Descriptive Astronomy

Homework: Week 2b

Definitions

Radiation

Electromagnetism

Electromagnetic Waves

Wavelength

Frequency

Photon

X-Rays

Gamma Rays

Ultraviolet Light

Infrared Light

Radio Waves

Photoelectric Effect

Blackbody

Wein’s Law

Energy Flux

Stefan-Boltzmann Law

Spectrometer

Emission Spectrum

Absorption Spectrum

Continuous Spectrum

Nucleus

Proton

Neutron

Electron

Isotope

Ionize
Energy Level

Ground State

Excitation

Doppler Effect

Radial Velocity

Refracting Telescope

Reflecting Telescope

Aperture

Chromatic Aberration

Primary Mirror

Resolution

Adaptive Optics

Charge-Coupled Device

Spectroscopy

Interferometer

Interferometer Array

Conceptual Questions

1. Describe the model for a wave. Include the wavelength, frequency, amplitude and wavespeed.

2. If the wave is an electromagnetic wave, what does the amplitude correspond to? What is the
speed of the wave?
3. What does wave-particle duality mean? What are some of the differences between modeling
light as a wave and light as a particle?

4. List the portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (visible, infrared, x-ray, gamma ray, radio
waves, ultraviolet) in order of frequency from greatest to least. List them again in terms of
wavelength from greatest to least. Finally, list them in terms of energy from greatest to least.

5. Describe the Bohr model of the atom. Draw a diagram below. When we say that electrons orbit
in energy levels, what does that mean? Where can you expect to find the protons and the
neutrons?
6. How does light play a role in helping the electrons in an atom jump from one energy level to the
next? To go from a lower to a higher energy level does a photon need to be absorbed or
emitted? Why?

7. Describe the creation of a continuous light spectrum. What about an emission spectrum? An
absorption spectrum?

8. In an emission or absorption spectrum, what determines where the spectral lines will be?

9. What is the Doppler Effect? How does it lead to a shift in the location of spectral lines?

10. What are the three powers of a telescope? Which two are the most important, and what aspect
of the telescope determines each?
 11. A refractive telescope works on the principal of refraction, whereas a reflective telescope relies
on the principal of reflection. What is the difference between the two?

12. What are some of the most important tools used in astronomy? Give a general description of
how each works.

13. How do you change the resolving power of a radio interferometer?

Problems

1. An electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of 1250 nm.

a. What is the wavelength in meters?
b. What is the wave frequency?
c. What part of the EM Spectrum (visible, radio, etc.) does this wave belong to?
d. What is the energy of a photon that corresponds to this electromagnetic wave?
2. An electromagnetic wave has a frequency of 150 MHz.
a. What is the frequency in hertz?
b. What is the wavelength?
c. What part of the EM Spectrum (visible, radio, etc.) does this wave belong to?
d. What is the energy of a photon that corresponds to this electromagnetic wave?

3. An object is observed as having a brightness of 50,000 W/m2 when observed at 1 km. What is
the brightness from 2 km, 4 km, 10 km and ½ km?

4. How much more light gathering power does a 10 m telescope mirror have than a 50 cm
telescope mirror? Also, what is the angular resolution of each at 600 nm?

5. How much more light gathering power does a 20 cm telescope mirror have than a 10 cm
telescope mirror? Also, what is the angular resolution of each at 500 nm?