.